VIDEO: Jeep Prank
Reenacting a Jeep Prank — talk about a fun shoot, right? In fact, it could be the most fun I have ever had on a motion project. One of the main goals of this project was to have authentic footage and in order to have that authentic feel, we needed to set down the cinematic glass, and pick up some cell phones and GoPro’s. As a professional its always hard replacing my pro equipment with amateur gear, but it was the right move and made the film more dynamic.
It all started the year 1999, with a prank that originated from my “wilder” times. With cooperation from a couple of my friends, I decided to pack my buddy’s Jeep — door to door — with fall leaves. We died in laughter as we watched him try to enter his car in a suit and tie on his way to a job interview. I thought recreating this moment would be a lot of fun and give me a great excuse to hang with some friends on set.
Just to gather all the leaves was a challenge. I think I racked about 4 to 5 carloads of leaves. The more you shove in there, the more they flatten down, so we needed a ton of leaves. Being careful to get undamaged leaves was a must and after a few car trips, and a lot of bags, my garage was filled to the brim with leaves.
Seeing as, I was going to be shooting this project on pro cameras, cell phone cameras, and GoPro’s I had to call my DP and camera wizard, Buddy Thomas. I needed an extra eye that understood the cameras, their capabilities, and how to use them to our advantage. Since I knew that I would be busy with shooting and directing, I put Buddy in charge of the pranksters’ phones and GoPro’s. Buddy gloriously managed four different types of recording devices. We ended with a nice mix of pro shots, shaky cell phone videos and unique GoPro footage.
The storytelling for the prank was directed, just as it would have happened. We placed more focus on hitting all the shots and angles during filming. It’s too hard to go back once you have dumped a few hundred pounds of leaves in a car, so we were meticulous as we moved along.
In the end, the silly Internet prank video was a joy to film. The final cut is all too reminiscent of the old days and makes for a good laugh with friends. Enjoy the film and don’t get any ideas…