Technology

Structural Integrity.

The SaltBox Tiny House sits in a lively fabrication yard outside the Extraordinary Structures headquarters off Siler Road, surrounded by a sea of over 400 Santa Feans and visitors. People stand in line for hours in the blazing summer sun, chattering excitedly as they wait for their turn to step inside. Rumor has it there’s a full kitchen, two king size beds and a bathtub hidden inside the silver box at the center of the crowd. As they wait for a turn to see for themselves, folks puzzle over the construction of this modern marvel. Even its panelized exoskeleton seems to hum with a mysterious…

Modern Family.

Creative Startups is a startup accelerator designed to empower businesses who blur the lines between innovation, expression and technology. Select creative businesses participate in three months of online classroom instruction, followed by a deep dive, where all of the startups and mentors come together for an intensive week of business planning and mentorship. In a time when so many in the startup world—accelerator programs, and venture capital firms—are only interested in technology companies with huge financial upside, it’s great to see one providing much-needed support for the creative economy. But don’t be fooled; even though they were founded in New Mexico,…

For Life.

Blue Shield of California is more than a healthcare provider. We think of it as a “life care” organization. It’s a nonprofit that isn’t just about treating ailments, but supporting all-around well-being in an increasingly interconnected world. “It really starts and ends with creating a healthcare delivery system that is worthy of our family and friends,” says Kristen Miranda, senior vice president of strategic partnerships and innovation. All of this adds up to make Blue Shield a leader in 21st century medical care—and a fantastic place to work if you want to make a real difference. We know that for a fact: our recent project with the…

Work Hard. Play Hard.

Google and The Clash have more in common than you might expect. They both started in a garage, and had rockstar ambitions that launched them into the stratosphere. When Google Play got in touch with 12FPS in 2011, we were surprised that the Fortune 500 company had managed to preserve the spirit of a DIY punk venue. The digital distribution platform tapped us to produce a series of one-off music videos with top artists. They wanted to capture the sort of deep cuts that diehard fans seek out, in intimate settings that would foster candid experimentation. Our initial work with Google Play was at Studio…

Think Global.

In the virtual world of Empires & Allies, it’s red versus blue. Zynga’s mobile strategy game calls players to team up against an evil world order and liberate the globe one nation at a time. Although the game’s moral universe is starkly monochrome, when Zynga hired us to produce a 30-second spot showing off new features of the game, we discovered that the visual experience of playing it was actually quite complex. How do you put across the app’s team building premise between all of the whirring war machines and spectacular explosions? It was time to enter The Matrix. Our team…

On Camera, Off-The-Grid.

When your business takes you on rugged adventures that are far off the grid, there are inherent challenges to spreading the word about it. Try packing a full set of camera equipment along with your tent, sleeping bag, food and water purifier. It’s enough to burst an ultralight backpack. We have a lot of experience coordinating productions in remote locations with difficult conditions, from rural Indian villages to snowy Rocky Mountain peaks. When Boreas Gear recruited us for a special expedition, we were ready to answer the call of the wild. We joined the Boreas Gear design team on their first-ever Wilderness Design…

Shot in the Dark.

MONKEYLECTRIC knew the world had never seen something like the Monkey Light Pro. It’s a bike light comprising 256 color LEDs that can display images and videos on your wheels. Not only had the company struck upon a scientific breakthrough for bike safety, but they’d designed an eye-popping visual experience that was the toast of tech fairs and science museums alike. When MONKEYLECTRIC enlisted 12FPS, the startup had already tested nine prototypes for the Monkey Light Pro over the course of five years. They were ready to launch a Kickstarter campaign that would make their product go viral. The world’s most advanced bike light needed a…

Sweat, Blood and Symmetry.

Wes Anderson’s aesthetic is intricate, precise… and apparently effortless. In his award-winning films, the camera glides smoothly through stylized sets, lighting on symmetrical compositions that please the eye. We teamed up with Mellow Velo Bicycles to film a playful tribute to the acclaimed director, and kick off Outside Magazine‘s Bike and Brews event for National Bike to Work Day. The eye-catching aesthetic would help us raise awareness about an eco-friendly cause. It didn’t take long to learn that Anderson’s look is the result of grueling work. Setting up shots called for a heightened awareness of everything in the frame, and mapping out the…