For Twist Director Grady Cooper, this was the fourth project he has worked on with the creative team from OLSON. "I love working with them," notes the Director, "because they are so collaborative. Particularly on this project, they were very open to the complete goofiness that ensued and really embraced a broad series of jokes. We also used some low-fi film techniques. The end result is very funny, and just pure silliness: Stupid comedy for smart people."
In fact, Twist's Cooper and Director of Photography Jeff Stonehouse shot the campaign with Canon's new 5D camera, shooting all exteriors with existing light only. They juggled a Celebrity talent, a Vikings Fan Van, special effects, pyrotechnics, and a whole lot of purple velour! And enjoyed every step of the production.
In addition to these new spots for Minnesota State Lottery, Twist's Grady Cooper has just wrapped a national advertising campaign for Capital One, due to air in September. A Director-Editor, Grady is about to embark on editing the next season of the FX series "The League" about Fantasy Football, directed by Jeff Schaffer, who has also directed episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Grady recently directed and edited "The Last Comic Standing" with Craig Robinson of "The Office" and "Hot Tub Time Machine" fame.
Twist's current directorial roster features the diverse talents of Grady Cooper, Matt Pittroff, Rich Michell, Chris Stocksmith and Marc André Debruyne. Recent Twist projects include work for McDonald's, Union Bank, Burger King, Target, White Castle, 3M, Goodyear, Namco, (Wii), and Toro.
About Director Grady Cooper: Grady directs character-driven comedy, where real life and the absurd come together. He began his career directing music videos for MTV and went on to become a director for "The Lance Krall Show," a sketch comedy for Spike TV. He's worked closely with several noted comic actors such as: Steve Martin, Chris Rock, and Larry David. In addition to his directing career, Cooper is an Emmy-nominated editor. His work includes: "The Office," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and numerous HBO and Comedy Central specials.
About Twist:
Twist, a North American production company, was founded in 1997 by President/Executive Producer Jim Geib. The company has been able to remain competitive in a global marketplace from offices in New York & Minneapolis. From its inception, Twist has been dedicated to a team model, which supports a directorial roster of diverse talents and skill levels. The team structure allows new talent to develop while experienced directors stay fresh. This provided an ideal environment for the launch of Twist's Content division, created to address project development and production for the variety of emerging needs -- from entertainment to educational. Working closely with the Commercial department and the Twist cadre of directors, this leg of the company features work for Target, General Mills and Apple. One of the notable projects developed by this division is an unprecedented HD/3D film entitled "Mars 3D," in cooperation with NASA for the worldwide museum community. Twist also supports a New York-based staff sales model. The company's team model encourages well-informed client care from project inception to completion with an integrated approach. The Twist brand is recognized the world over for its high-quality production value and client service. For more information about Twist, please go to www.twistfilm.com
Credits:
Client: Minnesota State Lottery
Spot Titles: "Recharged," "Express"
Airdate: July 2010
Advertising Agency: OLSON/Minneapolis
Creative Directors: Bob Brihn, Eric Luoma
Copywriter: Noah Will
Art Director: Craig Ferrence
Producer: Amanda Revere
Production Company: Twist/New York & Minneapolis
Director: Grady Cooper
DP: Jeff Stonehouse
President/Executive Producer: Jim Geib
Executive Producer: Amyliz Pera
Line Producer: Bob Medcraft
Coordinator: Brian Morris
Staff Reps: Kathryn Lotis, Rob Neill
Editorial Company: Fischer Edit/Minneapolis
Editor: Brian Slater
Visual Effects Company: Fischer FX/Minneapolis
VFX Supervisor/Artist: Jake Parker
Postproduction Company: Pixel Farm/Minneapolis
Colorist: Oscar Oboza
Music/Sound Design/Audio Company: Modern Music/Minneapolis
Composer/Sound Designer/Mixer: Bryan Hanna