Sprinkle Blog
Main Attrakionz @ The Lab
August 21, 2013
Oakland locals/legends Squadda B and MondreMAN of Main Attrakionz stopped by the Sprinkle Lab office a few weeks back. We’ve worked with individually with them in the past, producing videos for Mondre and Squadda. However this time, our pal L.W. Hodge was behind the camera and shot the big homies low key around our studio for their hit “Young as Fuck”. Keep in mind that Hodge is the mastermind behind the YouTube viral classic “Unforgivable“.
David Ramirez: Apologies
August 19, 2013
We usually get the call about 48 hours in advance.
The news is almost always the same, our friend David Ramirez an Austin-based singer/songwriter is passing through another rickety bar somewhere in San Francisco sharing his country-tinged songs. And, like all the times before, we make it to the noisy gig, drink a few beers, and try to hear a few notes from the opening band through the buzz of the crowd. Then, like clockwork, David takes the stage over the rowdy crowd and sings out:
God bless this bar
With the soiled wooden floors
The heads that always turn when I walk through the door
Time and time again the remarkable happens. Complete Silence. Respect. Adoration.
We’re inspired by our friend David and his ability to connect with a room full of strangers night after night, after night. So, we’re happy to share that David has just released his newest album, Apologies. An album that according to Ramirez is his most personal, affecting collection of songs to date.
You can purchase and stream the whole album, here.
Bonus! Enjoy this take-away show we shot with David two years ago.
$7,000,000
August 18, 2013
Yes, that is the production cost for the most expensive music video ever made. Janet Jackson & Michael Jackson went all out (and then some) to make sure their video for Scream was something out of this world. Directed by the old legend Mark Romanek, he won his first Grammy with this.
Check out the awkwardly dated MTV documentary above for a behind the scenes glimpse into the music industry’s heyday.
Drive Your Business Forward
August 17, 2013
A few months ago we learned that FastCompany and Mercedes had joined forces to launch a marketing campaign. The schtick was that they’d give away a Sprinter to one lucky business willing to create a video showcasing how they’d use the van to “Drive Your Business Forward” (see what they did there?).
We figured what the hell, shot a short video and waited to see what would happen. It turns out that we’re in the running. When they announce the winner in September, we’ll see if we’re as lucky as we hope we are.
Check out some of the other contenders, here.
Delicious Videos
August 16, 2013
What do old men really do at night? Writer, director, and producer Paul Wie does an incredible job at reminding the world about the power and passion of sports through Nike’s “Magic Soccer Night” ad, which began airing just last month. Nike proves to also keep this passionate attitude alive through their current project: Game On, World. This interactive campaign lets you compete with yourself, your friends, and the community…on a global scale. Let the power of youth and athletic spirit shine through!
French advertising agency Fred & Farid are at it again with underwater videography at its finest! In May they shared “Back to Water” with the world, a spot for Tribord Surf and Swimwear directed by Christopher Hewitt. Sometimes we need to be reminded how breathtaking the world of water truly is.
Christopher Hewitt makes waves in more than just water. With his artistic direction, agency Dentsu London help bring color to life. Shot over two days with biochemist Linden Gledhill and Award Winning Photographer Jason Tozer, the ad showed that making paint dance was a fascinating direction to take in promoting Canon’s Pixma printers.
Play! Play! Play!
August 15, 2013
The good people of Google have been releasing an online magazine for the last year called, Think Quarterly. The publication focuses on everything from emerging ideas within the campus walls at Google HQ to wider industry trends in science, business, media, and technology; as a free resource, it’s amazing.
A few of the Quarterly’s that we’ve especially enjoyed at Sprinkle Lab have been the Innovation and Creativity issues featuring brilliant thinkers like futurist Ray Kurzweil and marketing executive Ajaz Ahmed. However, the most recent release from Think Quarterly resonates with us deeply – it’s about play.
