November 26, 2007 (LOS ANGELES, CA) - Sedna Films, a commercial production company based in Santa Monica, recently teamed up with Sara Lee/Ball Park Franks to create a couple of high-energy, high-action, 60-second spots that capture "a day in the lives" of super-skateboarder Patrick Hernandez and Olympics-bound high-jumper Timothy Sebastian, who, according to the commercials, choose Ball Park Franks for their power-snack of choice.

"The concept is that these guys are exceptional athletes who have too much energy and too much going on to take the time out to sit down for a meal," explained Sedna's executive producer Dirk Detweiler. "So when they need to grab a quick snack, that snack is a hot dog."

To make the point, Sedna and director/cameraman Jon Hill spent four days with the boys on locations around Los Angeles, including a West LA Skate Park, a skate ramp built for community kids at a United Methodist Church in Venice, and Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga where Timothy Sebastian trains in track and field, specifically the high-jump.

To get the in-your-face shots he wanted at the skate park, Hill positioned himself down inside the concrete "bowls" and filmed Patrick Hernandez in action all around him. "That was a bit of a challenge," Detweiler noted.

At the church's skate ramp, the production crew strapped a camera directly onto a skateboard and let it fly. Occasionally, Hill climbed on a board himself for a little point-of-view action. The Ball Park Franks made their appearance when Patrick's mother brought a big cooler full of hotdogs out to the ramp for all the kids.

"Everyone involved from pre-production to post did an amazing job of realizing the vision of this project," said Hill. "Our challenge was to capture and piece together stories from 24-hour experiences of hanging with Tim & Pat. We've created windows to these amazing kids' dreams, lives and aspirations that we all can relate to."

Timothy Sebastian's action sequences take place at Chaffey College where he holds the state championship for jumping seven feet, three inches. (He told the crew he hopes to qualify for the Olympics at seven feet five inches.) Eventually, Tim and some track buddies, take a quick break to scarf down some Ball Park Franks at a Junior Olympics track meet where they are checking out the competition.

"Those four days were a lot of fun," Detweiler said. "The boys are truly amazing at what they do. It was exciting to watch them, and they couldn't have been more cooperative."

Hill and camera assistant Matt Goetz kept two cameras running for every sequence, Detweiler said. "We tried to collect as much footage as we could to make the spots very high-energy." The final product, edited by Todd Betts' of The Reel Thing, Inc., a post-production facility in Santa Monica, with graphic illustrations and special effects by Smoke artist Moody Glasgow, will include 24p HD, 24p SD, film and digital stills.

"Jon Hill loves to keep the camera rolling in order to capture all the unexpected moments that can really add to a piece," said Doug Klekner, The Reel Thing's executive producer. "The final outcome feels much more spontaneous. This does bring a bigger challenge to the editing process but Todd Betts knows no fear for this, having worked on many underground videos. The graphics added a whole other element to the spots and we had a lot of fun creating the look. All in all it was a great project for our shop."

When editing is complete, the spots will first appear on the Internet on YouTube. Parent company Sara Lee intends to use the spots to create more awareness for its www.myhunger.com website.

Sedna Films is a member of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). Other clients include TNT/TBS, Shell, Panasonic, Honda, Sony/BMG, Vespa, UNICEF, The NBA, and The Weather Channel. Sedna Films is represented on the west coast by Lisa Schreiber of Boardalicous in Hermosa Beach, CA (lisa@sednafilms.com), on the east coast by Rich Schafler of Schafler/Cordero Artists Management in New York, NY (rich@sednafilms.com) and in the mid-west by Dwayne Petch of Petch and Company in Westerville, Ohio (Dwayne@sednafilms.com).

For more information on Sedna Films, visit http://www.sednafilms.com.

October 23, 2007 (LOS ANGELES, CA) - A good crew and a nimble Techno crane® were major components in the newest advertising spots for the TV Guide Network recently shot by Sedna Films to promote the network's "Red Carpet" programming for 2008 awards shows.

