Winner Focus: Joon Goh

Name:

Joon Goh   

Location:

London, UK  

What experience do you have in films and filmmaking and how long have you been making films for:

I'm a self taught filmmaker. I started about six years ago, when digital technology was making things possible for the average Joe. Now I freelance as an editor on feature and short form work.

Winner Wednesdays: Jody L Miller

The winner of the Forever Young theme for Pepsi Films TriBeCa was Jody L Miller, who came up with a hilarious spot that revealed a generational conspiracy. Jody kindly answered some questions for us about her filmmaker chops and future plans.

Name:

Jody Lauren Miller

Location:

NYC

What experience do you have in films and filmmaking and how long have you been making films for:

I started my production career at NFL Films (National Football League) a handful of years ago where I learned the art of filmmaking from the ground up. One can only take so many tackles and touchdowns before venturing out and making funny films ... at least I think that's the normal progression of a filmmaker.

What are your hopes for your future in film and are you working on any other projects at the moment:

My hope for "my future in film" is simple ...  to keep shooting! I try to shoot as much as possible and just rock out fun, creative work. As far as other projects, I'm always writing something. Currently I'm cooking up two short films, a viral project involving all aspects of social media and of course reading through the current MOFILM / PEPSI briefs to see what creatives are "speaking" to me. Besides that I'm busy bragging about my MOFILM TriBeCa experience.

Why did you choose to enter for Pepsi in particular:

The brief! The thing that always attracts me to MOFILM and PEPSI FILMS competitions are the creatives. If I have a strong idea, that can bring their brief to life, I'll shoot it.

What do you think of Pepsi Films:

Starting with their briefs I can tell you I think Pepsi Films believes in the filmmaker and their creativity before "product pitches" and that is unheard of in my experience. Any company who posts a brief saying they DON'T want their product featured ... well, you have to like that immediately. It told me they were looking for good, strong FILMS not commercials. What filmmaker doesn't immediately fall in love with that idea? Pepsi Films is a group I'd never hesitate to throw creativity at.

Are you going to enter any Pepsi Films contests:

Done and done and yes and yes! I will be entering more in the future.

How did you come up with the idea for this particular spot:

Here's the scene, true story ... pizza place, old guy, paying with change, everyone's mad. Stereotypes are funny and relatable because they are based on a truth. So after getting annoyed at the slowness of the more-mature-sector of society, I just envisioned a world where maybe, just maybe, there was some sort of senior-conspiracy and the joke is on us.

What do you think about Pepsi as a brand and how did you try to get this across in your film:

The Pepsi brand is so omnipresent in our daily lives it's hard not to come across it time and again throughout the day. In "Old on Purpose" there was no need to hit the viewer over the head with any kind of branding or sales pitch. It's never mentioned or highlighted in any way. As a matter of fact the product is VERY easy to miss in our spot, but it is ever present. You will see Pepsi cups at the pizza place, in the movie theater and in the old-fogies glasses in the "party" scene at the end of the film. So the only way we tried to get across any type of branding effort was simply to mimic its presence in our daily lives.

What kind of person were you targeting with your spot, what particular reaction were you aiming for and how did you go about getting it:

"Old on Purpose" was not targeted to a certain demographic ... well, except for those people who want to laugh. The goal was to tell a solid story with colorful characters that plays on a silly idea. The gag played well and the "reveal" got that wonderful, slow "ahhhhhh" reaction I was hoping for. Once the joke was told I drove it home just a bit more by showing a funny over the top reaction of an aggravated driver that we can all relate to ... because most of us have lived it.

What equipment did you use:

We shot with the Panasonic AF100 and used a Canon 7d DSLR for the car scene. Since we didn't have a truly solid car mount we couldn't risk the AF100 falling off so the DSLR had to be the brave one and sit on the hood of the car while it was cruising around. Luckily all survived unscathed and lived to shoot another day.

