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A Look Back at 2006!

The start of 2006 presented a new opportunity, as Leesa made her first appearance in a music video. Deaton Flanigen Productions and director, Matt Singleton asked Leesa to play the part of a television news correspondent in the video for Gretchen Wilson’s song, “Politically Uncorrect.” Filmed on a green screen, the finished project made Leesa look as though she was reporting from Iraq. When Leesa interviewed Gretchen later in the year at the Country Music Association Awards for E!, Gretchen recognized her as “the reporter in the TV” in her video. Click here to watch the video on Gretchen’s site: www.gretchenwilson.com (click on “Watch the Latest Video”).

Rich shot another hot newcomer in country music, American Idol winner Carrie Underwood, in a “behind the scenes” look at the making of her music video, “Before He Cheats” for Sony/BMG. Carrie’s publicist, Jessie Schmidt (Schmidt Relations), said she had never received so many complimentary calls from broadcast and cable outlets about the quality of a publicity piece.

Rich’s other music industry related assignments included a trip to New Orleans to shoot Britney Spears during Mardi Gras and a tour with Justin Timberlake of his hometown of Memphis, both for ABC.

ABC also sent us to Tennessee’s Death Row to interview an inmate whose case was being reviewed by the United States Supreme Court in light of DNA evidence. An update on a school shooting in Paducah, Kentucky was one of the stories Rich worked on for NBC’s Dateline. He also shot part of a Discovery Channel show, “Kathy’s Story,” a profile on a woman who had lost over 150 pounds.

Rich traveled to Fresno, CA for Thomas Nelson Publishers to shoot a promotional piece with best-selling author, Max Lucado and to Washington D.C. to shoot Bridgestone Americas’ CEO, Mark Emkes in the nation’s capitol. Bridgestone Americas also sent Rich to Akron, Ohio to cover the Bridgestone Invitational Golf Tournament, which Tiger Woods won in a come from behind victory during a driving rain storm. The boot heel of Missouri is where a high school student risked life and limb to videotape a tornado as it wiped out houses and headed toward his own home. His tape caught the attention of producers at the show, “Amazing Videos,” so Rich and Leesa traveled to his home in Bragg City, MO and interviewed him about his harrowing experience.

Author Max Lucado in front of green screen in Fresno, CA

Rich and sound tech Rex Collier capture laser tag action

Got to have the high shot!

On the subject of action packed experiences, Stone Productions shot two commercials for an outdoor laser tag company in Nashville. The course covers five acres and was literally a blast to shoot! Rich used our Panasonic DVX-100A set in 24p mode. Click here to view one of the spots. We also shot a commercial for a BMW dealership in Knoxville.

American Color is the company that produces and prints many of those informative advertising inserts that come in your Sunday paper for national chains such as Wal-Mart and Walgreens. We shot and produced a promotional piece for the company and were fortunate enough to get WSM personality, Bill Cody to voice it. American Color executives say the piece resulted in increased business.

Talent prepares to step into frame on American Color shoot in Alabama

Rich on board a fork lift in American Color plant

This year, Stone Productions has produced three webcasts for Vanderbilt University: Commencement, Senior Day (with featured speaker, First Lady Laura Bush), and Vanderbilt Medical Center’s White Coat Ceremony.

COMP, a classroom management program based at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College, is a return customer this year. The video we produced for the program in 2001 has helped them double sales volume, but now it’s time for an update. Production is underway to add footage and interviews, re-edit and complete the project on DVD. COMP Director Dr. Carolyn Evertson, said she wanted Stone Productions to update her video because, “I love your work!”

Have you seen the movie, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan yet? One of the targets of the film’s star, Baron Cohen is an unwitting rodeo promoter, Bobby Rowe. The program, Tonight with Trevor McDonald, shown on the ITV network in the United Kingdom was the only media outlet that Rowe granted an interview to. Rich and New York based producer Nigel Bellis got Rowe’s reaction to being duped by the outrageous Cohen.

Finally, we have two more statues to add to our shelf. Stone Productions won a Silver Telly for our Special Olympics Tennessee music video (clips of which were shown again this year during halftime at a Tennessee Titans’ home game at LP Field). We also won a Bronze Telly for our Hospital Hospitality House video.

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