Figuring it out. It's what I do. Need a chimpanzee to dance around with a beer bottle? Been there. Need a camera that shoots 1000 frames per second shipped in from LA for a shoot tomorrow? It's happened. Need a SAG actor that has no conflicts within the realm of health care? I'll find them. I manage budgets, creative content and production crews on all coasts and many states throughout the United States and when I'm really lucky, throughout the world. I can wine and dine the pickiest client and keep an Atlanta crew happy and respectful. I can find you stunt Chinook Salmon, even when they're not spawning and it's not Chinook season. I can rent that Lamborghini to make that NBA player look like a complete baller, without making him drive to location in his own Ferrari. And I can do it with a positive attitude, a great smile and a humble vibe. I love what I do and I look forward to getting done whatever it is you need to get done.
You have 72 hours to find the perfect location for one of basketball's biggest superstars. Go! That was the task coming from Bauie Productions, a high end photography production company based out of LA. Of course I said yes and emphatically explained that we have some amazing schools in Denver. Scouting went into full effect and within a day we were sitting pretty with four great options for the creatives over at Condé Nast. As I scouted around, the main question was, is this a joke? And then, why Denver? These things happen. It reminds me of times when out of town productions come into Denver and pose the question to us, what kind of productions do you do in Colorado!? I don't know. . . ones with Steph Curry sometimes. We may not have a Milk, but we get our fair share. Major Props to Kevin Bendjy and North High School for keeping a great secret and making this happen super fast! Denver is stylin' yo.
Like a raven on an updraft, Leighan Falley soars above the glaciers and peaks of the Alaska Range with her daughter Skye strapped into the backseat of her de Havilland Beaver. Born of a desire to see more of the dramatic landscape and a need to supplement her career as a mountain guide, Falley now works as a commercial pilot in Talkeetna, Alaska. She comes from a long line of aviators and finds inspiration working with other women in the high alpine. Denali’s Raven is a glimpse into the life of an Alaskan pilot, skier, alpinist and mother.
My good buddy and acclaimed Director, Tyler Stableford and the wonderful creatives at 2two1 had me back for another session of Walls Workwear. Listen up! Fake snow is not cheap. However, construction sites, heavy machinery, logging trucks and sparks can be; you just need the right Producer! Filmed in Boulder and Breckenridge, we made the sun come out and the snow fall when we needed it. Our weather karma continues with this crew!
Just as Luke was being published as one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men, I had the honor to work with him in various locations across the country. While celebrities can often have a demanding demeanor, Luke was gracious to the crew and willing to work for what was needed in every shot. His sons were adorable as well and I still love watching these spots, directed by Tyler Stableford and DP'd by the always "it'll be great!" Kent Harvey.
An oldie, but a goodie. . . Farm Credit was my first gig with the fine minds at Camp4 Collective. It was a last minute, fly to Oakland and meet the crew kind of thing. My response to the initial email was "it looks like quite the journey!" and indeed it was. My first time meeting Tim Kemple, Photographer and Director and his quirky cast of crew members; all wonderful guys with impeccable senses of humor. We rolled through wine country into the main vein of California's central valley, discovering 100 year old grape vines and 100 year old almond farms. We watched udders being milked and tasted premature pistachios fresh from the limb. Long shoots days and even longer nights of minivan travel contributed to this fine centennial video for Farm Credit.
Sometimes the phone rings and it's some dear old homeboy on the line, asking if you'd want to AD a car shoot. And being that I'm the type of guy who wears many sombreros, of course I said yes to Rock aka Chris Mosera and Rebecca Hynes over at Garage Films. Hey, it may not make you hire me as your Producer, but it shows that I can run a car shoot, get along well with State Troopers and have shut down a road or dozens before. Filmed between Colorado and Vancouver, the spot turned out pretty rad!
Ryan Ross and I have been trying to collaborate on projects for roughly 2 years. Many times, a Line Producer does many, many bids and estimates for clients before even putting a face to the name. In this case, I was grateful that Buck Ross Productions hit me up again, to put together numbers for 3 x :30 spots that will air during the 2017 NCAA March Madness Tournament. The creative was fantastic, funny and fresh, created by Sterling Rice Group out of Boulder, Colorado. I'd been on the road for several projects prior to this, so it was a great opportunity to once again work with our talented Colorado production crew, helmed by both Ryan and Director of Photography Kevin Emmons. Shot at various locations around the city of Denver, I expect these national spots to get some laughs and will definitely sell some almonds!
Sometimes you relish the opportunity to head somewhere new, to work with a new crew, to meet and succeed with a new agency and client. In this case, it was time to head to Orlando, Florida with Leslie Allen and Walk The Line Films. The brand spot was for Tampa General Hospital, being shot in Orlando, with talent from Atlanta. Lots of reasons why and all made sense, so of course, I do what I have to! In the end, we found great talent and a great location to serve as all locations within the script. That's how you make a commercial in one day. That, good weather and a hard working crew. Thanks, Sunshine State!
Grocery store chain. Simple, clean green stools on a white cyc stage. Seems easy. Then add 15 spots, 20 talent, 2 languages over 3 days and things get a wee bit more complex! Publix and 22squared awarded the project to Leslie Allen and Walk The Line Films and I was enthused to take on the lead as Line Producer. Casting alone was 3 days and more than 180 possible talent speaking English and multiple dialects of Spanish. The spots were to appear in Florida, but with casting in Los Angeles, we had to find a way to keep accents realistic for the Latino market in that region. We filmed at the wonderful stages of Quixote and with the precise direction of Liz Hinlein, Director. A great LA crew made for a great 3 day shoot on one of my first bilingual projects. And I got to eat SUGARFISH every day. Lucky guy.
