Cory Noonan Joins Aero Film

The Aero Film family would like to welcome their new Executive Producer, Cory Noonan, to the LA office. From his bio below, I think you'll see how he'll fit in juuuust fine. 

CORY NOONAN has had grey hair for a very very long time. Surprisingly, it was not induced by the stress of attending the notably- challenging Art Center College of Design, nor the many arduous years as a freelance Art Director for a multitude of agencies, nor was it when he switched hats to become a freelance Copywriter for a few more. Was the salt and pepper hair caused by the year of unfettered world travel where his once-limited mind was exposed to countless cultures and philosophies? Nay? Well, it certainly wasn’t because he left advertising not once, but twice, for the pursuit of a marketing position at a dot-com, and then (of all things holy) commercial f**king real estate. Or, his year living in Amsterdam? Perhaps it was instantly shocked grey when he returned back, like a prodigal son, to the production side of advertising, where he ascended to his highest-and-best-use as Executive Producer?

No.

He just has terrible genes, as do his white-mopped parents, whom he loves despite their genetic curse.

When not discussing his hair, Cory can be found swearing at greasy vintage car parts, dispensing unsolicited fitness advice he does not himself follow, and making travel plans he has to cancel because of work. Thankfully, he loves his job, so it’s fine. Really.

Here is a picture of him looking satisfied, pensive, or casually judgmental. It’s really hard to tell. 

Cory can be reached at noonan@aerofilm.tv or in the office at 310-396-3636. Please don't confuse him with female EP Cori. And please don't call her female EP Cori. Or him male EP Cory. Oh boy... what have we done... 

Aero Film Director Sam O'Hare Dazzles with CG Storytelling for Tesla

Sam O'Hare, director at Rocket Film and creative director of our partner company, Parachute VFX, made a splash in October with his CG tour de force for Tesla. The 100% cg spot-- yes every frame is cg, nothing was shot-- was shared on Twitter by the head of Ted Talks as well as Telsa Motorcars. 2 months later, it's had over 200K views on Vimeo and was noted by AdWeek, Fast Company and several car blogs.

It's been noted again in this article in AdWeek written by Nick Childs, CCO of Initiative Media. Nick not only is impressed by craft as well as the care for the brand and storytelling. Form and function. Strategy and creative. Sam came to this project to create something in a complete CG world as a show piece for the reel, but he also wanted to stay true to creating a great spot, which is something that could only be created for that brand.

Find out more about the backstory of how this video came to be HERE.

Teamsters Local 399 to go on strike Feb 1

An agency creative just asked me what all this means... Here's my take...

There has been a trend over the last 10 years to not produce commercials in the US anymore, fleeing the States to cheaper pastures overseas. This exodus has mainly been to avoid residuals fees for SAG Actors, not to save money on the production itself. While sometimes that is the case, the savings is generally marginal after travel, etc. With the pending possible strike from the Teamsters in the West, this will put production companies in an even more difficult position of encouraging clients to stay in the US. 

There's a reason that LA is the hub of production for the world-- best crews, best locations, best accessibility to equipment. Is it great to travel to other places sometimes? Absolutely. But it's hard to not think about all the jobs that are affected when you do. It's not just the Teamsters that would be affected by this strike. It's the entire crew. And while all of production should stand united, they are striking for a reason that will not go away. The AICP is asking to change the threshold for what's considered "low-budget" from $75,000 a day to $125,000. On a low-budget contract, day rates can be negotiated with crew members below scale rates. 

Let's be clear: no one wants to pay anyone below scale. No one is really “excited” about low-budget work, but with more and more web work this is the reality of production. The days of getting $250,000 a day for production are gone. The words “nimble” are used on a  daily basis— who can make a scene look like a million bucks for $500 shot on an iPhone? This is our reality, and we need to embrace it or risk becoming extinct. 

Production crews are the ultimate team and no one is diminishing the value of Teamsters— from drivers to location managers, they can clearly be argued as the backbone of the crew. No one is looking for a way to short change their value. We fight everyday to make union crews work for the budget at hand. This provision will create jobs. It will ensure that union crews aren’t a thing of the past. It’s in the best interest of everyone. Let's keep jobs in the US. Let’s look out for each other. Let’s be union supporters by supporting the greater good. 

