Utah filmmakers show the best of the Beehive State

by Libby Zay on

The Utah Film Commission has just announced the winners of their ninth annual “Spot On” video campaign. For the commercial contest, the organization asked Utah-based filmmakers to create 30-second spots that demonstrate what makes Utah the most visually stunning state. Open to all Utah residents and students attending school in the state, the grand prize is not only $1,500 but also the chance to see commercials on television during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival (and a grab bag that included tickets to the fest and other freebies).

The overall campaign winner is Andrew Buys, who created the ‘Utah is Epic’ film posted above. Although it appears to be simply a bunch of sweeping views of the Beehive State edited together with some dramatic background music, it definitely shows why Utah has a long history of being the backdrop to Hollywood movies, television series, and (of course) adventurous vacations. Things get a little more creative with the other winners and honorable mentions after the jump.


Second Place Winner for the Utah Film Commission 2011 “Spot On” Commercial Contest: Made by Sahna Foley

Creative Concept Award Winner for the Utah Film Commission 2011 “Spot On” Commercial Contest: Made by Warren Workman.

Honorable Mention for the Utah Film Commission 2011 “Spot On” Commercial Contest: Made by Dan Larsen

Honorable Mention for the Utah Film Commission 2011 “Spot On” Commercial Contest: Made by Xmas Lutu.

View winners from past years at the Utah Film Commission’s YouTube page.

F.U. Knighted: The world’s worst airline

by Jessica Festa on




While most people have experienced some form of bad customer service in their lives, I’d be surprised if it topped the treatment these two honeymooners receive trying to get on board a flight for F.U. Knighted Airlines. Luckily, the clip isn’t a documentary of real life but a humorous skit directed and edited by Nathan “Party on Fifth Ave” Moore that pokes fun at bad customer service in the airline industry. The video was written by the actors who include Moore, Lana McKissack, and Paul Peglar. If you’ve ever had a bad experience on an airline, you will definitely appreciate this.

You can click the cast’s names above to find more entertaining videos on their YouTube channels, or follow them on Twitter:

Lana McKissack: https://twitter.com/#!/lanamckissack
Nathan Moore: https://twitter.com/#!/TheNathanMoore
Paul Peglar: https://twitter.com/#!/ppeglar

Watch the many personalities of Laos in this time-lapsed video

by Jessica Festa on



This time-lapsed video by Piotr Wancerz allows viewers to see the different personalities of Laos in South East Asia as well as the different events that occur in the country from morning to night. Watch as tourists and locals gather to Give Alms to the monks at dawn, people gather to swim and relax in nature during the day, and the bustling and lively markets come to life at night. The best part is that the timelapse effect makes it feel as though you are watching an entire day as it is happening instead of in pieces. The equipment used to shoot the video includes a Sony Alpha 550, a Samyang Fisheye 8mm, a Sony 35mm, a Tamron 18-200mm, a Velbon P-max, and a Pixel intervalometer.

Witness the hidden corners of Iceland in high definition

by Jessica Festa on

In this video, Pétur Kristján Guðmundsson of TrailerPark Studios films his home country of Iceland, focusing on the diverse and unique landscape as well as the culture. The overarching goal of the film, which is called Heild, or Totality, is to “present Iceland in a way it has never been presented before, using many elements of higher-end cinematography”. In the video, viewers not only see the well-known areas of Iceland but also off-the-beaten path regions that one must be quite adventurous to get to, and extremely patient to truly capture. The video is so clear that even gentle motions seem strong, from the rippling lake to the billowing clouds. Meet locals, fly over plains, mountains, and craters, and lay under a neon-colored night sky.

To get a taste for yourself, check out the trailer for Heild here:


HEILD l Totality Trailer from Petur K. Gudmundsson on Vimeo.