Did you face any challenges in the process of making the film:

This is such a funny question because there isn't one shoot, large or small, without a huge list of challenges and problems. I'm sure all filmmakers can attest to that. With that being said the biggest challenge on this one was casting. It's very hard to find talented, older actors. Let alone talented, older actors who can get themselves to the set LOL.

What advice would you give a filmmaker thinking about entering a Pepsi Films competition:

Do it!!! However, be sure to shoot something you love. Shoot a film that will have "legs" and that you can use for your demo reel. It takes such a huge effort to put out good work so make your time (and those friends who you sucker into helping you) worthwhile!

Winner Wednesdays: Lloyd Choi & Simon Yang

The first ever filmmakers to take home the coveted Pepsi Films trophy were Canadian's Lloyd Chang and Simon Yang, with Creative Control for the Hit Delete theme.  Lloyd and Simon will be working with Pepsi Spain on a special commission in 2011 and we'll let you know what they get up to. In the meantime have a read about what they do, how they do it and why they love Pepsi Films

Name:

Lloyd Choi & Simon Yang

Location:

Vancouver Canada

What experience do you have in films and filmmaking and how long have you been making films for:

Simon and I are self taught filmmakers, never having done school for film. We learned from the streets, from the hard knocks. We've been doing this seriously for the last 3 years. 

What are your hopes for your future in film and are you working on any other projects at the moment:

Like most filmmakers, to be a feature film director making the films we want to make. We are currently doing a couple MOFILM Pro projects, as well as a music video and short film (action film!) to be shot in the summer. Long term would be to do a feature in the next couple years. 

Why did you choose to enter for Pepsi in particular:

Making a film that tells a story in a minute is a fun challenge. You see a lot of films that are too long for their own good, so this was a great lesson on how to keep the story and editing tight, keeping the audience engaged. Also, the cash prize and a trip to Barcelona doesn't hurt much either! 

What do you think of Pepsi Films:

It's a great way for filmmakers to exercise their storytelling chops, getting their film exposed, and being rewarded for their hard work and talent. 

Are you going to enter any Pepsi Films contests:

Most likely later on, but for now we are concentrating on MOFILM Pro projects.

How did you come up with the idea for this particular spot:

Like most ideas, it came at the 11th hour, a few days before the deadline. It was all very spontaneous, written in a night, shot a couple days later and edited that same night, submitted a few minutes before the deadline! Creativity springs from desperation sometimes.

What do you think about Pepsi as a brand and how did you try to get this across in your film:

Pepsi is such an iconic brand in the marketing and commercial world. But what excited me most was doing something that wasn't branded, with free reign on the concept, story, and final cut. That's when filmmakers really shine... when we're limitless.

What kind of person were you targeting with your spot, what particular reaction were you aiming for and how did you go about getting it:

Definitely targeting a wide audience. Just wanted to do something fun and cheeky.

What equipment did you use:

Canon 5D Mark 2 and tripod. And a bounce board!

Did you face any challenges in the process of making the film:

We were supposed to shoot it the day before, but it ended up snowing that day. And it rarely snows in Vancouver. Luckily, it all cleared up the next day... then a couple weeks later we were in Barcelona with some cool peeps! 

What advice would you give a filmmaker thinking about entering a Pepsi Films competition:

Keep the story simple. Base it around a core idea, then surprise the audience. 

Pepsi Film TriBeCa winners interviewed by LisaNova

When we were out in New York at the wonderful Pepsi Films TriBeCa awards, Pepsi North America sent along LisaNova to interview our winners, our ambassadors LawHag and the award evening host, Jon Landau, producer of Titanic and Avatar.

This is the great video Lisa and her team put together.

Pepsi Films New York Winners

The second Pepsi Films Contest is drawing to its conclusion, the three winners for each of the themes have been picked. The first place winners are busy packing ahead of their trip to New York next week, where the overall winner will be picked at a glitzy awards dinner hosted by Jon Landua, oscar winning producer of Titanic and Avatar.