The spots were produced by Sedna Films of Santa Monica, CA, directed by Chris Gard of the TV Guide Network, and shot in Hollywood. They feature Joey Fatone (NSYNC, "The Singing Bee"), actress/fashion entrepreneur Lisa Rinna, actor Chris Harrison (who hosted "The Bachelorette" for 21 episodes), MTV's Maria Sansone, and TV Guide Network's on-air host and entertainment correspondent Madison Michelle.

Talent was only available for a short time, but TV Guide Network wanted to be able to get big, dynamic moves as well as shots with the camera locked down. Techno crane® and a good [production] crew solved the problem.

Working with director of photography Jim Belkin and a Techno crane®, operated by Bogdon Iofciusescu and Jason Jones, was fun, said Sedna Films executive producer Dirk Detweiler. The crane's telescopic arm allowed the crew to place the camera wherever it was needed - even in tight spaces -- and to move from locked-down shots to dramatic angles with smoothness and speed. This provides a larger and higher shooting space, and cuts down on production costs and time.

Detweiller also enjoyed the location, he said. "We were shooting in the original Warner Brothers studio. I love working there." TV Guide Network is now busy designing the virtual background for the spots. The spots will be in post-production soon and should be ready for airing by the end of November or first of December.

Sedna Films is a member of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). Other clients include TNT/TBS, Shell, Panasonic, Honda, Sony/BMG, Vespa, UNICEF, The NBA, and The Weather Channel. Sedna Films is represented on the west coast by Lisa Schreiber of Boardalicous in Hermosa Beach, CA (lisa@sednafilms.com), on the east coast by Rich Schafler of Schafler/Cordero Artists Management in New York, NY (rich@sednafilms.com) and in the mid-west by Dwayne Petch of Petch and Company in Westerville, Ohio (Dwayne@sednafilms.com).

For more information on Sedna Films, visit http://www.sednafilms.com.

June 1, 2007 (LAS VEGAS, NV) - Sedna Films, a commercial production company based in Santa Monica, California, recently shot new promotional spots for "Design Star," an HGTV reality show and interior design competition. The commercials were filmed in Las Vegas where the show¹s second season, premiering Sunday, July 22, will take place.

Hosted by Clive Pearse, who also hosts HGTV's "Designed To Sell," the show pits aspiring designers against each other as they take on interior design challenges and try to impress home viewers and an expert judging panel with their "design expertise, ingenuity, creativity and 'it' factor during the reality competition," according to HGTV. Designers are eliminated after each episode until one remains. The winner¹s prize is his or her own HGTV show.

To promote season two, Sedna Films took over the Planet Hollywood Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard for the set. The entire cast and crew participated in the spots, which included a ride on a rented double-decker bus up and down the boulevard with the lights of the strip ablaze in the background.

"This project was unique in that we needed complete cooperation from a casino and the city and both came through beautifully," said Sedna owner and executive producer Dirk Detweiler. "We were fortune to have several casinos to choose from for our interiors and the entire strip available for our night exteriors."

Damon Fortier directed the spots, collaborating with Chris Moore and Jennifer Leitman from HGTV. Sedna Films is a member of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). Other clients include TNT, Shell, Panasonic, Honda, Sony/BMG, Vespa, UNICEF, The NBA, and The Weather Channel.

Sedna Films is represented on the west coast by Lisa Schreiber of Boardalicous in Hermosa Beach, CA (lisa@sednafilms.com), on the east coast by Rich Schafler of Schafler Artists Management in New York, NY (rich@sednafilms.com) and in the mid-west by Dwayne Petch of Petch and Company in Westerville, Ohio (Dwayne@sednafilms.com).

For more information on Sedna Films, visit http://www.sednafilms.com.

For more information on "Design Star," visit http://www.hgtv.com.

June 4, 2007 (LOS ANGELES, CA) - Sedna Films, a commercial production company based in Santa Monica, recently completed new promotional spots for Turner Network Television's hugely successful drama series "The Closer" as well as promos for the network's premieres of two new shows: "Saving Grace" and "Heartland." All three spots were shot at Paramount Studios and Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.

