WORK SAMPLES: SPOTS & MUSIC VIDEOS
All projects were written by Ted Passon unless otherwise noted.
Fabric Horse: 2010 Viral Re-brand “Bicycle Race Parody”
Fabric Horse, makers of original cycling accessories and urban apparal, wanted to create a short viral video that would raise eyebrows and promote themselves as a fun proudly woman-owned and operated brand. What we came up with was a parody of the famous “Bicycle Race” music video from Queen. The original video features naked women riding bikes around a track. We decided to do a re-make with a bunch of naked men doing the same.
ANTI Records: Dr. Dog Music Video “Shadow People”
I was happy to get an opportunity to work with my old friends on a video for their new record, “Shame Shame”, which was released by ANTI Records, and happy that they trusted me with the project. The video is essentially a portrait of the Tuesday night “Adult Skate” regulars at the Holiday Skating Center in NJ. I was always so inspired by these folks whose love of rollerskating has followed some into their 70’s and 80’s and I was so happy to finally get the chance to do something with them as well.
Free News Projects: Plastic Little Music Video “Dopeness”
This music video features Plastic Little MC, Kurt Hunte, as a pop-locking doctor who makes his rounds amidst dancing nurses and patients. The viral life stretched way further than I expected and the video attracted tons of nice praise.
It was voted “one of the best music videos of 2007″ by both GBH.tv and The Reel Magazine.
“if it was a French short film and not a rap video you’d be putting it in a museum.” Mother Jones
“the best clip most definitely not getting any VMA love.” Stereogum
GPTMC: Love Campaign “LOVE Park”
Produced for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation to promote their “LOVE” themed Valentines campaign. The spot won an Adrian Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing International Association.
Oprah Winfrey Network: Upfront Spot “Group Art”
The Oprah Winfrey Network was looking for an Upfront Spot that could also work as a promo, which would showcase their network as a collaborative experience. Big Smack TV, who spearheaded the branding of OWN’s launch, called me in to develop something that would fit the bill while utilizing an aesthetic that would accomplish as much in-camera as possible. I called a bunch of friends, found some cardboard, and it happened like this.
FORD: Ford Fiesta Campaign “Through the Lens of Zoe Strauss”
This was a viral “branded content” piece where Ford gave me the challenge to make an engaging short film that focused on “creativity” and “urban environments”, and featured their new Ford Fiesta. The goal was to connect with the audience with a project that did not feel like a commercial. I took the opportunity to create a project on one of my favorite artists, photographer Zoe Strauss.
K Records: Kimya Dawson Music Video “Lullaby for the Taken”
This music video for Grammy Award-winning artist Kimya Dawson, whose music made up the soundtrack to the movie, “JUNO”, was conceived and shot in only eight days around her mid-west tour schedule. The whole video was shot exclusively on super-8mm film. Look for a special cameo appearance by the members of the seminal punk band, The Bucthies, and lots of kids from all over middle America.
Free News Projects: Sweatheart Music Video “Finger Bangin’”
This music video for the Philly based pop-dance band Sweatheart, stars Andrew Jeffrey Wright as a dedicated high school teacher trying to teach his students about finger banging. The video was featured on a “Best of 2005″ DVD from VICE magazine and amazingly also featured at the prestigious 50th Oberhausen Film Festival in Germany as well as several other film festivals and art galleries. The video was co-written with Andrew Jeffrey Wright and Thom Lessner.
PUMA: Puma Running: Battle Royale IV “Last Man Standing”
PUMA started the “PUMA Running” campaign, which consists of a series of different creative races held periodically in different cities around the US. They wanted a video series that would both document the races and turn them into fun viral videos. I teamed up with larger than life personality “ROBAI” to make this happen. In this clip PUMA brought in top ranked runners from around the US and abroad for the first ever “Last Man Standing” race.
Space 1026 An excerpt of a longer documentary.
This clip is an EXCERPT of a longer portrait of a community of artists and the building in Philadelphia that anchors them together. Comprised of over ten years worth of documentation this short examines the challenges and successes of artists with little resources trying to create a work space that would later unexpectedly flourish into a community space. The project was originally conceived as an installation and has been installed at: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in SF, Bravinlee Gallery in NY, and 96 Gillespie in London.