We'll announce the overall winner on the Pepsi Films Facebook page the very second it's announced. Until then we'd love to know which of the films you like the best and think should take that over all prize, which carries with it a $20,000 production budget to work with Pepsi North America and it's advertising agency, BBDO.

Connected is by Joon Goh of the UK and took first place in the One World theme. It's a smart tale of how the way we communicate is changing thanks to the computer age.




EZ 2 C is by Jude Chun from Korea, the winner of the Refresh your World theme it shows how a little imagination changes the everyday.




Jody Lauren Miller, USA, took first place for Forever Young, with Old on Purpose, which reveals that some of the behaviour of the older generation might not be as innocent as it seems!


The overall winner will be revealed at around 7pm EST on Tuesday 26h April.

Don't be shy - let us know what you think of our winners and who deserves the top honours!

And if you think you can do better, then check out the Pepsi Films Shanghai and Pepsi Films Poland

Pepsi Films TriBeCa Contest - What happens now?

The second Pepsi Film contest of 2011 is now closed, and a huge thank you to everyone who entered. We had more submissions than for Barcelona and the quality remains superb, we've got a lot of videos to watch this week and we can't wait! We know you're all keen to know what happens next so we thought we'd shed a little bit more light on the process so you know what to expect.

Once the deadline has passed, our platform partner, MOFILM, reviews all the films to make sure that the music used is rights-free and that the entries have abided by the terms and conditions set by the contest - so family friendly content that doesn't show any other brands. The team there also gives each entry a mark out of ten, this is based on the quality of the content and how well it is produced, the top ranking films, usually those marked 8 and above are then placed on the longlist and the MOFILM team sends those entries a CCA form which needs to be filled in and sent back.

While all that is going on, the Pepsi Film team and the Pepsi team in the host country, so in this case North America, are reviewing films as well. For the first cut they are looking for the top ten films in each of the categories which will form the shortlist. This short list should be published next week and will appear on a dedicated facebook tab on the Pepsi Films facebook page and here on the Pepsi Films blog.

A week later we'll announce the top three films in each category - again on the blog and facebook. The three first place winners will also fly to TriBeCa to take part in the Pepsi Films award ceremony which is taking place at Scandinavia House on Tuesday 26th April. There they will meet other filmmakers, including the amazing  LawHag, the Pepsi team and Jon Landau, the oscar winning producer of Titanic and Avatar.  On the Wednesday night the winners will attend the premier of Will Ferrell's latest movie, 'everything must go'


Everything Must Go by ThePlaylist

As if that wasn't enough, during the Tuesday night award ceremony, one of the three films will be picked as the overall winner and will take the coveted Pepsi Films trophy. They then get to work with Pepsi North America on a specially commission project.

If you're now kicking yourself because you didn't enter for Pepsi Films TriBeCa, don't worry - Pepsi Films Shanghai is open and you have until the 23rd May to get your films in. Pepsi Films Poland is also due to open shortly too!

There's a lot going! Keep following for updates and the latest news on contest & winners.

TriBeCa & Pepsi Films

After an amazing first contest, all eyes are on TriBeCa and we can't wait to see what the 28th March closing date will bring.

There's plenty of time to enter and our ambassadors, Lawrence Chen and Hagan Wong, affectionately known as LawHag have created this amazing piece about the magical place that is the Triangle Below Canal to inspire your creative genius.

