A collection of work created by the team from Rocket 88 Studios
Rocket 88 Studios produced, shot, and did the post-production on this project for Otherwise, Incorporated. We created the motion graphics and directed the original music score by Daniel Teo.
After more than 10 years living life as a reformed smoker in a society that promotes non-smoking, our own Jeff Gatesman explores what it is like to be a smoker in a world where being so takes a true commitment. Smoke Free is a double entendre: you can smoke freely in places that allow it, or you can be smoke free. This project is an exploration into the lives of people who smoke because they want to, people who don’t smoke but like it, and those who wish they didn’t smoke. It’s yet another in our series of mini documentaries.
It’s a Honda CB550 Four, with an air cooled, transverse four cylinder, single overhead cam engine producing 50 horse power at 8000 RPM. Top speed, with a petite rider, around 103 mph. The rider, Beth W, is an environmentally friendly construction manager and yoga enthusiast. She rides a vintage Honda.
This is one in a series of Micro Doc’s I have been making as a personal project. A Micro Doc is my idea of speed dating for documentaries. You get a really fast look at someone fascinating. It’s media snacking for the short attention generation (a group I believe defines us all to a certain extent). My only desire is that my tiny contribution to this medium be hopeful, positive and uplifting… or at least entertaining.
We at Rocket 88 Studios are proud to announce that our PSA, Because, for the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD) has been honored with a Bronze Telly Award!
Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and web commercials, videos and films. The Telly Awards annually showcases the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. The Telly Awards is a widely known and highly respected national and international competition and receives over 12,000 entries annually from all 50 states and many foreign countries.
Because is a PSA compelling deaf women to get an HIV test. By listing some of the reasons for getting an HIV test, we try to impart that reasons can be varied, and the test is simple. The PSA was written and directed by award-winning Director Hilari Scarl and shot by Jeff Gatesman
Director/Co-Producer – Hilari Scarl – Worldplay, Inc.
Cinematographer/Graphics/Editor and Co-Producer – Jeff Gatesman gatesman.com
Music – Kubilay Uner
Sound Design – Joe Milner/Puget Sound
ASL Consultants: Robert DeMayo, Lisa Hermatz
Executive Producer: Patty Hughes
Producer: Heidi Booth
Special Thanks: Maisha Franklin, Jennifer Chi
Produced by Worldplay, Inc.and Rocket 88 Studios
Cast (in order of appearance):
Natasha Ofili, Maria Correa, Karla Gutierrez, Christine Visser, Lisa Hermatz, Ashley Fiolek
Through The Camera – Aging in Focus is a documentary sponsored by Nikon and directed by Pia Clemente and Tamra Raven, this is the trailer for that film. The project looks at aging through the eyes, or in this case, lenses of old people who were given digital cameras and asked to document their lives. What came out of that request is pretty extraordinary and enlightening.
See What I’m Saying is the amazing feature length documentary directed by Hilari Scarl about 4 deaf entertainers. I am proud to have been the Director of Photography for this multi award-winning film.
Deaf people can do anything but hear. But an all deaf rock band? An international deaf comic famous around the world but unknown to hearing people? A modern day Buster Keaton who teaches at Juilliard but is currently homeless? A hard of hearing singer who is considered “not deaf enough?”
Hailed by The New York Times as “Complex, candid and all-but essential viewing for hearing audiences, Hilari Scarl’s intrepid debut feature, ‘See What I’m Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary,’ educates without lecturing and engages without effort.”
SEE WHAT I’M SAYING follows the journeys of four extraordinary deaf entertainers over the course of a single year as their stories intertwine and culminate in some of the most important events of their lives: You can find out more about Hilari and the film here.
Many years ago Rocket 88 Studios was primarily a post production house, and one of our young directors came to us with a problem: he had just gotten a contract from a small independent label in Nashville to produce a music video for a trio of singers named Sierra, but he had no experience in producing himself and had no crew. We took on the challenge and became the producing partner and post production facility for “No Stone To Throw”.
Rocket 88 Studios assembled the crew of very talented crafts people, arranged a transportation team to caravan our equipment, makeup trailer and picture vehicle up to Wrightwood, CA, and planned a 2-day shoot in the mountains outside of Los Angeles. Everybody had a lot of fun on the shoot and we came home with a half dozen cans of exposed 16mm film that was lensed by Jeff Gatesman, and our production company was officially born.
Here is the finished product.
Rivers Casino, Des Plaines, IL
agency: SixteenFifty Holdings, Inc, San Diego, CA
Director of Photography, Jeff Gatesman
In the game of Scrabble the consequences of a challenge are, at worst, a lost turn. But our 3 players have come up with their own rules of play and you might want to think twice about joining in. This ain’t your mothers’ quaint board game– this is Full Contact Scrabble!
cast: Jennifer H. Cobb, Gregory Brazzel and Tracy Thomas.
co-written, directed, shot and edited by Jeff Gatesman.
Nancy Breaux: writer/producer
Gregory Brazzel: stunt coordinator
Ken Ballantine: gaffer
Scott, “Scooter†Hillman: Key Grip
Mary Beth O’Connor: set decorator
Kendrick Hudson: location coordinator
Ron King: location re-recording
Tracy Thomas: original music
Adam Johnston: sound design
It’s a girls against the guys tackle football game, how can that possibly go awry?
This is a little project written by Jenn Cobb (aka, the bubble gum girl who gets the upper hand in Full Contact Scrabble) who also plays the quarterback. I directed and shot the film. I also did the post. If you are interested in how we accomplished the big hit between Jenn and Aikman check out this blog post.
CREDITS
The Girls team were: Jennifer H Cobb
Laya Portillos
Deena Grassia
Michelle and
Ahna
The Guys Teams were: Bobby Scott Schweitzer
Steven Rummenie
Samuel J Paul
Troy Remelski
Isaac C Singleton Jr
and the Stunt Coordinator was Marque Ohmes
Pedro Guimaraes was the Camera Operator and Steadicam operator
Jennifer Ann Henry and Allen Starnes were the Camera Assistants and Bret Carroll was our grip.