Chrysler Born Makers

When the Chrysler "Born Makers" boards came to Klaus Obermeyer, there were hundreds of scenes that needed to be shot, and not enough days to shoot them. But Klaus isn't a "we can't do it" kind of guy.  He called in Ken Arlidge and Sam O'Hare, and between the 3 of them, Klaus divided and conquered to get everything and then some. This is why its good have great partners on your roster.

All of the diverse locations would never have been possible with one crew. And those locations that couldn't be found, were created in CG with Sam O'Hare at Parachute.

Klaus Obermeyer in Alaska

Aéro Film has been to Alaska quite a few times. Sam O'Hare shot the Alaska Communications campaign last year (and this year... stay tuned). Klaus Obermeyer has shot there for many years with Warren Miller films, Chevy Silverado, and just went back for a project that will remain nameless for the moment. (I'm all about suspense today...) 

It's no mystery why Klaus keeps going back-- it's one of the most stunning landscapes in the world, and right now, one of the best places to shoot snow. 

 The Aéro jet and Daniel Zatz helicopter with Cineflex system.

Klaus in the glaciers of Valdez in his Obermeyer jacket. 

 I mean, come on. 

 Klaus, back to his roots, filming pro skiers.

Gorgeous. And the mountains are nice, too. 

Thanks to Mark Reid for capturing these photos. See you on the mountains!

Sam O'Hare Tilt-Shifts Alaska

When Alaska was purchased it was jokingly called, "Seward’s Folly." Well, I’m sure if William H. Seward was alive today he would say, “Folly? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Have you even seen my Instagram posts?!”  Yes, Alaska is possibly one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and I see no reason why Mr. Seward wouldn’t have been posting vista after vista in between snaps of “I’m totally eating this amazing plate of sockeye salmon with frissé salad right now!”

@sewardsfolly1867: "Best purchase ever. JEAH!'

Sam O’Hare just returned from shooting in Alaska with the agency Vitro for Alaska Communications. Not only was he thrilled to be working with a great agency, but getting to go to Alaska was a dream. (Especially when it’s 103 degrees with 99% humidity in NY…) 

The first spot in the campaign launched Wednesday and the visuals speak for themselves. You can view the 60 second commercial HERE.

Much of it was shot from a helicopter- a technique he’d been anxious to try out for his tilt-shift style work. It also proved to be a handy tool in getting around the islands and fjords that make up a lot of the area around Anchorage and Juneau where the production was based. 

 

As well as directing and shooting the spot, Sam edited the spot at Aero Studios in NY. He and his team (Andy Gilbert, Jesse Holmes, John McLoughlin and Hannelore Williams) applied the post VFX work to make the tilt-shift miniature look come to life. Being able to be a one stop shop for live-action through post is what made this job do-able. With a tight turnaround, being able to coordinate the shoot with post together to make everything move like clockwork was imperative. 

During the next heatwave, Sam is seeking out boards for Antarctica. I kid! Well, maybe not actually...

Happy Holidays from RAM and Jeep!

Goodness, this is a very busy holiday season! Especially thanks to the latest RAM and Jeep spots shot by Klaus Obermeyer in snowy Aspen, which makes me want to grab a mug of marshmellowy hot chocolate and cuddle up a Labrador under a sparkly tree every time I watch them! 

Watch the RAM and Jeep spots and then I'll tell you how we did them. It's okay, I'll wait....

Welcome back! To answer the first question about the RAM spot that is on your mind: "Did they really build that house and is the last shot actually the house, completely finished?"  Answer: "Yes and yes!"

Both of these spots would not exist if we didn't have the Aero Jet. We were awarded both spots on a Friday and had a week to complete the shoot.  So Saturday morning, Klaus (Director), Lance O'Connor (EP), Michael Hartog (VFX Supervisor) and Greg Blair (Production Designer) all hopped on the Aero Jet in Santa Monica, CA, and were in Colorado Springs a few hours later hard at work prepping the shoot in Aspen.

We bought the house that is built in the RAM spot in Colorado Springs (as a kit) and then hauled the wood to Aspen. At that point we had 3 days to cast the spot, permit and source it and then the last 2 days to shoot and build the house. No small task, this! Plus we had to plant a tree for the opening shot, which is still living on the mountain, by the way. It's nice little reminder that Aero and RAM were there.

(Sadly, the house had to be taken down... but for 2 days, we could say we owned a house in Aspen, Colorado!)

Now, moving onto the Jeep spot!

To answer the next question on your mind: "Will that Jeep Christmas tree fit in my house?" 

Answer: "No, no it won't. But if you have your own mountain, go for it!"