From the very start, our ambition and vision for Sprinkle Lab has been to create a place where groundbreaking creatives can craft their best work in a studio environment grounded firmly in the ridiculous, whimsical and playful. We believe that our best work comes from a place of joy and we love sharing our playful ethos with our clients. It’s refreshing to see some excellent examples and case studies in this edition of Think Quarterly. You should definitely check it out.
To see some of the projects we’ve done just-for-fun, check out:
Now I Know, our series of interviews with Silicon Valleys best and brightest.
The Secret Life of Robyn, a collaboration with Magnum Photographer Jim Goldberg and Swedish Pop Sensation, Robyn.
délicieux
August 14, 2013
Using panoramic frames from Google Street View across different parts of the world, the official video for Ghost Train’s “Chemin Vert” creates a new reality as mapped through stereographic projections. The director of the video, Giacomo Miceli, notes that this piece as “a trip on the road at supersonic speed, spanning across five continents and four seasons”. Check out Giacomo Miceli’s latest work here.
“Augmented Reality – Projection Mapping” is a short documentary by Belgian filmmaker Dane Luttik, which follows the flourishing visual art of projection mapping. This video artform couples software with structures (preexisting or custom built) by way of video projection, in turn revealing works of art that must be seen to be believed. The artists that Luttik interviewed for this documentary have a deep understanding of the required technology to master the art. They also have an extensive knowledge of the creative sensibility that ultimately brings that tech to life. Check out more of Dane Luttik’s video work here. here.
“Producer’s Joy” shows that there is clearly more to film production than one could imagine! The complex and unique process of film production is brought to the light through clever animation as only Emerge & See Filmproduktion could present. Check out more of their work and learn more about the directors involved on their website.
Trends in Global Video Viewership
August 13, 2013
Ooyala, masters of online video tech, have revealed how people from all aspects of the global community watch videos as they present their 2012 1st Quarter Global Video Index. Whether from PCs, smartphones, tablet, or smart TVs, people around the world are watching, creating and sharing videos–but on what scale?
Ooyala’s advanced technology handles billions of viewership analytics events each day, measuring the viewing habits of nearly 200 million users across the map.
This Global Video Index Report builds on the findings from their analysis of previous quarters. Some key trends that were spotted this quarter:
LONGER IS STRONGER. Long-form content (videos longer than 10 minutes) accounted for half the total time people spent watching online video in Q1. We should expect this trend to continue as more premium film and TV content arrives online in the future.
MORE VIDEO TO GO. Viewers are watching more videos on their tablets and mobile devices, and for longer periods. For example, the overall share of time watched on smartphones grew by 41% last quarter, and the share of time watched on tablets grew by 32%.
PCS BY DAY, TABLETS BY NIGHT. Tablet viewing has been noticed to rise consistently throughout the day, and peak in the late evening. On a typical weekday, a full third of tablet video plays occur between 7pm and 11pm, while at the same period of the day only about 17% of PC use takes place.
SATURDAY NIGHT IS PRIME TIME ONLINE. Viewers on connected TVs watch nearly a third more video between 4pm and 11pm on Saturdays than on a typical weekday evening. Programmers should keep this in mind when they plan content and monetization strategies.
More listed trends and more information on Ooyala’s Global Video Index for Q1 2012 can be explored here.
sony got balls
August 12, 2013
Sony decided to wreak a bit of colorful havoc in the streets of our neighbor San Francisco. 250,000 multi-colored bouncy balls were dropped down the steep streets of San Francisco while filming a commercial for their line of Bravia televisions. A colorful work of video art, to say the least! The ad is available to view online now here, where Sony offer photographs and film behind the scenes.
DC Shoes and Ken Block present to us the Ultimate Urban Playground: San Francisco, directed by Ben Conrad. Shot in seclusion on the actual streets of San Francisco, California, this feature focuses on fast, raw and precise driving action. Craving more information on the video’s production, developing campaign, and notable San Franciscan cameos within it? Check it out.