The 5 basic editing tips that will make your short film amazing

You’ve written, produced, and shot your winning film, now you have a week to edit before uploading for the Barcelona contest. How do you make it amazing? Here are 5 quick and simple editing tips:

1. Pacing: Editing is where the storytelling takes place. It’s all about rhythm, so pacing is very important. Pay attention to how long shots are on screen for, a single frame can make a world of difference. A couple ways to keep it interesting is to vary up the shots, quicker cuts for a faster pace, slower cuts to build tension. It’s all about the gut feeling. What feels right to you?
2. Sharing Rough Edits: Step away from your work and allow someone else to look at it. Often you will work on a project for so long that you get lost in your own work and a fresh perspective helps you notice things you may have missed. Remember story is key in filmmaking and a second opinion gives you an idea of how clear it is to the audience. Even let someone else edit work that you’ vedirected, they won’ t select the shots that you are personally attached to (took hours to prep and forever to capture) to but aren’ t right for the film.
3. Sound: Often times filmmakers will pay attention to only what the audience can see and they forget about what the audience can hear. Make sure your sound is smooth, leveled, and consistent. This is a process called mixing. Also don’t be afraid to cut out a shot if the sound makes it unbearable to watch. If your film doesn’t sound right it could ruin the whole experience.
4. Music: Music is one of the most important aspects of film. We would argue almost 50% (or any other arbitrary but significant statistic) of the film experience is sound design and music. Find the right piece or have a friend compose if you can, it will make all the difference and push your good film into greatness.
5. Color: Color correction is one of the biggest factors that will take your video to the next level. A quick color correct helps set the mood for the film, lets viewers feel warm, cold etc. In FCP, drag 3-Way Color Corrector onto your footage and play around with the color wheel to find the right hues that matches the mood of your film.

That’s all we can say for now! Stay tuned till next time!

Lawrence and Hagan

Pepsi Films Barcelona Q&A

Before Christmas we caught up with Thomas Moradpour, global marketing director for Pepsi and put your questions to him about the first Peps Films competition. 

Q: With regard to the Hit Delete theme can we assume that the power  to change that one critical thing is a fictional power or does it need to  be a logical or a practical power?

A: Hit Delete does not need to follow the rules of physics or logic.Your idea can come from pure imagination!

Q: My film has no dialogue; however, it does have a voice over. According to the brief it should be in English; but
would it help to let you guys know that we also have versions in different languages (in case you would want to use it in different countries); or that we could translate it to any other language you needed?

A: Perfect.
If the film has voice-over, it can easily be localized. This is a “plus”. Note though that this would not be “the” deciding factor.

Q: How closely do the Pepsi themes have to be in correspondence with my video? The videos that represent the themes closely, and hit them dead on – will they be favored more?

A: Yes. However, we have picked broad themes, and let you interpret  them in the way you want. We welcome unexpected ideas!

Q: Can I shoot with my iPhone 3GS? Would the quality be acceptable?

A: Talent is in the filmmaker, not in the tool.

However, a film shot with a phone is likely to be of lower resolution than  required to be shown on a big screen. Consider using different equipment  if possible.

Q: I have a good idea for the POP-FIZZ-AHHH!!! category,but it’s  a commercial (i.e. the Pepsi trademark is featured).
I just wanted  to know if presenting my idea in the shape of a commercial is ok  or if points will be deducted for it.

A: No problem. No points added or deducted for shooting a Pepsi ad, as long  as it’s great!!

Q: Do you guys have any special forms for the actors to sign as  contracts/release forms? Or should they just sign the release forms  we usually use (here in Mexico)?

A: We don’t provide any forms unless you are shortlisted, the usual release  ones you use are fine.

Q: We are composing original music, should the author of such  music also sign a release form? Any special format you might have?

A: If you are short listed, we will require proof that you have the rights to the  music but we don’t provide any forms until that point.

Q: Is there a maximum dimension (MB) that my video has to have? And if the video is too large to upload it through your website, is there another way to send it to you?

A: Max file size is 300MB and there is no other way of sending it. Check out the FAQ for details.

Q: Am I allowed to use sounds from websites that provide free sounds?


A: You are but please be wary of sites that advertise “royalty free music or sounds” as there are end user agreements that often do not cover commercial use.

Q: What does it take to make a winning film?
A: A great creative idea, and talent to bring it to life!

Q: Can the same Actors act in Different Brand Ad’s?


