Tag: soccer

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Behind the Project: The Audi/MLS Collaboration

Way back in March, I took a brief hiatus from life in Mexico. From life on the road in general. I went back to the U.S. for the first time in over a year and a half. It wasn’t a scheduled visit and it wasn’t a long one.

My friend Nick contacted me in December (I think), asking me to leverage my soccer knowledge to help him brainstorm ideas for an upcoming video he was going to shoot. He works for Audi North America and has been crushing project after project. If you remember, I linked up with him in Munich a while back to lend a hand on some running footage they were shooting with a bunch of exotic models. It eventually turned into this incredible, incredible video: An Avant Story.

So, taking that as the benchmark for this upcoming project, it was obviously a promising situation. The concept was to create an engaging video for MLS that showcased a renewed commitment to their development academies, which Audi has a large part in.

Audi. MLS. Soccer. High end production. Say no more.

As far as I knew at that time, I was only an ideas man. After a few days of refining pieces of the script, combing through inspirational videos, and drumming up various options for plays, I put everything back into Nick’s capable hands. He was preparing to welcome a new baby into the family, so there was a bit of a crunch to tackle production and post.

A good 2 months went by.

I hadn’t heard anything new, so I figured the spot was close to finished or ready to debut. Suddenly, I get a message asking, “Are you available and do you like money?” The answer to both is always yes.

Within the course of an afternoon, I was booked on the shoot — round-trip airfare and the lot. Production was beginning in less than a week. Turns out, this was Nick’s first project back after the baby.

I landed in D.C. on a sunny day in early March. Immediate culture shock…in my own country. No matter. As I found my bearings, we hit the ground running.

My role was a very unique marriage between soccer choreographer and on-set editor. We shot for 4 days in and around D.C. United’s academy practice fields as well as in their brand-new stadium. Aptly named Audi Field.

The first part of the shoot contained all of the major soccer components. First, we worked with the U-13 players. It was a balancing act drawing up plays for kids without knowing their exact ability. During production, you always expect to run behind due to arranging setups, additional coverage, or technical difficulties. Knowing that, we couldn’t waste any more time reworking the soccer parts because they were too complex. Even though we went into the shoot with this mindset, we got a little carried away about a few particular moments that excited us visually. Surprisingly, the U-13 kids were a knock out. Their talent was exceptional and they were pin-point on what we needed from them. We encountered more difficulty from the older U-19s, albeit their plays and our camera moves were significantly more complex. Either way, the material we were capturing was looking saucy as hell.

After two incredibly cold, damp, and late nights in the stadium, we packed it up and transitioned to Richmond. I changed hats to prep things for editing while we filmed the more contextual, storytelling elements.

In between production hours, I was able see friends and family for a bit which was great. Not long enough of course, but I was meant to return in a month, so even though it was short, it was a nice stop-gap.

As the shoot came to a close, I was a reinvigorated person. Familiar faces, fulfilling work, and a long-awaited taste of home. Being in that environment was definitely a soul-replenisher. In addition, it was a reminder of the talent, capability, and influence that my friends and family inject into my life.

About a week after I returned to Mexico, the coronavirus exploded. Unsurprisingly, it affected the postproduction of the video as well as just about everything else in the world. You would think it would make the editing process easier. However, with companies temporarily closing and full-time stay-at-home situations, resources were more difficult to come by.

Nick and I continued to collaborate for a few weeks following the wrap of the shoot. We chiseled the :60 version into something. Though it was still a work in progress, I felt that something was missing. It wasn’t quite having the resonating strength and impact that I imagined while watching the monitors during filming. It was difficult to nail down why.

We arrived at a place where we needed to let the visual effects team take over and do their work. Yeah, by the way, everything we shot in the stadium was without a crowd. So to make it feel like a real game scenario, a vfx team was going to create the environment. Insane. But as mentioned, they were sidelined for a time because of COVID-19. Naturally.

Once again, a period of time went by where quarantine life was moving along and the project slowly drifted out of mind.

Cut to earlier this month — it’s July now — when Nick sent me a link to the nearly-finished video. Boom. The combination of sfx, sound design, and fine tuning had delivered the potential that was there during production.

After a few more patient days or weeks (who really knows anymore), it’s finally live and ready to be shared. Not to mention, it is airing twice during every MLS game this season, or whatever you want to call ranges of time during this era.

The video below is the long-form version that allows some moments to develop and land. I can proudly say it’s the best thing I’ve ever done professionally. Awesome to see that growth, but it will definitely be difficult to top. Unlimited thanks go out to Nick, Tilt Creative + Production and the production and post teams for the dedicated and creative work that went into this beauty.

Enjoy!

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Düsseldorf & Hamburg

A big ole bag of dirty laundry. That’s basically what I was for the 3 weeks I spent in Düsseldorf. I mean, I took showers. Mostly. But I did next to nothing apart from feed a pseudo-annoying cat that had more of a weird jungle growl than a meow.

