The D4D founder/director Matt Checkowski’s AEG Brand films “Mixed Berries, Three Ways” and “Beer Braised Ox Cheek” were featured in the touring 2013 Food Film Festival that offers the opportunity to taste what you see on the screen. Dubbed “true food porn” by Food Film Fest’s director George Motz (host of Burger Land, Travel Channel), the films were devoured by audiences in New York, Charleston and, most recently, Chicago.
MATT: Frederic Sebton at Great Works in Stockholm had this great idea of combining the genres of “dream sequence” and “culinary film” into a vision from the minds-eye of a chef. It turns out that I’d done some work in both of those categories, the dream sequences in Minority Report as well as a lot of short documentary film work on famous culinary artisans. This was one of those lucky projects: it needed to merge two separate worlds and we happened to be fluent in both. The three films originated as web films for AEG’s new line of professional kitchen appliances, and were meant to support the traditional TV campaign that was being produced elsewhere, but everyone ended up being so excited by the dreams that they earned a bigger placement in the campaign.
MATT: More than ever. I think intelligent and inspiring curators and festival programmers are more important now than ever. I also think human contact and shared experiences are more important than ever. Sitting in a movie theater with a crowd of people, all engaged in the same narrative, is still the best storytelling experience on the planet. I think it’s easy to convince yourself that the magic is worth trading for convenience —your 4K home theatre or HD on your phone— but when you actually sit in a theatre and remember how it makes you feel, it’s really no contest.
MATT: Brands have a built-in audience — at least by comparison to many entertainment properties — and I’m drawn to that. We want our work to reach as many people as possible and often target niche audiences that can start the ball rolling towards a larger group of people. We’re not branded content auteurs, we’ve always been conscious of our audience and when it comes to online content with agencies and brands. The best projects start early, focus on value, and chart a course for what will resonate with the most important, targeted audience. Only then do we start crafting the actual story. But it has to work for both sides: the brand AND the audience. Most branded storytellers play lip service to the audience and then behave like a car salesman at a dinner party. They just need to relax.
Jessie Nagel
Special Agent
Hype
Contact Jessie via email
www.hypeworld.com
2024 AICP Awards Tour Concludes with Stops in Dallas and Chicago
The 2024 AICP Awards Tour concludes with stops in Dallas and Chicago this month as it wraps up its tour of cities across the U.S. The National Tour brought presentations, panels and screenings to marketers, advertising agencies, production and post production companies. The AICP Awards will be in Dallas on Thursday, November 14th, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, followed by the Chicago event, set for Thursday, November 21st at The Old Post Office. Tickets are available now for both events at www.aicp.com. In Dallas, the program kicks off at 6:45 pm with a happy hour, followed by the screening and panel discussion at 7:30. The evening ends with a networking reception from 8:30 to 11:30. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas. Appearing in Dallas will be Abe Garcia, Chief Creative Officer, Dieste; Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content, Southwest Airlines; and Isaac Pagán Muñoz, VP, Executive Creative Director of PepsiCo Foods. The panel will review selected winners from the suite of the AICP Awards programs, offering insights into what made them rise to the top of their respective categories and share their viewpoints on key trends in the industry. The Chicago stop starts at 6:00pm with a happy hour, followed by the presentation and screening at 7:00pm. A reception caps the event, starting at 8:00pm and concluding at 11:30pm. The Old Post Office is located at 433 W Van Buren Street in Chicago. The panel there will feature 2024 AICP Awards Curators and Winners from the marketer, agency, production and post production sectors who’ll highlight this year’s winners. The conversation will include a discussion about the winning work, including insights... Read More