Making online video ads and moving into a new space has pushed Token Media into the spotlight.
For their first act, George Heck and Dan Hundley recast their suburban video transfer shop — Token Media — into a full-fledged, Minneapolis-based video production company that makes TV commercials, corporate videos and award-winning short films.
Now, for the sequel, the company is making a strong push into Web video advertising.
2009 Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project “The Grave Review”
Filmmaking teams from throughout the Minneapolis area successfully completed a weekend of filmmaking. Films were due on June 14th, and the last few minutes before the deadline saw filmmakers, operating on little sleep and lots of adrenaline, rushing to get their films in on time.
The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which you and a team make a movie—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours.
On Friday night, you get a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre, all to include in your movie. 48 hours later, the movie must be complete. Then it will show at a local theater, usually in the next week.
In 2008, some 30,000 filmmakers made films in 70 cities. This year, filmmakers around the world are taking the challenge to make a film in just 48 hours.
A young boy finds he suddenly has the power to turn Fridays into Freedays for Radisson Hotel’s summer promotion.
Token Media had the privilege of working in association with Fast Horse Inc, a local marketing firm brought in by Carlson Companies to help them launch their viral campaign.
Token Media and hockey goaltending visionary instructor, Zach Sikich, are proud to announce ProHybrid Training DVD Vol. 2. This DVD is packed with 60 minutes of detailed instruction which goes further into the ProHybrid Goaltending System to discover the keys to precise goalie positioning.
Token Media worked with ProHybrid Training founder Zach Sikich to produce a visually exciting and entertaining DVD loaded with visual f/x, animation, high energy music, and fast paced editing. The entire video was shot and edited in HD by Token’s Dan Hundley; additional camera work by Lee Lyon; animation, package design and web site by Mark LaCroix.
The entire scope of work also included DVD replication, packaging design, design of the ProHybrid Training website and design of posters for use at trade shows. We also created a trailer video for advertising on Zach’s YouTube site.
The Onesta Hair Care slogan is “Free Yourself of Harmful Chemicals”. This is the core message that Onesta President Michael Redmond is trying to spread while touring the country and meeting with hair care professionals. Token Media was enlisted to come up with an affordable and efficient method of allowing visitors of the Onesta site to be able to watch his presentation in high quality, similar to the original Powerpoint he delivers on his visits. We decided to film Michael on a green screen in our studio which would allow us to key his video and place it on top of their existing Powerpoint. Then we delivered it as a flash file for their website. This allows for a smaller file size while maintaining a large screen size. Visit the Onesta site to see the video.
At 7:00PM CST, we received our required genre, character, line of dialogue and prop for the HD showdown. We were to write, produce, shoot and edit a Mockumentary starring Herb Billips, who works at a bank. The line of dialog was “Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t,” with a “very special pen” as the prop we were required to use.
We all met at TOKEN on Friday night and discussed our options and key story points and once we were set, Director Matt Olson, along with writers Eric Nigg and Mitch Hansen, locked themselves into a room until the wee hours of the night to create “CHUCK MURRAY KNOWS.” (link coming soon)
We filmed with the Panasonic AG-HPX500 which was loaned to us for the weekend from our sponsors. This was also a requirement which was even cooler because we own the very same camera. Having two of these super cameras saved quite a bit of set up time and we were also able to sync time code between the two, which helped quite a bit in post.
That’s all we are allowed to say right now.
We finished editing just before the representative from Panasonic walked through the door to pick up our submission. Of course we made him watch the screening with our crew and forced him to laugh.
Here’s a few photos…
Friday night brainstorm session.
Eric Nigg as Chuck Murray
Token Executive Producer and DP, Dan Hundley
Cully getting that pro sound
Josh and Dan manning the pair of AG-HPX500s
Director Matt Olson and Token Graphics Wizard Mark LaCroix
On Monday and Tues of this week, we filmed a short comedy called “WINDED.” We filmed in Deephaven, MN at The Walden Manor. Two full days, 40 bags of leaves and a very ambitious film crew filmed in weather that a postal worker might get overtime in. The temperature ranged from 20º – 34º, there was snow and there was sleet and everything that was wet became frozen.
The film stars local comedian, Eric Nigg, and was directed by our good buddy, Matt Olson. Token’s Dan Hundley – Director of Photography, Mark Lacroix – Visual Effects Supervisor and Josh Sundby – Technical Adviser were there with bells on both days to make this short film, festival worthy.
This coming weekend we will be competing against 4 other teams from around the country in the Panasonic HD Showdown, another 48 hour time line.
Token's Dan Hundley and Mark Lacroix.
Dan Hundley, Director Matt Olson applying makeup to Actor/Comedian Eric Nigg
Tired of not getting clean enough while taking a shower? We are too…
Water and Energy Savings, Inc. came to us because they wanted an affordable commercial filmed in HD with a tight turn around. We came up with the best solution and had our good friend Bill Felker come in as the DP to light the 10 foot high shower built in our studio. Stephanie Saji acted her heart out, as the frustrated woman who just can’t get the pressure she needed from that old crusty shower head. Enter, The Bricor B150 Satin Nickle Elite 150SN-E, The shower head that dreams are made of to solve all of her woes.
Token
Stephanie Saji, praying to the water gods for an answer to the low pressure blues.
Yeah, it looks like we were making some other kind of entertainment,but we can assure you its clean fun.
Zach Sikich, a local Hockey player and coach has developed a new system when it comes to the Goalie position. Token Media filmed, edited and authored this dvd package as well as created the ProHybrid website. The overwhelming popularity of this product has required us to make volume 2 which is in the works now.
“ProHybrid Training provides today’s goaltenders with the most current, efficient and effective system to stop the puck. We focus on athletic movement, precise positioning and efficient save execution.
In addition to net movement and puck stopping mechanics, PHT drills our goaltenders extensively on puck handling skills.”
