Month: June 2019

Building the Future: GitHub

Posted on by Slow Clap

The new year is already over a month in, and here at Slow Clap, we’re taking the time to reflect on the growth we experienced in 2018. We had some amazing production opportunities that challenged us creatively and operationally. A highlight was working with GitHub on a brand video that launched their marketing campaign leading up to GitHub Universe 2018, their biggest annual conference and event.

Approach

We worked with GitHub’s creative team to develop a story that would highlight the open source community on their platform, and how collaboration can have a domino effect of positive change. To visually demonstrate the use of collaboration, our teams decided to create a story inspired by GitHub open source projects from all over the world, in all different industries, and with all different applications. Projects like Open Bionics, a VR medical training simulation, the da Vinci Surgical System, NASA’s Mars mission, and so many more got our creative brains buzzing. But at the center of it all, we knew this video had to be human, and feature the real human impact that GitHub’s community has in the world.

 

Execution

Style, Look, & Locations

This project took us around the world, to a neighboring planet, and back again even though we never really left the Bay area. We filmed in approximately 11 different locations in 5 days with a cast of over 30 people.  Our art department did a fantastic job creating and recreating scenes to help our audiences feel that they’ve been taken to foreign countries, inside NASA, and to another world. Mars, by far, was one of the most fun achievements of this project. In a studio setting, our art department used different elements to recreate the reddish/orange tint of Mars’s surface using things such as Paprika and a wind machine to simulate Mars’s surface.

To achieve a cinematic look we filmed on the Arri Alexa and used rehoused Cooke Lenses from the late ’60s to achieve a classic and stylized look (click here). Lastly, we utilized the Corba Dolly (click here) which was small portable dolly we used for smooth and sturdy camera movement.

The Robotic & Puppeteering

“He was not only great to work with but brilliant! He doesn’t just build things to look like robots he engineers them to actually work.” Cassandra Jabola – Producer

 

We hired the incredible Brandon Minton, who specializes in robotics and puppeteering. Brandon worked for 6-8 weeks, prior to production, to develop, 3D print, and engineer the hands and arms that are used in the video. Brandon not only built and engineered the robotics used, but he was also on set puppeteering them throughout the shoot.

The Music

“When you hear the score it sounds like the beginning of the song, but it’s really the ending. It was reverse engineered.” – Diana Salier

Prior to filming, we worked with TV & Film composer Diana Salier, to create a unique piece of music that is both diegetic and non-diegetic in its use throughout the video. The phrasing that Diana, and pianist Jessica Yap, created was integrated into how the story was told. In fact, the music had to be written prior to production so it could be utilized during the filming process for both young Michael and adult Michael to play. As a key storytelling element, the music had to show progression over time, which mirrored what was going on in the narrative.

 

 

 

 

Results 

As a creative agency, this was one of our most challenging and most rewarding projects to dates. We successfully completed the video on time, and in September GitHub launched their video campaign starting with the branding video. The video gained over 250,000(+) views between its launch in September 2018 to the opening of the Universe conference on October 16, 2018. During that same time, GitHub gained nearly 40,000 new followers and had over 45,000 social engagements across all platforms.

Awards & Recognition

In February 2019, Slow Clap was awarded the Platinum Honors from the AVA Digital Awards. The award recognizes outstanding work by creative professionals involved in the concept, direction, design, and production of media that is part of the evolution of digital communication.

View the finalized video below

Future Builders

Posted on by Slow Clap

Slow Clap believes that authentic storytelling lies at the heart of all great videos, campaigns, and outreach programs, so when GitHub wanted us to share stories of a few future builders who’ve used GitHub’s platform to transform their community we were excited to produce those projects. These stories took our team around the US and across the pond. It was an amazing learning experience for our team, that pushed us to find a more impactful way to share stories.

Approach

During pre-production, GitHub’s marketing team shared that they wanted to produce a series of 4 mini-documentaries that would follow the launch of the branding video and lead up the Universe conference. They wanted each video to highlight individuals who have used GitHub’s open source platform to create and launch new products or opportunities within different industries and celebrate what developers were doing around the world when they come together. GitHub provided a list of people who they were interested in interviewing and we began the vetting process. We conducted multiple pre-interview phone calls to confirm who was truly interested in being apart of videos, who had a deeply impactful story, who would be available, who would be comfortable speaking on camera, and who would have some very dynamic visuals available for us to capture at the time of production.

After a few weeks of follow up and scheduling,  we narrowed down the list to the final 4 subjects. We confirmed availability and scheduling at each location, what we wanted to capture, and confirmed who would be available as secondary subjects for each video.

Execution

Production Begins on Mini-Documentaries

Once production of the branding video wrapped, our team packed up our gear and headed across the US to Detroit, MI to capture the story of Tifanni Bell, who built her website, The Human Utility, using GitHub. The team spent a total of 3 days with Ms. Bell capturing her, Ms. Helen Griffin, a benefactor of The Human Utility, and the amazing city of Detroit. We utilized a local production assistant to help with loading gear, set up lighting, and maneuvering around the city. Our team conducted the interviews and capture the amazing aerial and street-level broll.

