QURIOSITY Writer/Director, KENNETH YODER creates the tongue-in-cheek sponsors reel for AICP SHOW
After years of beautiful animation-based and experimental sponsor reels featured at the AICP Show, this year comedy writer/director Kenneth Yoder is taking things in a different direction. With an extensive background writing and acting at Second City, this year Yoder is mixing things up with a live-action comedy narrative that pays homage to the advertising world while also skewering it in typical hilarious Yoder fashion.
“First of all I would like to thank AICP for this huge honor,” Yoder said of being asked to write and direct the piece, by none other than AICP Show Producer Gayle McCormick. “I am really going to shamelessly bragging about this for months!…Naturally I jumped at the opportunity.”
“Kenneth is one of those guys that thinks outside the box – in fact, there is no box,” says Patrick Richter of Quriosity Productions, a co-producer behind the project. “The thing I like most about working with Kenneth is that he is a perfectionist; he goes into the shooting day knowing exactly what he wants and how he’s going to get it. His relationship with his talent is inspiring; he having quite an extensive acting background himself, is able to derive performances that are, simply put, f*cking hilarious.”
The piece, produced by Quriosity Productions, features the story of the fictional commercial director “Sven”, who falls from grace in the ’90’s only to be asked back to direct the Sponsor’s Reel by AICP President Mark Androw — who may or may not make a guest appearance in the video himself.
Adora Wilson-Eye, co-producer behind the first narrative comedic AICP Sponsor Reel in years, said it was one of the more fun shoot she’s worked on. “It was an absolute blast working on Kenneth’s hilarious brain baby for the AICP opener,” she mentioned. “He’s got a real vision and everyone was so excited to be on this project. It was a team effort and we couldn’t have done it without help from our friends at Keslow Camera, Chicagoland Truck Rental, 2nd Cine, Studio Rental Chicago, the Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Bailout Pictures, The Bad Lands, Chicago Recording Company, The Mill, and of course our passionate and hardworking crew, offering their time and resources to realize Kenneth’s beautiful, weird vision.”
Kenneth added of the piece, “Obviously the two best parts of the shoot for me personally were when we invited one actor to wear a shirt made out of cheese slices and collaborated with two others by covering them head to toe in baking flour. Actors really are my favorite people! Try doing this with accountants.”
“The AICP Sven Yoder Project”
Credits:
Production Quriosity
Written and Directed by Kenneth Yoder
Producers Adora Wilson-Eye and Patrick Richter
Director of Photography Herman Asph
1st AC Michael Kubasek
2nd AC Zac Osgood
Steadicam Tomas Szklarski
1st AD Stephen Kniss
Production Designer K Mraz
Art Assistant Sydney Taylor Colbert
Wardrobe Rachael Ohman
Wardrobe Assistant Chanel Mahavongsnunt
Hair/Makeup Yolanda Moran
Gaffer Rob Dolan
Key Grip Bear Aldrich
Sound Andrew Henke & Evan Rein
Dog Wrangler Jenny Lumpkin
Production Assistants Samantha Carman, Tristian Montgomery
Post Production
Editor – Felix Pineiro, Quriosity
Color – Luke Morrison, The Mill Chicago
Audio – Mark Ruff, CRC
Starring
Andrew Knox
Herman Asph
Jaida Bentley
Keith Kolecki
Justin Tvedt
Joe Janes
Jennifer “Six” Hawn
Yasmin Gorleku
Mark Androw
Boone, The Dog
