3.3.10
Look for our new work on our vimeo page at http://vimeo.com/user2182963
2.25.10
Busy year so far, and very grateful for all of the new business blossoming as well as our very loyal current clients! We have been working on a statewide nutrition and fitness video series for the KS Dept. of Education called Eat Smart. Play Hard., Hill's Pet Nutrition consumer and web videos, Capitol Federal mobile banking spots with BLAM, new H1N1 vaccination spot campaign, not to mention, some great community work as well. We believe strongly in our community and are honored to be asked to continue with the 2010 United Way campaign, the Family Service & Guidance Center's 'Works of Heart' video & new TV PSAs, Topeka Chamber outreach videos and also the Google Fiber Experiment video.
2.7.10
Congratulations to Topeka Ad club members for a very memorable ADDY show this year. We are excited to announce "Porubsky's Transcendent Deli" received Best of Show and will now be entered into the District 9 ADDY competition.
11.18.09
Thank you to everyone who attended the "Porubsky's Transcendent Deli" and "Warriors of Cyclocross" documentary screenings over the last few weeks in Topeka and Lawrence. "Porubsky's Transcendent Deli" is a documentary directed and edited by David Kitchner/produced and written by Matt Porubsky about the historic deli/grocery store in Little Russia, Topeka. The "Warriors of Cyclocross," directed and produced by Keith Walberg, features world-class cyclists competing in the 2008 National Cyclocross Championship in KC. One more Porubsky's documentary screening will beat at the Wareham Theatre in Manhattan, KS on 11/22 at 7 PM for free.
9.15.09
We just finished shooting spots to raise awareness of the H1N1 virus that will begin airing 10.5. Now, we are gearing up to help the KS Dept. of Education to promote health and wellness to school children through video newsletters. Kids all over the state will see these in their classrooms and they will be available through their website.
8.10.09
Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. hired us to shoot interviews for their documentary on mental health this past weekend. After the full day, three-camera shoot, the clients left with all of their footage in hand.
7.5.09
The last few months have been full of interesting projects: Go Topeka, KS Dept. of Health & Environment anti-smoking campaign, KS Tourism, KS Dept. of Commerce "Come Home" documentary, Hill's Pet Nutrition France, KS Army National Guard, Porubsky's documentary, BCBS of KS and Family Service & Guidance Center.
7.1.09 6.24.09 6.15.09 3.6.09 3.4.09 2.11.09 2.7.09 1.25.09 1.13.09 1.10.09 1.1.09 11.4.08 10.28.08 10.26.08 10.16.08 8.26.08 6.19.08 6.6.08 4.30.08 1.26.08 1.1.08 12.18.07 12.17.07 11.27.07 11.26.07
So.... we thought it would be a great experience to shoot a music video for Tori Amos. Are you thinking, huh, what a random thought? Well, we ran across a contest on the Creative Cow and thought what better way to have fun than shoot a music video!! Although we may not be chosen, we LOVED the process. Check it out... www.youtube.com.
10.16.07
GIZMO ON THE AIR! With a crazy busy Spring, Summer, and early Fall, we are starting to see the fruits of our labor all over the place! Some include Learning Quest 529 "Saving for College" spots (not to mention we got to shoot a cow, goats, and a guy in a chicken costume, which is fun anyways), Mercy Regional Health Center "Scrub In," "Mercy Light," and the new "Willie Wildcat" spots, as well as spots for Stormont-Vail, Family Service & Guidance Center, Core First Bank and Trust tree animations, and the United Way "Give Hope a Hand" spots and video. Whew!!! I am sure I left some out!! Links to these are soon to come. 10.11.07
Keith Walberg just ventured out to Lyons, Kansas to meet up with a crew to shoot the Salt Mines for a Science Discovery Channel series airing in December, "Some Assembly Required." 8.13.07
Greg Ready, our 3D animator, just returned from Siggraph in San Diego with a toolbox of new animation techniques, especially from Lightwave. Check out more about the conference at www.siggraph.org/s2007/. 7.20.07
Congratulations to all the Camp Gizmo participants on a great week! Check out the campers' short films (search for Gizmo Pictures) at www.youtube.com.
5.21.07
Topeka middle school students are invited to join us this summer for the first annual Camp Gizmo, July 17 -20. Learn how to script, shoot, and edit a short film over your summer break. If you are interested, please email a 200-word essay to Lindsay at lindsay@gizmopictures.com explaining why you would like to participate. Cost is $50 and will include food, a Camp Gizmo t-shirt, and an award ceremony & screening. 4.18.07
Andy McKee, world renown Topeka musician, has agreed to play guitar in the 2007 United Way of Greater Topeka's capital campaign video, "Giving Hope a Hand." Check out more about Andy at www.andymckee.com.
