Motion Source has always stood by the belief that creativity is incredibly important to our video production process. We are always trying to find new, fresh ways to bring your company and your vision to life. As both filmmakers and artists, it’s important to keep our imaginative muscles working strong, and to do that, we work on passion projects outside of our business endeavors. With that being said, take a look into the experience of our latest creative endeavor!
This past October, the Motion Source team packed up our C-stands, our camera and a couple cases of La Croix, and all piled in a car, headed to scenic Monticello, Indiana. Since that’s about three hours away from our Chicago area studio--and the fact that our Annual Motion Source Retreat and Ski Trip* isn’t until February--you might be left asking why we’d be taking the time to cross state lines with a car full of gear, especially on a weekend. The answer’s painfully obvious-we were making a film. But not just any film! Our fabulous and talented videographer, Andy Hoffman, is in the midst of finishing his MFA thesis short film, so we all decided to pitch in and help his vision come to life. Our Creative Director Craig Bass worked as the Director of Photography, our Producer Michelle Maslanka did what she did best-managed the project, and behind the camera we had two of our other videographers and editors, Hunter Kallenbach and Jeff Bruninga. Me? I was best friends with the clap board, updating the information for each scene with each different take, and I carried the heavy burden of knowing the WiFi password. So, we all pulled our weight.
We arrived on a Friday night at our homey little cabin, which was to be the set for Andy’s film, as well as the housing area for all 8 crewmembers. Nothing says “bonding experience” quite like 4 adults in bunk beds. But seriously, the location was absolutely beautiful, and included a sloping, winding deck that was a dream to film. After a raucous evening of Chinese food and laughs, we got ready for the next two days to come.
We started off early the next morning with every indoor shot we could think of-the weather was being difficult, but we at Motion Source are eternally flexible. We had a long but successful day working with our two actors to create the interior scenes, and using a variety of equipment to get “that shot.” One of our favorite moments included using a jib-a large, crane like device that helps the camera rise up and down smoothly. This shot was choreographed beautifully, using two other crew members to perform necessary tasks when they were just out of frame, like using a dropper to drip blood and hand over a cup of fish guts. (I promise, it’s a comedy.) We also all learned how to gut a fish during that scene, so it was a day of learning for everyone.
The second day started off even earlier, with a couple of beautiful shots of our lead actor walking down the dock along a beautiful sunrise, casting a fishing line (see? The fish gutting makes sense now.) The day progressed with new actors and new challenges, trying to get several shots on the side of a road, while what seemed like a thousand nosy neighbors decided to drive past. Getting over those obstacles and finding a solution to a less-than-perfect lighting situation outside led to some beautiful footage and another very successful day of shooting.
Our crew at Motion Source is fundamentally creatively-driven. Our team members have spent a lot of their own time learning the newest techniques in editing, getting familiar with new film technology, and especially, working on side passion projects. Motion Source isn’t just a team, but a family-one that is there for each other whenever somebody says, “Hey, I have an idea!” We love working with one another at work and on our own time, and this was an incredible experience for us to help a fellow Motion Source employee create something really special.
*The Annual Motion Source Retreat and Ski Trip is not a real event. **
** We wish it was, too.