Calling the back-to-back shooting schedule "one crazy month; we lived at Paramount for three weeks," Sedna owner and executive producer Dirk Detweiler explained that "The Closer" promo involved building a rooftop and skylight on set to create a murder scene that features the entire cast of the show. The effect was so successful, Detweiler said, that when associates viewed the film afterwards, they thought it was shot on location.

"The Closer," starring Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick, opens its new season on June 18.

Forced perspective came into play for the "Saving Grace" spot, which appears to be set on a plain in Oklahoma that visually proceeds into infinity. The new series, starring Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter, will premiere in July. TNT describes the premise as "a cynical detective facing a personal crisis of divine proportions."

"The Heartland" premieres June 18 immediately after "The Closer." It stars Treat Williams who, according to TNT, "plays a talented organ transplant surgeon whose devotion to saving lives keeps him from having one of his own." For that promotional spot, Sedna Films created another rooftop scenario complete with a helicopter "landing" on stage. According to Detweiler, the effect involved painting a helicopter to look like a medical transport ambulance, and then lowering it onto the set while huge wind machines provided the turbulence.

Damon Fortier directed all three spots and served as production designer.

Sedna Films, a member of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), has worked with TNT for 10 years and on "The Closer" campaign for three. Other clients include Shell, Panasonic, Honda, Sony/BMG, Vespa, UNICEF, The NBA, and The Weather Channel. Sedna Films is represented on the west coast by Lisa Schreiber of Boardalicous in Hermosa Beach, CA (lisa@sednafilms.com), on the east coast by Rich Schafler of Schafler Artists Management in New York, NY (rich@sednafilms.com) and in the mid-west by Dwayne Petch of Petch and Company in Westerville, Ohio (Dwayne@sednafilms.com).

For more information on Sedna Films, visit http://www.sednafilms.com.

November 12, 2007 (SANTA MONICA, CA) - A high-definition (HD) shoot for The Weather Channel in Lake Tahoe landed Sedna Films of Santa Monica a place among the finalist for the 13th annual California On Location Awards (COLA).

COLA is the premiere awards ceremony honoring location professionals and production companies for professional excellence while working on location in the state. Sedna's shoot was a finalist in the category Production Company of The Year in Stills.

According to Sedna Films executive director Dirk Detweiler, the shoot came about last year as The Weather Channel prepared to launch its new HD service.

"Most of the footage they had in their library came from 35mm or other formats, so they needed to start a new HD library," he said. "They asked us to shoot various weather scenarios in high-def."

To do this, Detweiler sent location scout Denise Collins to Lake Tahoe, which is nestled between Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada, and worked with the El Dorado Lake Tahoe Film & Media Office (www.filmtahoe.com).

"We were looking for a location that would offer several different weather possibilities in a small geographic area," he said. "Tahoe seemed to have it all: water, snow-covered mountains, and low-altitude areas without snow."

Mark Claywell, who is represented by Sedna Films on the West Coast, directed the shoot, assisted by a small crew (production assistants, assistant director and a camera technician). He shot most of the scenarios with a Panasonic Varicam. For the aerials, Claywell spent more than three hours in a helicopter, armed with a Sony F-900

Sedna hired photographer Krista Kennel to capture the stills from the shoot, which led to the COLA nomination. She and Claywell captured images of alpine lakes and waterfalls, icy streams, clouds drifting over snow-capped mountains, grass-covered fields, and lofty hardwoods covered in moss, among others.

Sedna Films is a member of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). Other clients include TNT/TBS, Shell, Panasonic, Honda, Sony/BMG, Vespa, UNICEF, The NBA, and the TV Guide Network. Sedna Films is represented on the west coast by Lisa Schreiber of Boardalicous in Hermosa Beach, CA (lisa@sednafilms.com), on the east coast by Rich Schafler of Schafler/Cordero Artists Management in New York, NY (rich@sednafilms.com) and in the mid-west by Dwayne Petch of Petch and Company in Westerville, Ohio (Dwayne@sednafilms.com).

For more information, visit http://www.sednafilms.com.

