Pierson Studios

2012-01-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

And on the philanthropic side today, here's a project I was thrilled to be a part of. This young lady is finding a way to help the youth of Haiti. (It's one minute long).

This young lady is making a difference and she figured out her age is not an obstacle.

Commercial for The Tap House Grill

2012-01-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

New work includes this 90 second commercial for a brewery. If you like beer, this will make you thirsty!
The challenge on this project including working with all non pro models and shooting the commercial during open hours. But everyone did great and my crew was awesome.

2011-12-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

T-Mobile has been pushing the flash mob thing for the last few years and it seems to still be working. "Home for the Holidays" shot at Woodfield Mall near Chicago is drawing nearly 2 million views. Do keep in mind that it looks spontaneous but actually involved a very large crew and tons of rehearsals to pull it off. It's really more like a commercial than a public spectacle caught on camera.

Which brings up an interesting question. Are these types of things more believable and enjoyed if it really looks like it was filmed on cell phones vs big expensive rigs with lots of production? Is T-Mobile getting too polished on the process? Would it be shared even more if it looked less produced?

You decide after viewing. It's a little sappy so if you don't like that kind of stuff, you've been forewarned.

T-Mobile's Home For The Holidays Surprise

Commercial for HVAC company

2011-12-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

This is a project that had to be shot in a limited time with a limited budget. Only one location and 2 actors.

commercial for auto repair shop

2011-11-27T06:44:00.000-08:00

Recent activity from Pierson includes this commercial for an auto repair shop. The little actress got sick on the 1st night of taping but recovered nicely.

2011-11-10T04:48:00.000-08:00

Capitalizing on Productions

It's not new, but marketers are trying to capitalize on all avenues when producing a commercial or video and it's pretty simple. Before beginning the production, hire a cameraman to shoot a behind the scenes video of the whole process, mix it down into a short entertaining piece and push it out there after the commercial is posted. The BTS video helps with SEO and what company doesn't want that!
This is the very entertaining ad shot for Weetabix cereal along with the behind the scenes video.
Agency: BBH London
Creative Director: Dominic Goldman

New Weetabix Chocolate Spoonsize Advert

Making Of Weetabix Chocolate Spoonsize 'Dancer'

2011-10-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Public service announcement that's different.

London based ad agency Meteorite released a seat belt safety campaign called "Embrace Life" in 2010. Marcus Hadfield, head of digital said, "this concept ditches every road safety campaign cliché and instead, simply shows the joy of living. In so doing it delivers a positive emotional response, rather than a tired old shock." It's indeed very powerful and an awesome example of using emotion to relay a message. It got an amazing 1.2 million views in 20 days.

Embrace Life - always wear your seat belt

The latest in this safety campaign series for Sussex Safer Roads Partnership is aimed to reduce the number of motorcyclists that are in killed or injured on roadways. This brilliant public service announcement was developed by Writer/Director Daniel Cox and Producer Sarah Alexander of Alexander Commercials in the UK.

Stay A Hero, Stay Safe

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New still work in beautiful corporate office.

2011-09-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Shoot for new corporate site.

I'll take lots of glass in an office any day. Many more possibilities for compositions and lighting.

2011-07-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

New work which is a series of families and their wheels. We shot motion at the same time for a complete multimedia experience. A hot summer didn't phase our families!

New motion reel!

2011-07-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

Creating moving pictures is far harder than still work but really rewarding.

New work from Todd Pierson

Todd Pierson - Reel from Todd Pierson on Vimeo.

Haiti update!

2011-06-30T16:03:00.001-07:00

We are home from Haiti and had a great trip! God tested us from the beginning with a broken down van on the way to the airport at 4:00 in the morning. My wife came to the rescue and got us there on time and we were off! Thank you love!

The overnight stay in the remote village of Plik was really interesting and again tested us. Physically I was drained from sitting in the sun during the interview only to realize that this initial family was not the one's we needed to interview. As daylight hours were slipping away, we hurried to the other family we considered a good interview/family candidate and they worked out great but we still needed to catch tons of extra footage after translating what they had said. Even after drinking tons of water, my muscles were cramping up from holding the camera and tripod. I was dreaming about a glass of cold water with ice.