2.1.07
Gizmo Pictures garnered fourteen ADDY
awards at the 2007 Topeka Advertising Federation ADDY Award banquet on January
27. Included were two gold awards for the Kansas Department of Commerce’s
national spot entitled “Kansas in Times Square” and the high honor
of a Judge’s Citation for the United Way’s PSA. In working closely
with advertising agencies statewide, Gizmo contributed to nine award-winning
projects. One of which was BLAM’s Capitol Federal True Blue Online campaign
won a gold ADDY for Best of Show. Greg Ready, Co-owner of Gizmo, was honored
with the 2007 Carol Terhune Volunteer of the Year Award.
1.2.07
Gadget Video adds Keith Walberg as director, producer,
and editor. Keith spent seventeen years at KSNT-TV, here in Topeka, most recently,
producing and directing commercials. He adds great experience and knowledge
to the new company. Gizmo Pictures added Lindsay Howgill as Marketing and Production
Coordinator. Lindsay formerly worked at the Kansas Department of Commerce in
their Marketing department as the Kansas Brand Manager and before that, as
the Assistant Director of the Kansas Film Commission.
1.1.07
Gizmo Pictures begins a sister company, Gadget Video,
as an overflow valve outlet for an expanding Gizmo Pictures. Gizmo has historically
been very community-friendly by offering services for a very low-cost to no-cost
for programs and services that better the Topeka community. In order to continue
producing these projects at a high level, Gadget will now be handling most
of them. In addition to taking on these community projects, Gadget will focus
on projects that may not need the level of attention or have the budget that
Gizmo provides. To read more, click on the link to news article www.cjonline.com.
David Kitchner traveled to Tanzania with Jeff Taylor of PT's coffee to document his coffee buying trip on video. Check out this beautiful footage...
We just wrapped our three week tour de'Kansas, shooting a documentary for the Kansas Department of Commerce. We met some amazing people from all over who tell the story of why Kansas is a great place to live, work and play. We will post links to this soon!!
Gizmo is officially moving into new digs! We are bursting at the seams in our current location, so we look forward to more space... not to mention we will all be together under one roof and room for more Gizmo-nians! Our goal is to be in by the end of the year after some hefty renovations. We will keep you updated!
Seven Eight Five magazine just did a piece on Gizmo Pictures and our newest independent film efforts. Check it out at seveneightfive.com.
American Century's 2009 Learning Quest spots featuring new KS Treasurer, Dennis McKinney, just hit the stations for statewide broadcast. Thanks to BLAM and MB Piland for a great production.
The Kansas Department of Education is getting ready to launch their "Change Lives. Teach." campaign designed to recruit young professionals or mid-career types interested in changing careers. In conjunction with our bud Doug Stremel, we were able to produce some pretty rockin' spots and a recruitment video for them.
Gizmo and gadget enjoyed a great showing at the ADDY awards. Gizmo won Best of Show for the work done on the Kansas Farm Bureau television campaign produced by Lynne Hayes. In addition, Gizmo won for the Captiol Federal Sandstone Animation w/producer BLAM and the Kansas Department of Commerce Big on Business Databook video. David Kitchner won a judges' citation for the short film, Felt, and Keith Walberg won for his independent feature, ZEROtraction. Gadget video also won for the Topeka Ad Federation Addy Show Introduction 2008, the Topeka Civic Theatre Laughing Matters shorts and the United Way of Greater Topeka Fundraising Video.
Gizmo just finished Cancer Center spots, produced by Jones Huyett Partners, for Stormont Vail Healthcare. The Letus lens adapter, just added to our collection of gizmos and gadgets, proved to be a hugely successful enhancement to our regular lenses with its incredible depth of field.
Our very own Jeff Carson is 50 years old today! Congrats, Jeff! You had better enjoy that Hawaii vacation - I doubt we have to twist your arm!
As we blaze on the production path, we continue to broaden our reach to include documentaries. We are working closely with Matt Porubsky, the grandson of the founder of Porubsky's, a restaurant, grocery, bar and, most importantly, a way of life for many in the little Russia section of Topeka. Many people have been through Porubsky's to experience their chili and hot pickles, but most tend to become indoctrinated into the family of friends and make it part of their lives. The documentary will shed a light on the history and significance of a place that has so many stories to tell. More to come!!
Happy New Year to all of you! We look forward to another year with everyone!
