Wild Plum director Mike Goubeaux is no stranger to winning video contests. Since college he has regularly won or placed in a variety of “call to action” competitions, including Doritos’ Super Bowl challenge, where he was a finalist. His latest feat is a Braun branded content piece entitled “That’s Tough” through Tongal.com, which claimed the top prize.nn”Tongal is a relatively new crowd-sourced creative hotbed,” states Goubeaux. “There are plenty of commercial and video contest sites out there, but Tongal is a bit different. They strive to give brands access to great creative at lower costs while giving creators the opportunity to hone their craft for actual brands and actual dollars.”nnThrough Tongal, brands post creative briefs to which the community responds with one line ideas based on the brief. Next, creators pitch their vision for the handful of selected ideas and finally, videos are produced based on those pitches. Some projects allow for a "wild card" where a filmmaker can submit their own video that did not go through the three phases. This is exactly what Goubeaux did.nn”For Braun, I decided to just go straight to a final spot,” the director recalls. “I think the idea and pitch phases are very valuable, and lead to cash prizes as well as confirmation the brand likes where you’re going, but I was out to make this spot for my reel as much as I was to please Braun, so we just went for a wild card submission.”nn
nnWhile Goubeaux doesn’t necessarily see Tongal replacing traditional advertising or agencies anytime soon, he does see it as a valuable and progressive tool for brands as well as creative talent. "Leaving wild card slots open may generate something totally unexpected and wonderful," he says. "We skipped right to the final product and ended up winning top prize and really pleasing the brand; perhaps with an agency this idea wouldn’t have made it past the first conversation. There is something to be said for looking at a final product instead of an idea on paper. It doesn’t always make sense, but it works in this model."nnUpon seeing the creative brief from Braun, the director immediately began thinking of ways to bring a magical, wacky feel to an electric razor. Very quickly he focused on the idea of insane beards being magically generated on test subjects. “I loved the brief for Braun because they were insisting on a fun spot that would demonstrate the toughness of their electric razors. They of course want to touch on some of the key points for the brand and the product, but it was clear they wanted something that was actually fun to watch,” states Goubeaux. “Many razor spots are really about how the blades work or how they magically lift hairs for a closer shave. I think as viewers we all know that’s the goal of each razor. I thought it might be more interesting to take a slightly more irreverent look into a supposed testing lab. It’s clear this has nothing to do with actual razor testing, but if you want viewers to take a look at your brand, sometimes it’s probably better to just have some fun with the product. We certainly took the chance to push some bullet points, but hopefully in a way that isn’t too invasive for the viewer.”nnAs is the case with most spec/contest pieces, Goubeaux had to make every dollar count and relied on his personal relationships to create the award-winning piece. “[Lead actor] Sam Richardson is a friend of mine. He’s a great improv actor that does really fun work. After one conversation with Sam, I knew he had to be our Chief Tester,” says the director. “For an improve actor, the role was pretty technical in terms of hitting a tons of marks and longer dolly shots that have to land just right, but he killed it! Look for Sam in his upcoming role on The Office on NBC and you’ll find him in Arrested Development when that comes out down the road.”nnOn the production side, Goubeaux relied on long-time relationships with his DP and VFX supervisor. "I really wanted to work with DP Dallas Sterling again. He and I have started shooting more and more together and he works magic with very little gear and money," he says. "His work is top notch and you’ll never hear him complain about gear. Sometimes we get 10-ton trucks, sometimes we have a reflector; he makes great looking material either way."nnHe continues, "When I write spec spots or contest pieces like this, I usually develop visual effects gags that I know I can achieve with very little outside help. Andrew Cook as been my VFX supervisor and artist on most of the spec work I’ve done. Any effects have to be manageable between the two of us. He’s a super talented VFX generalist and I usually work to support him by doing some of the easier shots, while he does things like simulate 10,000 disposable razors falling into a pile (on his spare nights and weekends). I did take the opportunity to learn how to simulate facial hair on this project and ended up executing the 2nd and 3rd beard. So, beyond more work to promote my directing career, I’m always excited to have a chance to polish up my post skills."nnOn the challenges of this type of production, Goubeaux says, "It’s really great to be signed with a production company who supports spec work and projects that help build the reel. Wild Plum not only helped financially support the project, but helped get the project properly produced. With 14 actors, a sound stage, prop rentals, gear etc, it’s hard to imagine having to write and direct but also produce and do the book-keeping. Having the support of Wild Plum was key. I suppose it’s an unfair advantage over some other Tongalers, but I’ll take what I can get."nn"We were working with pennies on the dollar as compared to an agency budget, but the result is pretty solid," he reflects. "It’s important to note here that my crew was unpaid; these guys and gals are saints. This is not necessarily sustainable over the long term, but as proving ground, Tongal does provide a scenario that is a few notches better than plain old spec spots, and, the great news is, when you win, like we have, we WILL actually get to pay the crew!"nnBraun is running the spot on their YouTube page and throughout the Internet. In its first four days of release it garnered over 170,000 views on the company’s YouTube channel. Braun also engaged Goubeaux to cut teasers and may even create more material with the director based around this character. “If this happens, we’ll have turned a crowd-sourced contest piece into paying work. You can’t ask for a better outcome,” the director says. “If you can turn a contest piece like this into paying work for a brand, it’s like sneaking into the back door of a club. It might be sneaky and it may have been a long shot, but either way you end up inside.”nnProduction CreditsnDirector/Editor: Mike GoubeauxnProduction Company: Wild PlumnExecutive Producer: Shelby SextonnExecutive Producer: Sandy HaddadnProducer: Ted RobbinsnDP: Dallas SterlingnProduction Design: Amelia BrookenVFX Supervisor: Andrew CookShelby Sexton Wild Plum 310-823-7445 Contact Shelby via email
Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
One doesn't have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent. But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather. The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the LA area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living. Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community. Production is needed in L.A., now! Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the incredible resource of L.A. production as we know it, then marketers, agencies and the industry loses in the long run. Over the past several days, some agencies have issued directives to production companies that are unilaterally pushing upcoming production options out of L.A. The fact is L.A. is a large area, and many sections of the city and county are not directly impacted... Read More