With the variety of work we do, it’s safe to assume we’ve collected a fair amount of gear. Ok, the truth is we love getting our hands on new toys, and something we can always appreciate is a good bag, and we have lots of them. Recently, F-stop Gear asked me to be one of their pro shooters. So, with the title came the bags, which I was more than happy to get. With some new F-stop gear bags on hand we thought what better way to show them off than with a video review of the bags themselves. Check out their site at fstopgear.com for specs on the variety of bags they offer.

How do you film a behind the scenes video, treading the streets of Chicago “run and gun” style, while trying to keep your gear slim? Enter the iPhone. A wonderful tool for calling, texting, taking retro photos, and filming behind the scenes videos of your crew. As some have said, “The best camera is the one that’s on you.” A sentiment that led to the creation of this short behind the scenes video of our shoot, with Leapyear Project founder, Victor Saad, all filmed on the iPhone.

Last August, our friend, Victor, had a defining moment. He created a platform that pushes the boundaries of comfort, to take risks intended to change your life, your community, or your world for the better. So, we helped Victor tell the story of The Leapyear Project. Not only did we film a video for The Leapyear Project, we also decided to take a leap ourselves. We created an organization, Stories For Good, that works to help non-profits connect with photographers and filmmakers to tell their life changing stories. Check out our very own leapyear project at Storiesforgood.net.

Sometimes you have to see different to pink different.

A rule that translated quite literally as we found ourselves on set, upside down, on our backs, and in oddly uncomfortable positions during production of the “Making Strides Illinois” TV spot for the American Cancer Society. It was part of an integrated campaign to promote a cancer walk. With the weather uncooperative, we ended up recreating the look and feel of the sunny outdoors inside the controlled conditions of our very own Wonderkind Studios. Armed with tons of sod, some bright lights, live models and loads of patience, we ended up creating a fun and quirky stop-motion animated spot for the American Cancer Society that was both challenging and fun to produce.

Take a look at our behind the scenes video to watch our full day’s shoot unfold, and get some insight into how we at Wonderkind Studios see different to pink different.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is the story of Wendi. She is going down one of those roads. The way she is responding is nothing short of incredible. If you feel challenged by the what the world is offering you lately, take a few minutes to be inspired by watching this. It just may help you to see the world differently.

This piece is part of a new series we are helping to produce called Stories Matter. It is a series of shorts that help show the power of story and how it can help change and shape the world we live in.

Recently our friend and director Bob Davidson was asked by Ryan O’Neal of Sleeping At Last to direct a music video for him. Ryan wrote and performed one of the songs on the new Twilight- Breaking Dawn soundtrack. Turns out it is the song in the much anticipated “honeymoon” scenes. We were asked to help with the production and post-production of the live studio recording of “Turning Page” and soon to be released music video of “Emphasis”. We headed to Electrical Audio along with Rule29 to make a little music video magic. Here is some behind the scenes footage. We will soon be posting the live recording video of the Twilight song.

If you could follow your dreams and go after that crazy idea that is lurking in the back of your mind, what would it be? If you could break out of the grind we all find ourselves in, what would the risk be you are willing to take? Changing jobs? Moving to another part of the country, or overseas? Running a  marathon? Repairing a broken relationship? My friend Victor Saad starting to ask himself those questions recently. He had built himself a comfortable life but started to wonder what his life could be like if he took some major risk. Thus, the Leapyear Project was born. I wanted to help him tell his story so I offered what I do best, visual story telling. This is the video my studio put together for him. Please watch it and check out his website for the Leapyear Project. So, as Victor is asking, what “Leap” will you take?

Standing out in a crowd is always a challenge. When the American Cancer Society needed a new television spot to grab some attention they turned to us and our friends at Rule29. With the challenge of promoting a cancer walk in a crowded marketplace, we took the approach of using stop frame animation in a nontraditional way. We had many technical challenges to overcome to make it happen. The weather forecast also chased us into the studio where we found it takes an amazing amount of sod to build a set that looks like a yard.  One model almost passed out during the two hour long tracking shot needed to make the animation work. We also shot stills that are being used in everything from billboards to print placement. It was a fun and challenging project we will not soon forget.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.