Venice, CA/NYC-based production hub HēLō director and founder of co-creative network ONE DAY ON EARTH Kyle Ruddick mobilizes the mission to “bring back the pollinators” for Cascadian Farm in the new short, “A Bee Friendlier Flower Bombing” out of Solve, Minneapolis, MN. The short film zooms in on Cascadian Farm’s ongoing initiative to combat the decline of the bee population, reigniting this concept by planting wildflowers with the help of a shower of brightly colored seed balls dropped from a plane at a live community event. Kyle and the HēLō team produced the live stunt, and pieced together the footage to create this short to inspire viewers to take everyday measures to protect pollinators including planting bee-friendly wildflowers and avoiding the use of pesticides.
Kyle led a HēLō and ONE DAY ON EARTH production team to the rural agricultural community of Yolo County, California to source and connect with the real-life residents, such as organic farmers, who were shouldering the impact of the bee population collapse in the area. The team brought on the founder of Seedles to help bring the idea to life in an innovative and colorful execution with their vivid look and effortless concept of “throw and grow.” Seedles are bright balls of seeds, compost and clay that protect the wildflower seeds housed within to protect them from hungry birds.
“This project really exemplifies the new world of marketing where socially conscious brands are putting their money where their mouth is and helping to make a real difference,” notes Kyle. “Beyond being altruistic, it was really lovely to work with a client and agency that wanted to innovate. We weren’t making a spot. We are catalyzing a movement with a real world event.”
To build authentic excitement for the kickoff of this campaign, Kyle leveraged local community leaders to rally passionate citizens to come out for an organized community event where they would witness the colorful Seedles cascading from the sky. The HēLō team captured the live experience with multiple vantage points: aerial shots showing the real-time view of the plane releasing the seeds below as well as a ground camera team filming from amongst the crowd eagerly watching below. Following the shoot, Kyle led the ONE DAY ON EARTH team through post production, crafting a compelling storyline from the wealth of footage.
Kyle founded ONE DAY ON EARTH with Brandon Litman in 2008 as a community-based approach to storytelling. It is the world’s only co-creative network of filmmakers and includes over 35,000 contributors.
Credits:
Client: Cascadian Farm
Agency: Solves, Minneapolis, MN
Creative Director: Hans Hansen
Senior Writer: Janelle Erickson
Senior Art Director: Chelsea Klevasahl
Account Executive: Andrew Pautz
Production Company: HēLō
Director: Kyle Ruddick
Executive Producer: Justin Moore-Lewy
Managing Director: Brendan Kiernan
Producer: Tracey Karka
DP: Ian Rigby
Post Production: ONE DAY ON EARTH
About HēLō
Venice, CA/NYC-based HēLō was started in 2013 with one simple vision: to create experiences, not interruptions.
In a digital age, there is no longer differentiation between consumers and audiences; they are one and the same. This is why we didn’t set out to be merely another production company. We are experience providers, problem solvers, storytellers and nimble content creators. Our principals have done everything from run a Digital Agency to heading up a Talent Management Firm. That, combined with our meticulously selected group of HēLō talent, provide fertile ground to meet the challenges of today’s increasingly integrated entertainment and advertising markets.
Everyone on our roster is an original voice and innovator in new formats and distribution channels. Some are downright pioneers.