The artists and developers of Global Mechanic Media’s digital group are excited to announce the launch of the recently completed “Original iPhone Film Festival.” Wanting to leverage the hybrid production talent of Global Mechanic Media, the festival founders engaged the studio at the very beginning to design what the ‘brand’ would look like, as well as to build the entire interactive experience.
Conceived by festival directors Matthew Dessner and Corey Rogers as a place to showcase unique films shot in a unique format, the Original iPhone Film Festival will take place completely on-line. Filmmakers will shoot and edit their films and then upload the final cut to the site. Once uploaded, the judges will review the submissions, again all on-line, and awards will be announced in the early summer.
Global Mechanic Media developed the site in 3 distinct stages. First, a design heavy AJAX built brochure layout helped to get the word out to filmmakers, judges and sponsors. Secondly, a submission system which marries a well-known festival service with a custom backend to streamline the judging process was conceived and then implemented. Finally, a database driven video section was designed to showcase the festival winners as well all of the notable submissions.
“When the festival came to us looking for a partner to help them design the festival, many of our staff started storyboarding films that very day, the energy was amazing”, says Managing Director Matthew Charde. Joe Truesdell, Global Mechanic‘s Technical Director continues, “we jumped at the opportunity to merge our passion for, film making, web design and mobile devices into one radically original project. With a pumped and excited staff, we approached the festival directors and pitched them on developing all aspects of the property including the site. Next thing you know, we are building the whole interactive experience.”
“We knew going into this venture that we needed a partner with both technical skills and a strong design aesthetic to make this really work”, says festival co-founder Matthew Dessner, “so we were ecstatic when Global Mechanic presented their vision and tech plan for the project. It was everything we needed and showed they ‘got it’.”
Recent work for Global Mechanic Media includes: interactive campaign work for Bensimon Byrne for Scotia Bank, web work for Copper Penny Flowers, television spots for Nestle and Delissio Pizza and BC Hydro. Drawings an award winning PSA for Stand: raising awareness for the war in Darfur; Bust it or Believe it– the first interactive YouTube campaign with Leo Burnett for Silk Soy Milk; Season 5 for the Emmy Award winning PBS TV show FETCH with Ruff Ruffman, as well as the PBS web property, based on Annie Leonard’s sustainability content, LOOP Scoops. Bruce Alcock’s short film Vive La Rose was recently in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and was named one of the top ten films at Toronto International Film Festival. In addition, Bruce Alcock’s has just begun pre production on his most recent film Impromptu co-produced with the NFB.
About Original iPhone Film Festival
Founded by commercial production/ad industry vets Corey Rogers & Matthew Dessner, Original iPhone Film Festival is the centerpiece of a new on-line destination for filmmakers utilizing emerging mobile technology for storytelling and content creation. The festival features an interesting cross section of judges from the film, tv, advertising and music industries including film director Lasse Hallstrom, NY Times tech columnist David Pogue, ad biz creative bigwig and bestselling author Jimmy Siegel and rock superstars Maroon5.
About Global Mechanic Media
Global Mechanic Media (www.globalmechanic.com) is a boutique trans-media production company with years of experience and considerable expertise in all aspects of advertising & marketing, entertainment, communication and problem solving. We operate as an integrated studio dedicated to creating content in any medium and are built as a digital laboratory working to formulate effective communications and solutions that are intriguing and create demand. We are creative thinkers who are masters at telling stories and solving visual problems.
Our expertise at the intersection of marketing and entertainment inspires us to think beyond the limits of the page, the site, the banner and the URL. Regardless of format, we design rich user experiences that create value for the brand and it is our deep knowledge of user experience that ultimately informs the nature of all of our creative.
Founded in 2000 by animation veteran Bruce Alcock, GM has produced commercials, TV shows, websites, films, games, installations, interactive experiences, print, package design and original photography. Based in Vancouver, Canada, our premier facility is world class and staffed with the best creative staff and all the coolest gear imaginable. Clients include Bell, Coca-cola, Nestlé, BMW, Unilever, Hershey and Kraft, for agencies including Grey, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy and BBDO. We have worked with broadcasters including PBS, Cartoon Network, and the CBC. In addition to commercial work, the studio is always collaborating with the theatre, dance, educators and architects. Film projects include award-winning shorts and features in all genres.