Again, thanks to the Aero Jet, we were able to make Aspen our studio. Permits, locations all fell together and we got a beautiful commercial.

Aero’s in-house post division completed the editorial with editor Alex Hagon. We’re doing more and more soup to nuts these days which is fantastic not just for the creative, but for maximizing production budgets. Austin Smithard is in production now on a spot he’s directing and editing with Sam O’Hare as the VFX supervisor. The Aero Studios VFX team in NY is doing all the compositing and photo-real set extensions for this tour de force. Think Elizabeth: The Golden Age meets 300. I can’t tell you more about that now or I’ll be shot (or at least given a dirty look and a harsh email…) So you’ll have to stay tuned!

***

CREDITS:

Client: Chrysler

Agency: Doner

Chuck Meehan, EVP Exec Creative Director
Sam Sefton, SVP, Creative Director
Jaime Perry, Associate Creative Director
Bruna Carmargo, Copywriter
Sarah Bills, Art Director
Brian Dooley, Head of Production
Diana Eagleson, Producer

Editorial: Aero Post
Editor, Alex Hagon

Asst. Editor, Tony Gentile

We All Work in an Aero Submarine!

Welcome to 2011! I for one am gravely disappointed that personal hovercrafts haven’t made it into the marketplace the way I expected. But alas, I guess I’ll have to be happy with other feats like 3D tv, new all-natural Cheetoes, and… the new Aero Film Sub! (And I don’t mean as in a giant sandwich, which would be great too, actually…)

We have taken over they sky, it’s time for us to take over the sea as well. Actually, I think Klaus is secretly a superhero and he figured Aquaman was overrated he’s now taking over his territory. But… seriously. Klaus has been SCUBA diving and free diving for years and works closely with the non-profit organization, Oceana, so this vessel will take our underwater abilities to a whole new level. And it’s something few if any other production companies can do, being that there are only a few subs in existence in the world.

Officially named the AeroDive submersible, it is a brand-new, self propelled, electric vessel that can carry two occupants in a one atmosphere acrylic cabin to depths of 1500 feet of sea water. (One atmosphere refers to the pressure, and that’s very comfortable.) It’s equipped with two 1080p HD cameras.

One of the cameras is a drone on a 40ft umbilical chord with the ability to easily shoot in tight places that are otherwise inaccessible. The cabin opens as a clamshell and allows for easy entry and exit for the occupants. The sealed cabin is equipped with a full life support system where scrubbers remove the carbon dioxide, oxygen is replenished at a controlled flow while the environment is constantly monitored by various analyzers. Even the most squeamish would be completely comfortable in this vessel… But more importantly, the footage that can be captured, would make Jacques Cousteau proud.

Stay tuned for video from our first dive! 

Until then, happy 2011!

Aero Aerials!

We’ve told you a lot about the Klaus Cam and how it enhances Aero's Aerials, but its high time (see what I did there!?) to talk about the man that truly makes the Klaus Cam so impressive. (Not to toot our own horn but TOOT TOOT!  He does a good job.)  Please meet our helicopter pilot, Craig Hosking:

Craig Hosking

Craig is the guy who flies the helicopter and puts the Klaus Cam in dead accurate position for shooting. Imagine putting a camera a few feet away from your talent's face (most recently, Julia Roberts' face), whilst said camera is hanging off a 80 foot cable AND you’re flying the helicopter that the cable is attached to. Yeah, not a job you find on Craigslist!  But this is precisely the skill Craig (no relation to the list) exercises on a daily basis.  He balances the speed and the placement of the helicopter to make the camerawork smooth with perfect framing… and he makes sure not to bonk the talent on the noggin. (Which, as a producer, I am very thankful for... as is the talent, I'm sure.)

He was also at the helm (or whatever the phrase is for a helicopter) for a recent Chevy Truck spot directed by Klaus Obermeyer. (And while trucks don't have a noggin to whack into, it’s never good to have a camera and truck in a face off.  Which insurance companies all around are grateful for.)  Give this video a watch for some behind the scenes footage.  (Note: Craig is on the right and Klaus is flying shotgun.)