It was my first experience using Trusted Housesitters as a travel tool. It’s definitely handy to find free accommodation, sometimes for weeks or months at a time. For those of you interested in using it yourselves for upcoming trips or petsitting needs, here’s a referral link.

I almost totally forgot that I took a super quick 2-day trip to Munich to PA on an Audi shoot with my friend Nick and our old company. I honestly can’t believe it worked out even though it more resembled whiplash than a chance for buddies to catch up. But, I’ll absolutely take what I can get. Amazing to see a familiar face. 

Transition back to Düsseldorf and me punishing some Netflix. I’m simultaneously embarrassed and impressed at my sustained stamina for those marathons.

The Dorf was a semi small city but I’m sure I still skipped a decent amount. I did develop a nice rhythm of grocery shopping in Aldi every 3rd day. After one trip, I was able to get out of there without anyone knowing I wasn’t German, largely thanks to Apple Pay.

In terms of productive activities, I did take a walking tour of the downtown area. I visited a museum that was all about life in Düsseldorf during the Nazi regime. I also spent one night out drinking in the Altstadt which has a street that’s been coined “the longest bar in the world.” There a few breweries known for their alt bier — you guessed it, a specialty of the region. Customarily, it’s served in a small cylindrical glass and they just automatically bring large trays around to replenish the empties unless they’re asked to stop. A local told me that 16-20 glasses was a proper night out. I didn’t get near that number but I also never properly tried.

Could it have been done? Possibly.
Should it have been done? No.
It wasn’t my favorite style of beer, so the cost-benefit analysis wasn’t lining up.

Aside from wandering around a few neighborhoods, I got invited to the Trivago Summer Party. It was an all-inclusive bash for employees but I lucked into a ticket through my Altstadt drinking buddy, Kamila. Free food and bev. What’s up?? They even had a cheese course. They also waited until 8pm to roll out the liquor, a smart scheduling method to ensure people didn’t get housed too early in the evening.

That basically sums up Düsseldorf. I’d be happy to go back, but I think other places might have more to pique the interest.

On my way out of town, while standing on the platform, my train got canceled 5 minutes after it was scheduled to depart. It didn’t take much to sort out a fix, but it was a bit complex without cell phone minutes or an internet connection.

Either way, I eventually boarded a 4 hour train bound for Hamburg – the biggest city in northern Germany and the 3rd biggest city in the world for musicals. Who knew?

On my first full day, I took another free walking tour. I will forever do this as an easy way to learn the layout, history and current recommendations for whatever city.

In addition to musicals, Hamburg is known for its port (so a lot of water and ships), the Reeperbahn (a street with bars and adult night life where The Beatles notably got their start), and maybe the anti-establishment philosophy of St. Pauli.

I primarily stayed outside of the city center, so I got very familiar with a particular walking loop. I passed the town hall square, the warehouse district and the harbor promenade on several occasions. I also went inside the newly renovated concert hall which cost almost a billion Euros but was free to enter. It had an insanely long escalator but a really nice wrap-around viewing deck of the water.

Another unique attraction was the old tile pedestrian tunnel that runs under the river. It’s something like 60 ft deep and 1,200 ft long. It seems like there’s always someone in there too.

One day, I stumbled onto the FC St. Pauli stadium. This is a team in the soccer world that’s had a very progressive reputation since they formed in 1910. I was really excited to get a tour and gobble up some more of that sweet foundation. Unfortunately, the entire thing was in German. I got a few seldom tidbits of private translation. Millerntor, the stadium, was named after a gate that separated that area of Germany from Denmark’s territory. Also, it’s fan owned, anti-fascist, and LGBTQ friendly. A slogan for the team translates to “No Man is Illegal,” which I love. Lastly, the teams walk out to “Hells Bells” by AC/DC (I’m pretty sure).

For an obligatory night out, I met up with a girl named Anne who took me around the Reeperbahn but to the more local dive bar spots. Miraculously, I avoided being harassed by a lady of the night or strip club promoter the whole time I was in Hamburg. Aces.

Overall, I got a very comfortable feeling from the HH. Once again, it’s a city with the right balance of nature, nightlife and artsy neighborhoods that could be a great spot to live. At some point, I’m going to have to put together a list of how all of these places are ranked.

It’s been almost a full year since I left Richmond. It’s safe to say I’m losing my sense of “home.” Maybe it’s been gone for a while or it’s adapted to a feeling of transience. The lack of consistent routine is an understatement. Not knowing what I’m doing from day to day is one thing — a lot of room for unlimited possibilities in there — but it’s also gotten a bit daunting to try and snatch plans out of thin air. Researching, exploration, decisiveness. I know it’s one of those privileged complaints. I’m not saying I’m over the journey because I still love it. However, I’ve definitely recognized that my momentum has come to a halt and the motivation to push the boulder back up the hill is a work in progress. It’ll be nice to either find a renewed purpose or erase the concept from my head all together.

After I spend a week in Berlin, I’ve got almost 2 months of Workaways lined up. I’m stoked about the prospects. It should be a solid kickstart.