It was so emotionally draining to hear and see the plight of this family. I felt very humble sitting there with my $12,000 worth of equipment talking to a family that could barely scrounge one meal a day. After video taping the inside of their house, it sinks in that I have way more than I need to survive and that we come from a culture of excess. You have no idea how going to a place like this changes your view of your own little world.

The most stunning event took place watching the 12 year old get water down a very steep hill and climb back up with the 5 gallon bucket on her head walking barefoot over a rough trail. I had a hard time keeping up and I was just carrying a camera!

There is so much to tell, but you'll have to wait until the film is complete to see and hear the whole story, however, if you want to take a look at some of the still shots from the trip, go here.

http://bitsy.spinics.net/253

Thank you for your support!!!!

Sincerely,

Todd

Haiti trip!

2011-06-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Our departure date has finally arrived for the filming of a short documentary in Haiti. I'm excited and anxious sprinkled with wonderment and fortitude. In just a few weeks, I should have the film edited and ready to share hopefully bringing a close look at what it's really like to live in such a rural poor place.
If you are spiritual, say a prayer for the safety of our travel group.

New Lifestyle Series

2011-06-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

Shooting something like this is like cooking. You get all of the ingredients together add some spice, stir and bake. You taste it when it's done and tweak it when you do it again. As these progress, you should see some really interesting images and video. Video coming soon!

Worthwhile

2011-04-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

A project I'm currently working on. It's worth taking a look.

http://haiti-june.blogspot.com/

Family time!

2011-02-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

Shooting under the gun with very limited time, resources and lighting. And of course working with kids you have limited time anyway but the anticipation of a sweet drink usually helps.

Campaign video

2011-02-26T05:48:00.000-08:00

Recent work includes this campaign video for a local resident of Oswego, IL. This video had a small crew and limited time yet yielded a nice piece that is getting her attention.

Judy for Village President from Todd Pierson on Vimeo.

Recent job

2011-02-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, this wasn't the actual job but between shoot days we had the chance to see these awesome works of Mother Nature.

Recent work

2011-01-20T06:20:00.000-08:00

Shot for Speckman Rehab Center in Yorkville IL. The challenge was to photograph real patients during real therapy sessions which of course limits the time and how much control I could have over the shot.
All of the patients were awesome and didn't mind the lights and camera. Thank you Rich and Carrie for all of your scheduling efforts!

2011-01-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Motion by Todd Pierson

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

Enjoy our video Christmas card!

Merry Christmas from the Piersons!

video production and cost

2010-11-30T19:22:00.000-08:00

Here's what I am seeing. Big production and big crews are going still going to cost big money. But now comes along the photographers who have always had a passion for motion, but could never afford the start up cost needed for nice capture. Once again, technology begins to level the playing field and puts really nice capture in the hands of the creators along side of the production companies. Photographers learn more and shoot creative work without the huge crews because it's possible. They are problem solvers and have learned from years of shooting that sometimes you have to work with less and get it done with what resources you have.

The result of this evolution is a larger stream of very creative content with less production expense. There will always be a place for big productions, but now there is a huge place for low production that can create great work. We'll see how this all ends up along with the whole ad agency paradigm shift. It's interesting to be working in the creative field. I used to think that digital capture would change everything. That's nothing compared to the digital revolution.

New video project!

2010-11-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

Irish dancing is very difficult but this young lady has done extremely well with it.

Good photography makes a difference

2010-10-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Case Study: Photography Changes Yield Picture-perfect Results at Strasburg Children

Retail Online Intergration

By Gail Kalinoski

Problem: The Strasburg Children catalog wanted to improve the quality of its photographs.
Solution: It hired an outside photography studio.
Results: Strasburg Children has seen a 400 percent increase in catalog requests via phone and online. It’s also experienced an increase in Web sales and store traffic.

Strasburg Children, a multichannel marketer of high-end children’s clothing, knew it had quality products, but company officials felt its photography didn’t show off the intricate detail and delicate beauty of its clothing.

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

2010-10-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

One camera, not technically overdone, very little post work if any, but great content.

