FILM FESTIVAL OPENINGS

Our first solo film festival project for SBIFF. We worked with the late Mark Henderson and the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra to create this moving piece of music, and took all 36 members of the orchestra with Mark to the opening night. A great moment.

Our very first opening for Sonoma International Film Fest as part of a Tribute Event for John Lasseter. The event was attended by Disney and Pixar Execs, as well as the Voiceover artists from Pixar's movies and Robin Williams, who lived in Sonoma.

A more esoteric story with the toy bear representing the Sonoma International Film Festival through the years ... the girl, the present day ... and the large bear, Kevin McNeely, the much loved Director of the Festival and Patron of the local arts such, as the Sonoma High School Multimedia Program.

A tribute event to thank all the first responders who put their lives on the line to fight the horrific Paradise Fire which raged through Sonoma County. For the opening night only, we played the last part of this opening which lists every one of the 2000 plus first-responder groups who came from all over the world to Sonoma to fight the fires,  even from as far away 

as Australia.

For 2015 we took a step back to the Golden Year of Hollywood and to the wonderful music of Irvin' Berlin's "Putting on the Ritz".

Tipsy, the main character became a bit of a celebrity in Sonoma and made a couple more tiny appearances in the 2019 trailer and at the very end credits in the 2018 trailer.

Rejected documentary maker Angus tries to invent an alternative film festival, but in reality inventing what Sonoma always does, while his Mouse-Butler, Wee McMouse puts him straight, in the 2019 opening trailer for the Sonoma International Film Festival.

Our 2nd piece for SBIFF. Our mannequin logo character, walks through a hall of famous movie props. With Martin Scorsese attending the fest there was no way we could leave out the Taxi. This complete project took just 3 weeks, from a blank sheet of paper, until it played on the screen.

This trailer even earned a mention in Roger Ebert's column in the Chicago Sun-Times. The theme was about the writings of Jack London a native of Sonoma and we ended the piece on one of his famous pieces written about Sonoma.

For 2009, what would happen if we tried an art deco piece? It meant everything should be both stylized and feel flatter.The theater we built for the last shot was inspired by the stunning entrance on the old Eastern Airlines building entrance in downtown Los Angeles.

Musical instruments which can play themselves. Just a fun upbeat way to open each event as the festival. We loved the way this piece of music begins so softly but ends up so powerfully. WE used live musicians to play these parts for us, and matched every finger movement accurately from video shot during the sessions.

This was a tip of the hat to Kevin McNeely, the Director of the Sonoma Film Fest and Sonoma's greatest supporter in so many respects. We had Kevin modeled by two Pixar artists and even had a trophy award made from the model, to give to Kevin as a surprise. Kevin and his bike are always to be seen in town. 

In this trailer fragments of letters are spread out through space, with the more distant pieces much, much larger than the closer fragments. NONE of those pieces move. Only the camera is moving. but at points in time, from the camera's POV, for one instant, the pieces align to read as words.

A 30 second ad spot we created to air in a run up to the Sonoma International Film Festival  opening in 2014.