April 16, 2008 (SANTA MONICA, CA) - After Sedna Films, a commercial production company based in Santa Monica, recently completed three new 30-second spots by advertising agency Fenner and Hamill of Atlanta, GA, for Lakeland Regional Medical Center & Lakeland Regional Cancer Center in Lakeland, Florida, director Jon Hill summed up the process as "a very humbling experience."

"We were in the biggest and busiest hospital in central Florida so we had be extra sensitive to that environment -- where people's lives were actually being saved," Hill explained. "We had to have not only the best but the smallest crew because of space constraints. We really had to pare down our equipment and each cart couldnÕt be more noticeable than, say, a gurney. We couldn't interfere with the normal work of the hospital, and we had to be prepared to move or change schedule at a second's notice. It was an amazing experience."

Fenner and Hamill's Tracy Fenner (principal), Jane Kelley (art director), and Trisha Parrish (writer) created the campaign, which focuses on the state-of-the-art technologies available to patients at the centers and the people who operate them. They combine live action and "real" people with graceful animation. Entitled "Women's Services Mobile," "Cardiac Butterfly" and "Cancer Globe," the short stories of the centers' obstetrics, cardiac and cancer technologies had to fit inside an animated butterfly (whose wings move), globe (that spins), and crib mobile (that turns), yet keep moving to maintain interest.

"The imagery needed to have motion," Hill said. "So we designed shots that would reveal things as they moved. We used a blend of organic camera movement and the interaction of the people with the technology to keep up the interest within the scenes and at the same time work smoothly within the VFX and animation environment created by VFX artist Gavin Holmes and creative director Jeff Doud at R!OT Atlanta."

Working with "real" people posed another challenge - one this particular director enjoys.

"Ninety-eight percent of the talent in the spots are 'real' people," Hill said. "I love working with 'real' people. It's interesting to see what they will do in their world. We wanted to see real procedures, and it was up to them to show us just that. At times I was more observing than directing. So we were able to see just how intense it really is to do what these doctors, nurses and technicians do even though they were just pretending. They still went at it with the same intensity. That made the magic happen and the scenes came to life."

To solve the space and time constraints, Sedna Films' crew carefully selected and manipulated their gear. "We used a small jib arm with a 2575 O'Connor head, a Cartoni Dutch head, and an Arriflex 435 mounted on the end. I believe we pushed the gear to new heights and came out with a great look and feel in the spots."

Hill praised R!OT's VFX artists for the success of the final products. "These guys do amazing work," he said. "The trick here was combining the real visuals with the unreal animations and finding a happy ground where the two would co-exist."

This was Hill's fourth project with Fenner and Hamill.

Sedna Films, Inc. is a member of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). Other clients include TNT, Shell, Panasonic, Honda, Sara Lee, Sony/BMG, Vespa, UNICEF, The NBA, and The Weather Channel. Sedna Films is represented on the west coast by Lisa Schreiber of Boardalicous in Hermosa Beach, CA (lisa@sednafilms.com), on the east coast by Rich Schafler of Schafler Artists Management in New York, NY (rich@sednafilms.com) and in the mid-west by Dwayne Petch of Petch and Company in Westerville, Ohio (Dwayne@sednafilms.com).

For more information on Sedna Films, visit http://www.sednafilms.com.

Credits:

Client:
• Lakeland Regional Medical Center & Lakeland Regional Cancer Center

Agency:
• Fenner & Hamill, Inc.
• Tracy Fenner, Principal
• Ann Hamill, Principal
• Jane Kelley, Art Director
• Trisha Parrish, Writer

Production Co:
• Sedna Films
• Jon Hill, Director/Camera
• Dirk Detweiler, Executive Producer
• Heather Weinstock, Producer

Post Facility:
• R!OT Atlanta
• Jeff Doud, Creative Director
• Gavin Holmes, VFX Artist
• Matt Barron, Editor
• Chris Basta, Audio

Film Transfer:
• Colorbay
• Dave Pickett, Colorist

Film Processing:
• Continental Film Lab