Recent work

2010-10-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

New Motion Project

2010-09-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

These types of music videos need a crazy number of camera angles. I think Cayla was worn out after playing 7 times through at each location.

Online video news is bigger than first thought.

2010-09-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

TED's Chris Anderson says the rise of web video is driving a worldwide phenomenon he calls Crowd Accelerated Innovation -- a self-fueling cycle of learning that could be as significant as the invention of print.

See the whole story here.

This is interesting

2010-08-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Facebook becoming very important to marketers.

What Happens When Facebook Trumps Your Brand Site?

http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=145502

new image

2010-08-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

For the dads out there.

New video!

2010-07-22T05:46:00.000-07:00

While I wouldn't recommend trying this, we pulled this off in 2 hours of shooting and a very small crew. The kids rocked! No complaints even when we had to repeat the same scene 5 times.

The wonder camera

2010-07-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's a ten minute video, (a little long) but interesting to see that the camera of the future will put the power to create awesome imagery in the hands of the consumer. (More so than now). Hard to say what the future holds for photography. As stated in the video, the still shot will someday cease to exist because the camera will produce such high res gorgeous video you can pull the exact still you want from it. If we even have a need for stills in the future.

Say Hi to Ashleigh

2010-07-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend she won the crown from the Miss U.S. Beauties Pageant in Chicago, IL. I had the pleasure of shooting the event.

Interview with Melissa Hennessy talking about the Scratch n Sniff promo

2010-07-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

No Plastic Sleeves interviewed my rep a last week.

http://www.noplasticsleeves.com/

A relaxing spot

2010-06-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Recent work includes this video shot for a vacation getaway in South Dakota. I think I want to live there. Breathtaking!

Behind the Scenes video

2010-06-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

This idea took weeks of planning and hard work but was a joy to do. The kids were totally thrilled to have so much attention. I think they felt like princesses even if it was only for 30 minutes.

The future influence of video

2010-05-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

Streaming video may eventually play a key role in Apple's future of personal media.
Meanwhile, it's quite possible that Apple will have something to say about one-way video streaming. Perhaps Apple will finally put to use its massive data center, which could provide the bandwidth required for ubiquitous video feeds of movies, short video clips and more.

Statements from CNN.

These seem to reinforce the momentum of video and streaming media. Motion is fast becoming a desired method of communication.

Video promotion to a very specific company

2010-05-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

It took 26 hours of planning, shooting and editing, but was well worth this 2 minutes of magic.

Love this

2010-04-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

Need a good laugh? Can't find who made this ad but it rocks.

Smart kid shoot

2010-04-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

This shoot was first done at a private residence with glorious orange walls. Everything seemed to work except we felt the shot needed to have a another child instead of a parent. So the second shoot was done at a private school (Aurora Christian in Aurora IL), thank you Scott!!! We retained the bright color scheme but incorporated the second child (and third). At 7 years old, the kids were unbelievably cooperative and took instruction wonderfully. Thank you Edith!

And for those of you that like to see the behind the scenes, I've included some shots of the setup and how it came together. It didn't take a ton of light and the post production allows for tweaking to bring the image to life.

The fall of photography?

2010-03-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

This is an article that showed up in the New York Times. Most photographers already know it's hard to make a living doing this. What do you think?

New York Times article

New Video Project!

2010-03-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

My client wanted a video that showed what she does using a soft warm approach. Directed, shot and edited by yours truly, all 120 seconds.

Another brilliant ad campaign

2010-03-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

This campaign produced by JWT Milan was a huge success for exposure for Heineken beer. Blogged and facebooked all over the place. It's 5 minutes long but worth the watch.

Full Credits

Agency:: JWT, Milan
Client:: Heineken
Executive Creative Director:: Pietro Maestri
Creative Director:: Bruno Bertelli
Art Director:: Marco Vigana
Copywriter:: Cristiano Tonnarelli

Talent

2010-03-11T04:56:00.001-08:00

My friend Jason has it. Look at his work if you have a moment.

http://www.jasonlindsey.com/

Read on Seth Godin's post

2010-02-27T05:38:00.000-08:00

People doing creative work (in any industry) are constantly failing.

