FX Networks Internal Creative Agency, Firefly, contacted us during the first week of January to tell us they were coming to Calgary the following week for a 4-day shoot to include Live Action Motion Promos and Teases, EPK, Interviews, Gallery, and Key Art Stills with show talent, including but not limited to Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Adam Goldberg, and Oliver Platt. Besides the need to suddenly and rapidly scale up, the biggest challenge was that we had to work around the show, which was in production.
Because of union regulations, we could not utilize the show crew or other assets from the show. We had to work with our own resources from the ground up, from scratch. Within 48 hours, we pulled together a motion crew of 180 people and a separate stills unit of 20 people. Within 72 hours, locations were approved and arrangements were made to travel approximately 20 more agency, client, and other above-the-line personnel. The first day of principal photography was less than a week from initial contact and the job awarding.
This project required some very careful stickhandling between the internal agency, the internal client, the broader TV Network (FX), the production studio (MGM), A-List Talent and their agents and managers, and the local producers and crew working on the show, which was actually in production. The next year, we did the same thing for Season 2, but it was March and we ran out of snow in Alberta and had to move everything to Winnipeg on a moment’s notice after two days of shooting, but that is another story for another time.