Gizmo just finished shooting two spots for Kansas Travel & Tourism last week in collaboration with JNA advertising out of KC, formerly Bozell. Our fist experience with the RED camera was quite a rush, a few minor hiccups, but all in all, very successful and very pretty images. We got to work with our great pal, Doug Stremel who was instrumental in the whole process. He posted a slide show of the two days shooting, first at Flying W Ranch, west of Emporia, and second at Fort Scott - http://dougstremelphoto.blogspot.com/.
"ZEROtraction," a feature film produced by Keith Walberg, will premiere at Liberty Hall on November 19 at 7PM, (tickets will be available at the door for $8). Come join us to see how intense the world of cyclocross racing can get. For more information call Keith at 785.267.7878 or email at keith@gadgetvid.com. Check out his trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA7gYqP0LnM.
David Kitchner just finished, "Felt," a short filmed in 48 hours for the Wild West Film Fest put on by KU Filmworks. Big shouts out to David and his crew for a very suspenseful, gorgeously shot short!!! Congrats on a great job! Watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA7gYqP0LnM.
As usual, the clouds opened during a crazy rainy week to allow Jeff and Doug Stremel, BLAM Creative, to shoot a beautiful, new Cap Fed spot, "Generations Strong 2." Thanks to Daryn Cashmark for coming out to operate his 32' jib, we were able to really make this spot special.
It has been a busy summer here at Gizmo. We just finished some beautiful spots for Kansas Farm Bureau (producer, Lynne Hayes), a new Capitol Federal (producer, BLAM), a new Topeka Chamber promotional video for prospective Topekans (Frye Allen), St. Francis Doctor spots (Frye Allen) and some animated spots for Hill's Pet Nutrition (Callahan Creek). Currently, we are working on a Kansas Justice Video for the Kansas Supreme Court, a Topeka Community Foundation 25th Anniversary Video, Baker University web videos, Mercy Regional Health Center spots (New Boston), among others. Look out for these on our site soon.
Camp Gizmo, a video production camp for middle school-aged kids, is coming soon, July 15 through 18. Check more out about it at http://www.cjonline.com/stories/061608/lei_291313596.shtml.
To Go Brands, based out of San Diego, just finished two national spots with Gizmo in conjunction with BLAM's brilliant writing/storyboarding. They are promoting superfood supplements (stocked in GNC stores) containing fruits, veggies, and energy blends. Visit their website to learn more about this yummy, healthy stuff at http://www.togobrands.com.
We have been busy here at Gizmo, hence the lack of news updates. Here are a few exciting projects we have been working on this year; A new Stormont-Vail Heart Center spot (credit to Jones Huyett Partners) that ran during the Final Four and the awesome Championship game (yeah Jayhawks!!). Baker University has commissioned two very quick turn-around projects running during large events. Security Benefit's annual employee appreciation event "Living the Values" went off without a hitch, especially thanks to David and Ryan. The Brown Foundation is celebrating their 20th Anniversary and we are putting together a retrospective video for their May 17 gala. A few more... St. Francis Doctor Campaign (credit to Frye Allen), Patten CAT video for the Chicago CAT dealer w/2,000 DVDs being distributed, the upcoming annual United Way video, the annual Topeka Civic Theatre Bravo Breakfast video, FHLB bank annual video and a Washburn University television production (credit to Frye Allen).
Gizmo and gadget had a wonderful night at the TAF's annual ADDY awards show. We received 8 ADDYs, thanks to working for some fabulous clients!! Some of the categories we received awards for were for cinematography, interactive media, public service advertising, and a regional/national TV campaign.
Ryan Bishop just joined the Gizmo/gadget team as a production specialist. We are so excited to have him board and to have his skills and fresh ideas.
We just finished up shooting two :30s on 35mm film for Baker University in Wichita, as they try to attract more working professionals to go back to school. Not only did we have a blast with Two West Advertising, out of KC, the shots turned out gorgeous. Who says we can't shoot in 20 degree weather and still make it comfy!! Look for the spots scheduled to run after Jan. 1, 2008.
Kansas City CrossFilm Production Update: We had our video crews out each day shooting in high definition video each day the 2007 USA Cycling National Cyclocross Championships in Kansas City, Kansas. Thursday and Friday we had one camera, Saturday we added another and for the elite championship races on Sunday, we had four cameras shooting fantastic cyclocross racing action. Our hard drives are full with thousands of clips from the masters races, junior races, B events and the elite championships. Watch for a pre-trailer by the end of the year!
Keith Walberg, production guy and huge biking enthusiast, has begun to pre-produce a documentary he is working on for the Cyclocross National Championships that will be held in Kansas City Dec. 14 - 16 http://www.kccrossnationals.com/. Check out some footage he put together at a Topeka & KC Cyclocross event he shot earlier this year at www.youtube.com.