If you didn't catch the first post all about the making of new Amp ATV video due to premiere soon, here is a link to catch you up on some side by side coolness that you have been missing.
In the wake of the first post, we felt it appropriate to do another "Making Of" post with a few more still photos to wet your appetite. After all, it would be cruel to get you hooked on the Amp and then not be the enabler behind the addiction. We know how it feels, we work around these things all day, it's hard to leave toys behind when it's time to go home.
At Epic, we realize that the new video is a different take on typical product promotional video, for us, it was important to capture the culture of Epic in every frame of the film. We wanted to make sure the video was as unique as the vehicle and to accomplish this we turned to an incredibly creative and talented team of video gurus to get the job done.
So what does it take to shoot a video like this? Well we asked one of the guys that made it possible.
Introducing Frankie Guerrero was brought on board to handle the shooting, editing, SFX, directing and sound design. You can read more about his talents and see his reel here:
Epic: Frankie, obviously, these actors pulled off a pretty amazing job. Where did you find these guys?
Frankie: Dan Czerwonka was the shotgun wielding tough guy. and Joe Thaanum was the Duke's of Hazard'esque driver. Dan is an up and coming LA based actor that I'd worked with on another shoot. I knew that he had the perfect energy for this project... great leading man qualities with a sense of humor. And he's a real man's man that's not afraid to get his hands dirty! Joe was a lucky find... He was actually an employee at Epic EV who had acting experience. I watched some of his previous work, and knew he'd be great for the part. As an added bonus, he knows the Amp inside and out. Both of those guys brought more to the table than I could have hoped for... not only are they both talented actors, but they also know how to handle off road action driving... yes... they did ALL their own stunts!
Epic: Why did you guys decide to do a short film as opposed to just a standard 30 second spot?
Frankie: The AMP is a different and exciting product. 30 seconds wouldn't do it justice. We wanted to give it the full star treatment to kick off its launch. This short film format is a way to really engage the viewer with something different and entertaining... even if they're not in the market for a UTV.
Epic: How did your experience as a genre filmmaker help you out with this project?
Frankie: Haha... Well, I guess my genre experience didn't hurt. Lord knows I've done plenty. Although this is a lot different from the genre stuff I've done in the past, like CARVER, which is purely horror based. I've been wanting to branch off into some Sci-Fi/Horror, and this was a great excuse to do just that. But I love those genres, so I hope that comes through with anything I do within the horror realm.
Epic: Obviously, the Epic Amp was front and center in the film, but how did it perform as a utility vehicle on set? is this something you would use for location shoots?
Frankie: We filmed in a pretty remote, harsh location and we actually did use the Epic ATV to haul people and gear around the woods. We did it out of necessity, i.e. "... how are we going to get all this film gear deep into the woods? Oh wait here's this sweet UTV... Score!!" But it really is perfect for getting out to remote locations that you wouldn't otherwise be able to access, and there's plenty of cargo room for bulky gear... even without hitching a trailer to it. Plus, the Epic Amp is so quiet that you can actually discuss filming strategies along the way. I'd use it again for that purpose in a heartbeat in film production. I've been on plenty of shoots where we didn't have that luxury, and man it's not a lot of fun when it comes to transportation
Epic: How did you cast the wasp? Is he/she union?
Frankie: I really shouldn't discuss this. I'm still in contract disputes with her agent. Cuz I blew her up. Touchy.