Think about it, all images we see, all commercials, all art went through failure after failure before it gets to the finished piece. I loved the film that came out in 2006 called Akeelah and the Bee, Laurence Fishburne and Keke Palmer. I was watching the bonus features and the writer Writer/director Doug Atchison was talking about how long it took him to write the movie (it was in his head), then how difficult it was to have a studio take it on, but he didn't give up. When it was finally shot, it took only 6 million and was shot in 30 days.

Photography is the same way of course. Any image seen in a photographer's portfolio went through, planning, execution and editing with 95% of them being thrown out. It's part of the necessary process, it has to fail before it reaches glory, there's no other way.

If you're interested in seeing the trailer for Akeelah: Here.

seat belts

2010-02-22T04:55:00.000-08:00

Boring subject right? This very powerful video was made by the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership. The creativity and concept behind this are amazing, but see for yourself.

Old Spice Commercial

2010-02-19T07:58:00.000-08:00

This commercial was done in one take. No CGI with the exception of a little retouching at the end.
Believe it or not, the shower was on a prop boat and he was slid onto a horse while talking. Made by the brilliant young team at Wieden and Kennedy. Now that's creative.

My Friend

2010-02-13T18:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Evon runs this catering business. She is a soft spoken woman that has amazing culinary talent. She asked me to shoot her work for her website and marketing pieces and even though I'm not a food shooter, I was honored to be asked to play a part in her growing business. Warning: Looking at these will make you hungry.

Oh yea, we did this with a very small skeleton crew, me and her. (And a dog).

Super Bowl commercials

2010-02-08T05:46:00.000-08:00

If you missed them, you can see them again here. I love the Bud Light and the Doritos commercials.

Incredible video - all CGI

2010-02-07T09:55:00.001-08:00

No photography and no cameras. Pretty wild.

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

Job titles

2010-02-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

Photographers have been grappling with their job titles lately. I'm getting deeper into video just like many other photographers. Personally, I love motion. It tells a story over time instead of a frozen moment in time and has so many facets. But when photographers begin to offer more creative services than just photography, what exactly are they? Image providers? Content providers? Creative content providers?

Just like in the publishing industry, times are changing at breathtaking speeds in all visual mediums and how that information is disseminated. This evolution reminds me of how digital capture began to take over the film industry, although that didn't happen near as fast as what we are witnessing today.

Nobody knows for sure how this will all play out. But we all need to accept change will be a way of life for a long time. I think the hardest part is just trying to figure it all out as it's changing.

The ipad

2010-01-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if the ipad will change the publishing industry but at the very least it will change our thoughts of how content will be delivered in the future. It does appear that this device may increase the need for video and imagery which makes us creative content suppliers happy. Something else this device may do is make us tied to the internet even more. Imagine a few of these sitting around the house always ready to go online and get information. Need a recipe? Pull an ipad off the counter and punch it in. I already do that but first have to get to a computer.

This could be interesting. Never a dull moment in this industry. I'll leave you with this sweet image of my daughter.

Haiti again

2010-01-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

I am feeling very conflicting things about all that has taken place in Haiti and how the media has handled it.

What's really frustrating to me is that fact that Haiti has been in emergency state for decades, with death and starvation happening every day. Where was the media then? Was it not a story with enough drama?
Why does it take a catastrophic event like an earthquake that kills 200,000 to get world attention. I have been there. I have seen how they live and what they do without. I have stepped into a family's home and witnessed how they live. I have witnessed a mentally ill teen tied down with large timbers and rope because they don't know what to do with her. I have seen a burn victim ostracized by her community and abandoned by her husband and children because she was disfigured and had no chance of medical care to help her.

This is not a place that you can visit and leave unchanged. We, as Americans, live in the top 5% of the standard of living in the entire world. Did you stop and take that number in? 5%! If you have a chance, go to Haiti or another country that struggles and you will feel what no photo can give you. It will haunt you and that's a good thing because you may be moved to do something.

I will leave you with the bedroom photo of the family that so graciously let me into their home.

