A few months ago, Fresno-based photographers of Meza Films were approached by Jeffrey Scott Agency to help with the 10-week #CraftOutLoud project for Tioga Sequoia Brewing Co. Meza Films were brought on as the video and photography production partner to help execute the overall creative vision of the client. They were already excited by the opportunity to work on this project, but the fact that they had already collaborated with JSA in the past, made it that much better.
The goal of the campaign was to showcase how people and makers “craft out loud” in their daily interactions–whether that means through music, making a craft or participating in an activity. They wanted to engage anyone that comes across #CraftOutLoud by making them feel proud of what they’ve made. Meza Films appreciated the fact that the people in the community were in the forefront of this campaign:
What makes this campaign special is that Tioga Sequoia Brewing Co. placed all the attention on their community and people. They didn’t make it about their product, but rather about the experiences and lifestyle.
Tioga Sequoia Brewing Co. took a different approach to their marketing and thought outside of the box. This proved to be a great idea, allowing them to reach their customers in a novel way. Each piece of the campaign called for an approximately 30 seconds of video and a photo series of a local artisan. The profiles would then be spread out during the 10-weeks, each week unveiling a new #CraftOutLoud profile.
As humans, we are naturally driven to stories, and we wanted to make sure we told one with each profile. It was about helping Tioga Sequoia Brewing Co. foster that connection they have not just with their customers, but the community.
Being a 10-week campaign, you can imagine there was a lot of pre-production and planning that went into it. The production was spread out through the life cycle of the campaign. Meza Films ended up creating 10 profiles total, so they knew they needed to remain organized. Their collaboration with JSA and their previous experience together was the main factor that kept this campaign sailing smoothly.
The one production day that stood out the most to Meza films was the day they went to Metal Mark Climbing & Fitness. They did a profile on two rock climbers that frequent the indoor rock climbing gym. After finishing with the experienced climbers, Meza Films director, Enrique Meza thought it would be beneficial for him to climb the rock wall even though he’s terrified of heights. Enrique really wanted to put himself in the position of one of his subjects.
We think this demonstrates the adrenaline-filled experiences directors and photographers often must participate in for the love of their craft!
Besides indoor rock climbing, the biggest challenge for Meza Films was combining each individual profile to flow together as one. Meza Films didn’t see this as a negative challenge, but instead, a fun experiment and one of their favorite parts of the campaign. They wanted to make sure each story received its own separate highlight, but they also wanted to tell each story in a way that would fit within the bigger picture. Each story was essentially a puzzle piece.
We were able to immerse ourselves in the lives and crafts of each person in order to tell a glimpse of their story. It is always a joy to learn and see what people can do when there’s passion behind it.
The images have been well-received by the Tioga Sequoia Brewing Co. community. The audience appreciated the magnifying glass this campaign has put on local crafting. Meza Films believes that campaigns often only showcase things happening in the mainstream, but there’s something special about highlighting your next-door neighbor. At the moment, there are no future plans for this project, but Meza Films is hoping this campaign will serve as an inspiration for future projects.
See more of Meza Films at mezafilms.com!