Change in Career: Contesting Day Jobs

Watch the Mountain Dew commercial I directed here:

http://www.mofilm.com/watch?movieID=7524

This was the BIG (now dated) news alluded to in my last post.  I won a $10,000 Grand Prize and a trip to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona for the Mountain Dew contest hosted by MOFILM.  Kelly, Danny (the "director" in the spot), and I had a great time in Barcelona thanks to the awesome hospitality of MOFILM.  It seems this is the beginning of several opportunities.  We we're also featured in an article on AnnArbor.com.  Check it out!  See the full cast/credits below, all of which are great friends and regular collaborators.

Around that same time, I almost won a commercial contest for Trident Layers too... but I ran into a snafu when I didn't have all my paperwork in place... which cost me $7500... lesson learned.  Do your paperwork in advance, even though it's obnoxiously boring.  Hopefully, Trident will come back and buy the spot though.

Also, Kelly and I just entered another MOFILM competition for Chevrolet. We cut an awesome spot together with our Alaska road trip footage from last summer. It was a very happy coincidence that I drive a Chevy!  Grand Prize is $8000 and a trip to Tribecca Film Festival.  I'll keep ya updated on that one!

All this contest stuff has certainly created a new career push towards directing commercials.  Some new opportunities are developing.  I'm making money as a director where only a few months ago I couldn't get a job as a stock boy.  So hopefully I can put off getting a day job since it's tough to find one even if you want it.

Things are looking good!  As is the Michigan sun that is finally coming out to play!

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Mountain Dew - "The Pitch"

Cast: 

Danny Mooney: "Director" 

David Roetman: "Executive" 

Natalie Condon: "Secretary" 

Crew: 

Marty Stano: Writer/Director/Producer/Editor 

Debashis Mazumder: Producer/Assistant Director 

Natalie Condon: Producer 

Benjamin Dell: Director of Photography 

Joey Ostrander: Art Director 

David Fienup: Sound Recordist/Sound Designer/Audio Engineer 

Chris Miller: Gaffer 

Geoffrey Gilbert: Camera Assistant 

Josh Condon: Sound Assistant

BIG NEWS! BIG CHANGE! Well, at least in my life!

I'm gonna be a jerk and say I have some BIG exciting news about CHANGE in my life that I cannot quite share yet...

Geez!!! I know!  Rude!

This could very well involve BIG changes in my Career, Money, Love, Happiness, and Creativity!

I can also say that I've already crossed off at least one big goal that is on my new list of goals for 2011!

I look forward to sharing the NEWS when it is made public!

This is my first post of 2011 and I am happy to say it is a truly optimistic one!  Whereas my last post of 2010 I was somewhat depressed but trying to be optimistic!

Also, I'm not really sure who all my readers are, and I like a lil' call and response, so stay tuned for a potential CHANGE contest that I may be hosting right here on this blog in the near future.  Cash prize guaranteed- just not sure how much!

Peace!