Farstar Bumper
Kevin had the opportunity to be an executive producer of a short film called Bullies on Vacation,written by songwriter Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe. Not wanting a good self-promotional opportunity to go to waste, Kevin used the 15-second bumper normally reserved for production companies to cleverly market Farstar to the film’s audiences.
Situation
Having a fan following can pay off in ways that can’t be predicted for both the fan and the followed. Years ago, Kevin Lofgren became friends with songwriter, vocalist, and creative genius Brian Vander Ark of the ‘90s band The Verve Pipe. Their relationship grew until one day Kevin got the chance to be one of two executive producers for a short film called Bullies on Vacation that Brian created. And as Kevin was also the owner and operator of Farstar, a creative technology agency in Frisco, Texas, he was uniquely positioned to be more than just an EP – he and his agency could also help market the finished film. And the businesses of people who saw the film. To that end, Farstar needed to inject itself however it could (appropriately, of course) in the final product.
Video
As an executive producer for Bullies on Vacation, Farstar got to be featured in what’s called a “bumper.” You’ve seen hundreds of bumpers, even if you didn’t know what they were called. They’re the often-animated bits that play before a film highlighting the production companies involved. Think of the playfulness of Pixar’s bouncing lamp or Elliot and ET silhouetted against the moon in Amblin Entertainment’s bumper.
Farstar’s bumper had to be quirky and interesting to reflect the personality of the agency — an agency that wasn’t necessarily in the movie business. Kevin decided to use the Farstar website’s existing assets in the bumper because, well, it already felt cinematic, full of fantastical aerial and aquatic steampunk imagery. It just fit the whimsical feel of the Farstar culture itself.
The bumper took all these elements and turned them into master class in blending modern technology with epic motifs. It started with futuristic airships flying into framing and heading for the moon. Then three floating environments (which were the main sections of our website) flew in suspended from the sail of an ancient schooner. Finally, a whale swam across the frame as a 3D version of the Farstar logo (which we also had as a statue outside our offices) came into full focus as the final frame.
Outcome
The bumper succeeded in identifying the agency as a creative shop with out-of-the-box thinking and the technical artistry to back it up.