Eat Pray Love was Craig’s experience with Julia Roberts, where he and Scott Howell from CineMoves (Klaus Cam designer) went to Bali for 2 weeks of aerial photography to capture shots that were only possible with the Klaus Cam.   Many of Craig’s scenes were in the Eat Pray Love trailer, which I’m guessing you may have seen 3000 times as it apparently had the biggest media buy in history, so we cut it down to the good parts for your viewing pleasure (and sanity).  Additionally, Craig was the Aerial Coordinator on Inception, Dark Knight, Quantum of Solace, Aviator and countless others like Hot Tub Time Machine…? Oh IMDB, you air out everyone’s secrets!

"HOW did he get into this odd line of work," you ask?  Excellent query!  Craig got into the business following in his father’s footsteps. (Or "flysteps.")  He started flying when he was a teenager and moved into precision long line delivery for mining projects. That skill for precision flying translated into becoming a film pilot.  Craig has shot and flown in over 50 countries and loves nothing more than capturing a shot where people have no idea how it was done. The end shot in Eat Pray Love does that, as well as the snow plow shot in Klaus’s Ram spot where he had the camera suspended in front of the truck as it drives through virgin snow. Russian Arm can’t do it, regular heli mount can’t either… And THIS challenge is what keeps Craig flying.

See more of Craig’s work here!

Swimming with Sharks

There are few things that surprise me anymore while working for Aero as lots of crazy things happen in our offices and on our shoots.  (I mean "good crazy" not "angry with a hatchet crazy."  Just to be clear.)  So, yesterday I’m reading through emails and I get one from Lance O’Conner, Owner and EP of Aero who’s in the Santa Monica office.  There are a LOT of exclamation points and words in the subject line that aren’t fit for a classy blog such as this.   Lance is a spirited man, so I took it with a grain of salt… Until I saw the photos and put it all together.

Let me explain:  Aero director, Klaus Obermeyer, decided to hang out with some great white sharks. No, this is not code.  And no, not in a Kevin Spacey/crazed assistant sort of way either.  I mean this LITERALLY. Klaus was in shark infested waters. On purpose. What’s more insane... I wasn’t at all surprised.

Let me explain further: When I first met Klaus, I knew he was a pretty ballsy kind of guy.  It was 2003 and I was still on the agency side of life, and was shooting a surfing spot with him. On Day 2 of knowing Klaus, we’re on a boat off the coast of Tahiti. (It’s a tough gig, but someone’s gotta do it.) Behind us, we were towing a small speedboat that we were going to use for the shoot. The speedboat was owned by a local who ran surf camps and was a good friend of Klaus, who is also an avid surfer (of course). 

Clockwipe to 45 minutes into the trip to our location when a HORRIBLE storm hits. It was basically the beginning credits to Gilligan’s Island. We were all getting tossed around like popcorn in a hot popper and unlike the passengers on the SS Minnow, I'd not packed a years worth of clothing for a 3 hour tour.  In short, panic set in, which was not at all quelled when Lance leaned over and told me, “Just don’t fall in the water, there are sharks out there.” AWESOME.  (However, on this trip I learned that even though I’m not a strong swimmer, I am GREAT at hiding in the corner of a boat and whimpering.) 

The situation only got worse. Two minutes later, the speedboat comes untethered from our boat. The owner looks near tears, as he’d been saving up for this boat, and it was the first time taking it out, and now it’s about to be lost at sea. So what happened next, you ask?  KLAUS JUMPS IN THE WATER.  When I heard a giant SPLOOSH, I poked out from my huddled position and yell to Lance, “Did the director just jump in the shark infested water during a giant storm?!?” Lance replies, “Oh sure! He needs to get his friend’s boat.” I quickly envisioned the mounting paperwork explaining to the production insurance as to why we couldn’t shoot since our director was eaten by a shark… But, like all ballsy heros, Klaus emerged from the water unscathed with the speedboat safe and sound and I swear I could hear a John Williams score in the background. Later on, like any good producer, I questioned Klaus about why he thought jumping into water with sharks was a good idea and he brushed it off, “Oh, they’re just Tiger Sharks…” Oh sure, like that makes it a Koi pond, mister.

Back to the present… lunch time at the Aero office. Skip Short (another Owner/EP in Santa Monica, and helicopter pilot) goes for an afternoon fly in his chopper. He calls Klaus saying that he’s spotted some sharks off the coast. Klaus runs out of his house, gets in his boat and Skip guides him from the sky to the point in the ocean where the Great Whites are swimming. Klaus then kayaks out to them (because you can’t just motorboat up on a shark, you know.) 

Here are the photos…. There aren’t words….. 

I'm just glad he didn't jump in... but I haven't opened up today's emails yet.  I'll keep you posted.