Interview with Mike Leber
Questions and answers with Mike Leber of Stock Yard Films, the director of the “Sleeper” video.
As I understand it, you are shooting these videos for a special project. Can you tell us about this briefly?
Actually...No. I can't really go in to much detail about the project only to say that it's going to be exciting. When Marty first approached us about doing something, the word "reinvention" was tossed around quite a bit. So, we jumped in and started brainstorming. When we came out the other side, we had a concept that Marty really liked. I'm trying to be as vivid and vague as possible on this, so I'll just say that Sleeper was never meant to stand alone.Where exactly (street location) was the Sleeper video shot?
The Sleeper video was shot in Chicago on LaSalle street right in front of the famous Board of Trade building.When was it shot?
The video was shot on one cold night in December. It was great because at that time we were able to shut down the street completely, with the help of Chicago's finest. There were a couple of issues with filming in front of one of the buildings which was the Federal Reserve. They had to do background checks on everyone to make sure we weren't just trying to perform some sort of elaborate heist. It's kind of a funny story because we were setting up our lighting and camera equipment and the guards came out and were giving us a little bit of a hard time... then Marty steps out from one of the production vehicles and one of the guards recognized him... after that everything was creamy cheese. It was a great shoot. Cold. But great.Was the video your concept? Tell us a bit about that concept.
The concept for the Sleeper video was a collaboration between all of us at Stock Yard Films. I guess this would be a good time to mention names. Special Thanks to: Ken Czechanski, Keith Jorgensen, Nicki Zumpe, and Justin Thaler. We always loved the song and felt that it had this sort of
Mike Leber (on far right)
Who selected the song Sleeper for the video and why?
We were approached by Marty to work on this project and, after the complete concept took shape, we all agreed that Sleeper would be the perfect launching point. First off, it's a great song and has a mass appeal. We figured that when the video was released, people who may not have been Marty Casey fans or Lovehammers fans would appreciate it for what it was - a great song - and then want to find out more about Marty and his music. Secondly, we felt that it was a respectful nod toward Marty's past work, but also contained a message of change that would help introduce fans to what was to come. I kind of like to think of it in terms of boxing... we're giving the fans a small taste, setting them up with a little jab. Then, when we have their attention, we deliver the knock out punch.Who developed the idea for the Bright as Brooklyn Viral Videos site?
Ken Czechanski and I developed the initial idea for the site. Marty was extremely adamant about having something to give back to the fans who have been so loyal to him over the years. We couldn't have agreed more. But none of us wanted to hand it to them all at once and have it be over and done with. So, we designed the concept to be like a kind of puzzle that would require people to put on the old thinking caps and do some sleuthing. Our hope is that this will make the reward at the end of the puzzle that much sweeter.What is next planned for Bright as Brooklyn?
I can't tell you THAT! The only thing I can say is that it's just getting started! Keep checking back, searching for clues, and start passing the word around to everyone. There are many more surprises where that came from. GET READY FOR THE KNOCK OUT!
Links
Stock Yard FilmsBright as Brooklyn Viral Video
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