The Human Utility

“Start really small with whatever you can. You just need a couple of people. If you make an impact the whole thing will just, kind of, blow up from there.” Tiffani Ashley Bell, Founder of The Human Utility

Following Detroit, our team flew to Boston to capture Conrad Hollomon, a former US military Office, (Afghanistan veteran) who utilizes GitHub’s platform to help to transition members of the military service community learn software development and code the future. We hired a local production assistant to help us on this 3-day shoot which allowed us to conduct and capture the interviews and capture some of the city’s history in images such as the cobblestone streets and classic architecture.

Operation Code

“I served overseas in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011. The things I think about when I’m going through tough times, ‘By going through this have I helped make someone else successful. Have I helped contribute to something larger than myself?” – Conrad Hollomon, Founder of Operation Code

 

 

Once we wrapped in Boston our team flew across the pond to the UK to interview Julius Sweetland, the creator of OptiKey, a free on-screen keyboard that allows the user to communicate and control their computer with their eyes. Julius initially placed his idea on GitHub 3 years ago, and with the help of the open-source community, it has been translated into 19 different languages. Similar to the first 2 videos, we had a 3-day shoot, where we captured interviews and broll of the subject in his natural environment. We hired a production assistant from the UK to help us with getting around and to act as a fixer prior to our arrival.

OptiKey

“I’ve been into computers since I could walk. These magic boxes that I’ve always been in “AW” of, they can do good. I’ve always wanted to have a project that I could go, ‘Hey, this cool thing, I wrote it and look at these people over here that it’s helping.” – Julius Sweetland, Creator of OptiKey

 

 

Our final video took our team back home to the Bay Area. We traveled to Oakland to capture Jamica El, who is part engineer, part storyteller, part curator, and a creator of stories through music and the use of technology. We spent 3-days filming in Oakland with Jamica, capturing her in her home, downtown, a speaking engagement, and all around the city. 

Jamica”Afrodjiak” El

“I’m a maker, and I want to inspire others to make. Being a DJ lead to me being comfortable with creating with my hands. Whether it’s curating, putting together mixes, or scratching records, and soldering wires together. My DJ life made my hardware life less intimidating.”  – Jamica El, Community Storyteller

 

Results

“These mini-documentaries are the logical points of our effects over the last 5 years, as a company.” – Dan Lichtenberg, CEO & Creative Director,  Slow Clap

 

The four documentaries were shared on GitHub’s social media platforms and organically garnered over 250,000 (+) views during the initial marketing launch between September 2018 to October 16, 2018 (the start of Universe 2018).  During that same time, GitHub gained nearly 40,000 new followers and had over 45,000 social engagements across all platforms. In addition to their social media, there was a write up in Forbes about their branding campaign highlighting Black Female Founders, and got a personal shout out from Reddit Founder, Alexis Ohanian, on Twitter regarding the successful marketing campaign for Universe.

Platinum at the Muse Creative Awards 2019

Posted on by Jake Richard

Out of more than 3,180 submissions from 46 countries, Slow Clap has won Platinum recognition in the 2019 Muse Creative Awards competition. Our video, Building the Future, produced for GitHub, has taken home the platinum award for the corporate identity category in video production. Slow Clap is one of a handful of Bay Area video production companies to win on the platinum level, an award level that less than 5% of entrants received.

Our collaboration with GitHub in 2018 was one of the most challenging, and rewarding, in our company history. We’re really proud of the amazing creative team behind the concept, scripting, production, cinematography, robotics, editing, 3D animations, VFX, and so much more that went into this video.

The Muse Creative and Muse Design Awards are international competitions for creative and design professionals from all disciplines, who help push the evolution of their industry in a positive direction. “We recognize the breakthrough achievements of these true innovators, who live by the words, ‘make the world a better place for all’” said Kenjo Ong, CEO of both competitions. “They have earned this recognition.”

Both the Muse Creative and Muse Design Awards are administered and judged by International Awards Associates (IAA), and stellar panels of internationally-recognized professionals from both fields. IAA oversees awards and recognition programs, assembles judging panels, and sets rigorous standards for both competitions.

Grand Jury Panel:

This year’s Jury Panel includes 42 renowned, experienced, and brand-new Judges from 22 countries worldwide. Judges hail from leading companies in the creative and digital industry from all corners of the globe and include professionals from such power brands as Grayling, DMG, McCann Worldgroup, Stewards of Wildlife, United Nations Children’s Fund, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, etc.

Entries in all categories were ranked according to industry-best standards. During blind judging, panelists evaluated the effectiveness of creative and design concepts, selecting winners from a deep pool of international submissions.

The 2019 competition included entries from United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Republic of China, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Honduras, Hungary, India, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Macau, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Yemen.