The Photo Industry

2010-01-13T09:26:00.000-08:00

Why do something that is stressful, not a ton of money and always in question of where the next paid gig will come from? The reason is passion, that burning desire to make something that moves people. Photography is a tough business to be in, but when you capture that single image or 30 seconds of footage that accomplishes the goal, you sit back and say "yes, that's it". It makes it worthwhile.

I want this year for me to be not just about looking for the next "paid" gig, but use what talents I have to create a positive influence. Wouldn't that be so cool. If I made one life better this year by using the visual medium I love, I would have accomplished more than I can dream of. How about you? What can you do this year to make the world a better place. It doesn't have to be big, but make a conscious effort to do something.

And please pray for Haiti today.

Seth Godin

2010-01-11T03:52:00.001-08:00

This is a great post by Seth. If you are not getting the RSS feeds from his blog, you're missing out.

The lesson from two lemonade stands

The first stand is run by two kids. They use Countrytime lemonade, paper cups and a bridge table. It's a decent lemonade stand, one in the long tradition of standard lemonade stands. It costs a dollar to buy a cup, which is a pretty good price, considering you get both the lemonade and the satisfaction of knowing you supported two kids.

The other stand is different. The lemonade is free, but there's a big tip jar. When you pull up, the owner of the stand beams as only a proud eleven year old girl can beam. She takes her time and reaches into a pail filled with ice and lemons. She pulls out a lemon. Slices it. Then she squeezes it with a clever little hand juicer.

The whole time that's she's squeezing, she's also talking to you, sharing her insights (and yes, her joy) about the power of lemonade to change your day. It's a beautiful day and she's in no real hurry. Lemonade doesn't hurry, she says. It gets made the right way or not at all. Then she urges you to take a bit less sugar, because it tastes better that way.

While you're talking, a dozen people who might have become customers drive on by because it appears to take too long. You don't mind, though, because you're engaged, almost entranced. A few people pull over and wait in line behind you.

Finally, once she's done, you put $5 in the jar, because your free lemonade was worth at least twice that. Well, maybe the lemonade itself was worth $3, but you'd happily pay again for the transaction. It touched you. In fact, it changed you.

Which entrepreneur do you think has a brighter future

Seth's Blog : The lesson from two lemonade stands
Seth Godin Blog

I love these

2010-01-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

Not sure what this has to do with advertising, but it makes a lot of people smile.

Video about Haiti

2010-01-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

I have been there twice and you don't come back the same person. This video I just completed was made to bring awareness to one of many needs there.

Quality Time

2009-12-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

My latest lifestyle shoot involved a mother/daughter baking warm cookies on a Chicago winter day of 5 degrees. It was cold outside but sweet inside.

My girls

2009-12-23T05:27:00.000-08:00

Proud dad to two beautiful girls who worked so hard for our Christmas service.

Predictions for 2010 from Folio

2009-12-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

While these are just predictions, they seem to make sense.

115 Magazine and Media Predictions for 2010 - Consumer @ FolioMag.com

Nice thing to do

2009-12-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

I don't know this design firm, it was forwarded to me by my rep. It's a pretty cool thing they're doing and you don't even have to leave your chair to help.

http://www.bcause09.com/

Marketing genius - Seth Godin

2009-12-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

An e-book that's free and inspiring.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/12/what-matters-now-get-the-free-ebook.html

A commercial like no other

2009-12-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

My friend Lisa Salazar posted this on her blog. Watch the whole thing, it's incredible.

Video

2009-12-13T04:50:00.000-08:00

Video is such a powerful medium, it can elicit so many emotions in a short period of time. I am currently working on a project for New Life for Haiti, an organization that is helping people in Haiti who live in small villages on the west side of the country. The concept involves shooting lots of kids on white saying one sentence and/or finishing the sentence of the kid before him. Lots of fast edits. The topic will be education because there is such a need for it, but few can actually attend.

Coming soon!

New Blog!

2009-12-12T06:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know, there are 2, no 3 zillion blogs out there. But what's great about that is you can find and follow people that inspire you or move you. I'm not sure this will be one, but it may be for some, and that's great.
I'm going to post, business work, personal work and find information that affects our industry to chat about which of course is changing faster than a speeding train. Makes life interesting, doesn't it.