A: Yes. The only thing you can’t do is submit the same ad for different brands.

Q: Are we supposed to use both the Pepsi intro AND
outro bumpers, or just one or the other?
A: You need both the intro and the outro and it needs to be 60 seconds including them both.

Q: When is the deadline to upload our films? Originally the brief stated that the date was January 15; however, in the MOFILM page it says it is January 22. So, when is it?


A: The deadline has been extended to 22nd Jan – make sure you like Pepsi Films on facebook as that has the latest information.

To download the Pepsi Films brief and to upload your video click here

Click here for more details on the Contest

Winner Wednesdays

It's going to be a while before we can announce the first set of Pepsi Films winners in February 2011, and a little bit longer before we can crown the first overall winner who will go on to work with Pepsi Spain and a guaranteed $20,000 product budget. So while we wait, and you work on your entries, we're going to look at the winners of previous Pepsi and MOFILM competitions.


For the Barcelona MOFILM competition in 2010, we set five different themes - one dollar, one euro, one pound, here's to the crazy ones, if youth ran the world, paint your world and Tomorrow. The creators of the first place film in each category won a cash prize and were flown to Barcelona to find out who would win the overall prize.


The winner of the If Youth Ran the World category was filmmaker Matt Snyman and his musical partner Tom Godfrey, better known as Busker Rhymes on Twitter, with this upbeat, fantastical piece - No Vegetables



Following their win, they were invited to make an ad for Pepsi Spain and created a whole web series about their adventures in Spain trying to find the star of their commercial, which you can start watching below or on the Pepsi Espana YouTube channel





If fancy having crazy adventures in Spain, just like Matt and Tom, go download the Pepsi Film brief for Barcelona and you might feature in a Winner Wednesday post in 2011 as well as become a YouTube Star

Pepsi Film More Winner Interviews

The Make an Contest in Rome was a little unusual. The Pepsi Italy team picked their top three ads, Mist, Cantastic and Nice Bubbles and invited them all to Rome, where the overall winners, Matt Wade and Martin Drake with Nice Bubbles, was announced lived on stage.

We took the opportunity to interview everyone while they were in town about their inspiration and you can see both sets of filmmakers below.






There was one extra surprise for Lawrence Chen and his team. As part of the announcement of Pepsi Films, Thomas Moradpour, global marketing director for Pepsi, declared he would invite the winners of the Rome MOFILM grand prize to join the first Pepsi Films jury in Barcelona to decide which of the three first place filmmakers would then go on to work with Pepsi Spain with a $20,000 production budget.

Lawrence's public service announcement piece, Little Things, for TEEB, The Economis of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, took the grand prize and so will be travelling to Spain next year.

Announcing Pepsi Films

One year, Seven Competitions, 21 Refreshing Themes

Pepsi Films is on a mission to refresh the world in fun and unexpected ways, 60 seconds at a time. We want to find and work with the world’s best young filmmakers and give you the opportunity to have amazing, career and life changing experiences.

Over the next year, we will be working with MOFILM to host seven global competitions, together our aim is to find breakthrough talent that is creating sensational work and then to help you develop your skills along with your career.

We’re kicking off with a competition that could see your work premiered at the world’s biggest mobile conference in Barcelona. Next we’ll be heading to TriBeCa, then Poland, Shanghai, Rio, Rome and India. Each competition will culminate with three winners being given the opportunity to attend an international film festival, where their entries will be judged by a high profile jury and an overall winner announced.

It’s not just about the three winners, although they will receive rich rewards and experiences. Any filmmaker that catches our eye will have the opportunity to become part of the Pepsi family of the future; collaborating and working with us on creative content and storytelling. We want to build an enduring and unique partnership to help the new generation flourish.

We’ll be announcing details of our first competition, which could see your work premiered at the world’s biggest mobile conference soon.

To keep up to date, you can like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. You can also find inspiration from previous winners here on YouTube.