Client - yorkstreet Crossfit
Project Proposal -
Jason Hillard of Yorkstreet Crossfit contacted me about creating a series that would bring more attention to his gym. He didn't want a typical ad or commercial. He was looking for something that would describe what the atmosphere and community is like in his gym.
Pre-Production Planning
My first proposal was to do a short instagram campaign and create these very stylistic short videos that he could release in a series. The series would be called "It's my turn". The whole concept behind the theme is to show individuals out there that they may have not had the support from friends or family to join a gym or maybe they were skittish about joining a gym in the first place, or another big factor was time. A lot of people think they don't have time to join a gym. Instead approach this with a "this is who we are, these are our gym times and this is what you'll learn". I started with the idea of inspiration. We wanted to catch the attention of people and then inspire them. The 10 short videos were meant to grab the attention of the viewer and keep them interested in the slogan. I wrote and preformed all the voice over dialog for each of the instagram videos. Then after weeks of instagram posts we released the short docu-style film about Paige Thayer, a local teacher who attends the gym regularly. In this documentary we go on a somewhat of a day in the life with her and show how she incorporates Yorkstreet into her daily life. The plan was to interview her and have that dialog carry the entire piece.
Technical Production
For this production I decided to go with the Sony FS7 with Xeen Primes. This camera has great dynamic range and I knew we were be switching locations very quickly with changing light. So the on-board ND filters and good audio pre-amps made this workflow a lot easier.
It was necessary for me to stay as nimble as possible seeing that I was playing the role of Director, Producer and Cinematographer. I knew with this camera and the quick two light setup I was providing I could change positions really quickly. We were able to film all the instagram spots in one night in the gym with various athletes provided by the gym. As for the short documentary that took place over three separate days which one of those included staging a bbq at Paige's house.
Its My Turn // Paige Thayer
Yorkstreet crossfit was Paige's first crossfit experience and she would always boost about what a great community it was and how everyone was so encoraging on helping her hit her goals and maximize her results. In this short film I wanted to capture how not only she incorporates crossfit into her daily schedule but also how Yorkstreet has created a community around members.
Its my turn // to build
This is one of the instagram spots that was released on a schedule to help inform and inspire future members. What makes this one really special is this the gym owner himself acting in this role.
its my turn // To rise up
This is one of the instagram spots that was released on a schedule to help inform and inspire future members. Marta is a long time member and also was one of the people who encoraged Paige to attend this gym. I thought we should definitely highlight her in the one of the spots.
Post Production
The editing process behind this project was a little unconventional. Jason gave me his full trust in coming up with something amazing. With this amount of freedom I really felt I was able to push this series to a whole new level. With each of the instagram spots I knew I wanted the dialog to be specific to each scene as well as be inspiring to the viewer. This translated to less words and proper delivery. Preforming the voiceover meant I could go through as many revisions as I felt needed. I workshopped quite a few alternatives before landing on the final result. As for the final look of each one, I wanted them to feel directed on the talent as well as show them a bit isolated. This was to coincide with the slogan "It's My Turn" to demonstrate that it was only them in this personal battle to become physically fit.
With the Paige Thayer film, I wanted to take a deep dive into her life with crossfit and not her crossfit life on top of her personal life. I wanted to reveal that Yorkstreet was helping her to become a more well-rounded individual and they were not out to change the person but more about enhancing her true self.
Once the final edit was completed we arranged a viewing party at the Yorkstreet gym for everyone to watch. Paige personally had multiple people approach her and tell her that her story really changed their approach to fitness.
Behind the scenes
Client Feedback
Owner Jason Hillard - Jarrod is a top notch photographer and videographer. His work single-handedly created a buzz around our services. His work is nothing short of brilliant. We are extremely lucky to have found Jarrod. His passion and excitement shows in everything that he produces. Bravo Jarrod!
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