This was a doozy. While I didn't produce this, I did choose to AD the gig and I will admit that while I can wear many hats, I'm not the best AD in the biz. However, when Tyler Stableford asked for my assistance, I just had to dive in. With Tyler directing and Russell Carpenter DPing (Titanic, True Lies, Shallow Hal. . . list goes on and on) I did my best to make sure the wheels didn't fall off, the kittens were herded and I think I'll stick to producing.
It's not everyday that you get an extra chilly December helicopter ride over Manhattan and get to consider it work. . . but in this case, I was so lucky and in addition sat atop the highest point in the Empire State Building at sunrise the day before. Renan Ozturk and I were chasing Sasha DiGiulian (http://www.sasha-digiulian.com) during a couple of days in the life as a Columbia University senior and busy Manhattanite. The adventure continued at the King of Pain spire in Indian Creek, Utah for more chilly weather and sand stone towers that compare to even the tallest New York skyscrapers; all for Camp4 Collective, GoPro & Ford Motors. The adventure continued in New Jersey and then Vancouver Island with Professional Mountain Biker, Aaron Chase. Hired locals built a major jump with some set construction money laying around in the budget and magic happened. Major props to the GoPro ninjas, Shon Bollock & Ben Williams, for taking the adventure with us and countless hours of rigging cameras, charging batteries and swapping memory cards.
From 100 degree temps in Arizona to -30 degrees in Alaska, this project for Yeti's new Rambler Bottle (http://yeti.com/rambler-bottle-36-oz/) had us flying all over the USA from desert landscapes near Scottsdale, Arizona to the great Ruth Gorge in Denali, Alaska. Following Wild Cow Catchers and a Search and Rescue team, the temperatures and characters along the way could not have varied more. Adrenaline was flowing throughout this journey with Renan Ozturk at the helm, dodging rattlesnakes and getting caught in a week long spring storm in Denali. In the end we learned that the product could live up to all conditions and what a great time with Camp4 Collective, McGarrah Jesse and the always fantastic clients from Yeti.
I'm not the kind of Producer who gets star struck easily. I was at East High School in Denver when the Denver Broncos won back to back Super Bowls with John Elway. And I was able to relive that high when the Broncos again won Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning at Quarterback. So even though I normally keep my cool and maintain a level of professionalism with athletes and stars, I have to admit I was more nervous with Peyton than anything. As his car pulled up to the entrance of a new UCHealth facility, I hurriedly walked through the sliding glass doors to be the first to greet him. I extended my hand and said, "Hi, Danny Taff, Producer." Peyton looked me dead in the eye and replied, "Hi, Peyton Manning." Of course he is. This was a fun one with Daniel Junge directing for his LA based production house Collector Media Works and with the famously effective advertising giant Grey.
Tyler Stableford's been creating beautiful pictures for a while and the style he learned early with still photography shines through when translated to motion. The budgets for these spots weren't huge, but the stories and images are. Horses, kids, fathers, rodeo heroes. It's all here and set at the yearly 4th of July events held in Ellensburg, Washington. Kudos to Ryan Johnson, Creative Director and Tyler Stableford for creating and bringing to fruition these lovely spots for Cinch Jeans.
Wow, Cabela's, wow. What a run we had. . . The World's Foremost Outfitter. Based in Sydney, Nebraska, I had the extreme pleasure of working on every National and Retail spot for Cabela's from 2012 through the end of 2016. You never know who might be on the other end of the line when the phone rings and you don't recognize the number from previous gigs. One of the exciting parts of being a freelance Producer. In this specific case, it was Tyler Stableford, a Carbondale based Owner/Director of Tyler Stableford Photography & Films (http://www.tylerstableford.com). Tyler had heard of me through various channels and I was humbled to hear that my name kept popping up when he'd inquire about Denver based Producers. Long story short, we travelled the US and produced close to 20 spots over the years on behalf of Cabela's. These shoots were known for long 17 hour days, remote locations, heat, cold, bugs, swamps, you name it. Often I'd find myself on the phone looking for live fish, horses, turkeys, deer; wrangling local contacts in many far out locations, begging for someone who could make breakfast burritos and coffee for our 3:30 AM call times in places like Uncertain, Texas. What exciting times and I'm very proud of what we created over the years.
Tractor porn. We travelled to El Centro in California's Imperial Valley, where most of the veggies come from for US consumption. Working hand in hand with local farmers, this project pushed the boundaries of what an agricultural equipment commercial could be. Anson Fogel of Camp4 Collective crafted some very cool spots with a great crew from Los Angeles. Tim Kemple, also of Camp4 ran the stills potion of the shoot. It wasn't an easy gig and I hate to admit going a tad over budget (with fair warning of course), but over the course of a week we made some fantastic images and made the New Holland client extremely happy. I also have to admit, Keith Rose from Mullen Lowe is one funny fucking guy.
Public Service Announcements are abundant in every market and while we don't usually have the biggest budgets for these ads and web pieces, we do what we can with what we have and make the most of it for the message we're trying to get out there to the masses. Produced with Leslie Allen for Walk The Line Films, there was lots of kiddos and extras on this one; the proverbial herding cats. . . but in the end, a great message was created and hopefully we can get Colorado to the front of the pack with regards to childhood obesity. Kids, get your bottoms out there and play!!!
Imagine a time when Knowshon Moreno was still playing in the NFL, Aly Raisman hadn't won a bunch of Olympic Gold Medals and Johny Hendricks was peaking in the world of mixed martial arts. . . well if you can imagine all of that, then imagine what fun I had filming this commercial for Reebok ZQUICK shoes, around the US. Perhaps the most exciting part of this shoot was driving my own vehicle towards Knowshon, as he avoided the hood to demonstrate the performance of this shoe. That and driving the Lamborghini around the block. Sheesh, talk about some drama.
