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Stepping into the cottage the day before the COMMON launch was energizing. It had pitch energy. It’s a hell of a pitch when you think about, trying to convince people to share a brand in service of the greater good. Everyone was fried but inspired. The close proximity of the unveil provided the adrenaline to finish strong or, more accurately, to start strong. Because really that’s what the “launch” was, the start. But still, the baby was about to get a christening. And it was gonna be live streamed.

About a month prior to this day Alex and I discussed documenting the launch. He was totally game. Felt like an important moment to capture. At Butler Bros we are big fans of organizational documentary work. We call it Brand Films and more recently Advermentary. This content helps drive stakeholder conversation and create the feedback loop needed to make things better. Again this is only the beginning of COMMON and likely the first of many films. But this is a raw look at what happened on day one and what Alex, Rob, and John had to say hours before the launch.

Butler Bros pre-produced the film with the merry band of insurgents over at the Cottage. It was a fun collaboration. Art, Jeff, Isaac and Evan worked their butts off on this little production. I had the pleasure of talking to people and bringing the idea to film. Then I brought the footage back to Butler Bros and my bro and our editor Travis hammered it out. Special thanks to Moby and Monahans for the tracks.

Many of you have had Alex as a creative director or your agency guy. Let me assure you it was fun heaving him as a “client”, I mean an insurgent collaborator. Please continue to share your thoughts and ideas over at COMMON. The world’s first collaborative brand needs just that – collaboration.

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We’ve been producing, directing and editing content since the day we opened our doors 8 years ago. We love the process and we believe in the product. Everyone needs a Brand Film.

About a year ago a gent by the name of Paul Julien Freed asked me if I was a fan of neorealist films. I confessed that I wasn’t. Not because I disliked them but because I hadn’t really watched any. He have gave me a list. He was sure that I’d enjoy them because of the way I’d described our story telling ethos at Butler Bros. which to him sounded a lot like the following wikipedia entry:

Neorealism is characterized by a general atmosphere of authenticity. Andre Bazin, a French film theorist and critic, argued that neorealism portrays: truth, naturalness, authenticity, and is a cinema of duration. The necessary characteristics of neo-realism in film include:

• a definite social context;
• a sense of historical actuality and immediacy;
• political commitment to progressive, even violent, social change;
• authentic on-location shooting as opposed to the artificial studio;
• a rejection of classical Hollywood acting styles; extensive use of non-professional actors as much as possible;
• a documentary style of cinematography.

Without knowing it really this is very close to how we’ve marketed Brand Films since 2002. The major difference really is the fact that there isn’t a script at all in our films. That and they aren’t violent. We curate questions that highlight a narrative we think we are likely to capture and believe will most compel our audience. True to the documentary ethos though we allow stories to unfold and remold our expectations – and our clients allow this too.

Having spent some time with Alex Bogusky in Boulder recently and sharing our work and POV with him, he coined the term “advermentary” to categorize it. I like this too. It’s very transparent in name. It’s all laid out. Advertising with a documentary ethos. For people and companies that are trying like hell to do things right, to create in a considered manner, and drive needed changes, non-fiction is nothing to be afraid off. More and more the world demands it. More and more companies begin with this notion instead of bolting it on later.

“Bicycle Thieves,” which I watched this weekend, did exactly what I hoped it would: it had me considering the heart and mind of the character, not the surrounding artifice. We believe that companies can achieve this same feat. It begins long before the cameras roll however, it begins with deep motivations held by the “actor”.

In nature, waste equals food. If you’ve ever read “Cradle to Cradle” or a 4th grade science text book you are familiar with this concept of nutrient flows. However “Cradle to Cradle” also goes on to discuss the concept of technical nutrients. The idea that non-biological material flows can be used to grow new technology, physically, literally. Well all of these ideas coalesced in my brain as I listened to the report yesterday. And while some may call massive government investment in green energy unnatural, the fact remains that the money is fertilizing a much needed shift. That the second industrial revolution is taking root in the very soil of the first industrial revolution is not an accident. It’s exactly what needs to happen for the sake of efficiency. As one of the subjects of the NPR story remarked when asked why his company wasn’t outsourcing these new manufacturing jobs overseas – “It’s the American workers that understand the processes needed to manufacture at this level.”

It’s time to turn the unsustainable industries of our recent past into a boon for our immediate future. You might say we’ve been composting.

We didn’t know we were making “brand films” then. We were collapsing the strategic planning discipline with the creative development discipline out of necessity. We had just formed our shop and the budgets were small. It was just Marty and I, a Canon GL2, a 35mm still camera, going crazy on a road trip. We put the money into original music and post. In the end, we discovered a method of working that is very hands on and frankly we’ve never walked away from. We just gave it a name – Brand Film.

So what is a Brand Film?

It’s a strategic, stylized documentary about your brand. The story is authentic and compelling because you, your product and or service is authentic and compelling. You do your part. The film does its part. Your narrative already exists. The emotion is there. It is all waiting to be captured by us in high definition. We use our deep understanding of messaging to outline the films potential plot, cast real people and draft the questions we will ask the cast. We scout the locations. Then it’s the discipline of production and the skill of film making. In the end, you receive much more than a strategic 3-5 minute film that deftly communications your value to the world. You also have content that can live:

• Online (your home site, promotional micro-sites, blogs, podcasts, e-mail, social networking sites, affiliate sites)

• On air (TV spot, infomercial base content, radio spot from audio, press outreach, EPK, and b-roll for news media)

• On the road (sales kits, investor relations materials, trade show presence)

Today we are an ad agency and production company under one roof. We’ve refined our process. We added partners across the production spectrum. Our Brand Films benefit greatly from the world class film talent Austin hosts.

We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on what we are producing. We have a LinkedIn group for this express purpose. We believe that now, more than ever, Brand Films are a brilliant marketing investment. Please challenge or support this notion with your experience…

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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas needed a piece that would drive recruits for their program. The film we produced used stop motion photography (Beth Perkins) to highlight a day in the life of a “Big” and his “Little.” Ultimately the goal of the film was to lower the mental barriers potential “Bigs” might encounter while considering becoming involved.

This piece demonstrates its really about being present and nothing more. It’s not about being the “perfect mentor”. In this was we show the vulnerability of the “Big” while seeking connection for the “Little”. We cut a thirty second TV spot from this footage  that acted as a trailer and asked people to log on to the BBBS site to learn more. They were greeted with this longer form piece when they logged on. Kudos to Action Figure and Stuck On On for joining us on this project.

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This film educates customers and partners about the i-port and is used online, in trade show environments, and for public relations outreach.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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