As soon as the Visit Black Hawk campaign deck popped into my inbox, I was pumped to hear I was the first person the producer thought of to execute it. I absolutely loved the creative direction that they had in their deck and it was a natural fit. Stylized portraits of these 4 archetype characters they created that combined still and video assets that would live in out of home, print, CTV, and social campaigns, let’s go! When we were awarded the project, we were ready to hit the ground running.

visit black hawk - the communication behind the campaign

Productions like this one are where experience pays off. The challenges were real:

  • A short timeline

  • Budget restrictions

  • Location changes less than 24hrs before shoot

  • The unique complexities of shooting inside working casinos

And so were the solutions:

  • Surfacing challenges to the agency early so nothing became a surprise on set

  • Connecting with casino staff, local police, fire, and public works to tap into their resources and local knowledge

  • Building clear systems of organization while staying nimble when things inevitably shifted

  • Aligning efforts across all teams to identify efficiencies and maintain momentum

  • Bringing in seasoned crew who know how to solve problems quickly and keep the day moving

This is what we bring to every project. Not just the ability to make great images - but the production experience, the relationships, and the communication infrastructure to protect the creative from the chaos that surrounds it. We love working with agency teams who bring us into the planning process early, because that's when we can do our best work for you.

“Thanks for being a great partner and going above and beyond. We hope you love them as much as we do!”

- Maria Ferrando, associate director of production, KHM

One shot that came together beautifully because of that extended coordination was the night crosswalk scene. The City of Black Hawk stepped up in a big way. The police department provided even more officers than requested for traffic control so we could shoot in the middle of the intersection, the fire department added significant production value with a street wet down that brought incredible depth, contrast, and color to the scene, and public works made sure every street lamp was functioning and at full brightness ahead of schedule and repainted the crosswalk just in time despite inclement weather earlier in the week. Those added elements elevated the impact of that scene considerably, and they were made possible because our production team made the right connections and communicated exactly what we were after.

“Our team can't thank you enough for the hours of work that went into the Black Hawk production over the past couple of months.

We couldn't be happier with how everything turned out and it wouldn't have been possible without everything you guys put into it.”

- Maria Ferrando, associate director of production, KHM

On this production with Karsh Hagan, that early alignment is exactly what allowed us to deliver the Visit Black Hawk campaign on schedule, within budget, and with results that exceeded client expectations.

- bts -

bts images and video by erin manning

This whole project was a practice in building solid communication, partnering with the agency to find creative solutions to keep us within budget and timing but still capture what was needed for the full campaign, and assembling the right team to pull it off.

Making sure every team member understands the core challenges and has what they need to keep production running smoothly is something we take seriously on every project. That shared clarity is what turns a complicated shoot into a great one.