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Introducing….Chris Davis Productions.

November 1, 2010 / Editorial, News

I’ve been working in video for a while now (under Categories to your right, click on Film). And I noticed something that has always bothered me regarding TV commercials. The super slick, big budget spots for national companies run right beside the ones created locally. Not good. Kinda like putting a Lexus up against a homemade go-cart. But there are certain small-business owners who want their advertising efforts to have a great idea and a high production values too, like the big-boy ads. This is where I come in.

I’d like to offer an option that doesn’t feel so….local. So I’ve launched Chris Davis Productions.

Already have an agency? Great, send us your boards. Can’t afford an ad agency, but want an awesome TV ad? Great, let’s talk. We’ll create an ad that will put your business in the best light.

Same eye. New toys. cdphoto.com/motion

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010 ~ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Production Firm Seeks to Shoot TV Ads That Are “Not So Local”

Nationally recognized commercial photographer, Chris Davis, launches a new division of his Wilmington, NC-based photography business, turning his lens toward local and regional television commercials and short films.

WILMINGTON, NC—For the last 18 years, Chris Davis has enjoyed success as an award-winning commercial photographer.  Davis considers his career’s official start in 1993, when his photo for a men’s clothier ran as a full-page ad in GQ magazine.  Since then, Davis has worked for corporate giants like Coca-Cola, BellSouth, Motorola, Sony, and ING; his images have graced magazine pages and 6-story billboards in Atlanta, where he was trained. Davis and his family moved to Wilmington in 2005, and these days, Davis has his sights set on local Wilmington businesses.

On November 1st, Davis officially launches Chris Davis Productions, a division of Chris Davis Photography, Inc.. The production company will focus on creating high-quality commercials that are intended to fill the gap between the slick, Madison Avenue-produced advertising of national corporations and the obviously home-spun look of most local ads.

Davis explains:  “When you watch television, national spots run right beside local ones, and there is often a huge difference between them in terms of concepts and the cinematography.  My intent is to fill that gap, allowing smaller local companies to look, well—not so local.  Chris Davis Productions will produce commercials that feel more like short films than TV ads.”

If you’ve seen local spots for Kitchen and Bath Galleries (“Sleeping Bags”) or the Goodnight Sleepstore (“Burglar,” “Insomnia” and “Date”) series, then you’ve seen Chris Davis in action.  He produced the Kitchen and Bath Galleries spot and collaborated as Director of Photography on the Goodnight Sleepstore spots with local award-winning director Joey Connolley. You may have also seen Davis’s still photography work on recent covers of Focus on the Coast magazine. “Of course, we’re continuing to shoot stills, too,” he says.

Charlene Dupray, current client and co-owner of Wilmington-based South ’n France, Inc., says:  “What makes Chris Davis Productions unique is that he’s not just some guy who liked video and decided to start a production company.  He’s an experienced commercial photographer who knows how to create, produce and deliver an advertising product.  He understands marketing, photography, lighting—the whole package.  To have a pro with the eye of a commercial photographer who can create a full-blown video production…well, it’s a gift.  Wilmington is lucky to have him!”


Back to ‘Bama

October 22, 2010 / Editorial

In the summer of 2008, Mobile hot shop Red Square hired me to take pictures for the Alabama State Docks (see post dated – July 18, 2008). So this year when the client needed to update some images, they called me back. Thankfully the October weather was a little cooler, and it was awesome to revisit an area with such incredible images at every turn. Again, the port staff provided us with amazing access, which was crucial. Here are a few of my favorites, along with some behind-the-scenes shots from my über-talented digital assistant, Jason Fobart.

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Get Your Pairings Here

October 8, 2010 / Editorial

When you visit our FACES portrait site, one thing you’ll notice is that there are always two images (a vertical + a horizontal) shown together. We call them “pairings,” don’t ask me why. A fun little tidbit is that the individual images are shot that way— no cropping. After shooting the July Focus on the Coast cover featuring Lumina Station, Lumina’s marketing director, Bryan Kristof, hired CDP to create a portrait pairing for himself.

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FACES Campaign Continues

October 2, 2010 / Editorial

We loved the shots of Ksenia (kuh-SEEN-ne-ya) from the the fall fashion shoot, so we picked a couple for the October monthly print ad and the Focus on the Coast email blast – the Weekend Buzz. Love that Russian accent too!

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It’s a Tough Job

September 8, 2010 / Editorial

…but somebody’s gotta do it! For the September issue of Focus on the Coast, I worked with local fashion expert Jess James, locally known as “Style Girl”. She pulled some beautiful clothes, picked some gorgeous models and we spent a day shooting downtown Wilmington. Here are a few of the images (one from each model) that didn’t make the magazine spread. See more pictures here…http://tiny.cc/FOTC_Fashion

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Kids, Dogs & Ice Cream

September 1, 2010 / Editorial

When I was just starting out, one of my photography mentors told me, “Chris, the three hardest things you will ever have to shoot are kids, dogs and ice cream.” My first cover assignment for Focus on the Coast (see blog post dated – July 1st) was two kids. For this month’s cover, they threw a dog at me. Not literally of course! All kidding aside, I really enjoyed working with the fine folks at Luxe. They made us feel right at home and adding their store mascot, Lucy, to the shot was a great call. What’s even funnier is that we are now talking to a brand-new potential client. Three guesses what they sell.

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This Ain’t Work

August 24, 2010 / Editorial

It’s nice when “work” feels so much like play. Every so often, I get to leave the lights and the the crew behind. No scripts, no clapboard— just a couple of lenses and some willing (and sometimes not-so-willing) participants. I don’t believe in propping children in front of poorly painted canvases and teasing them with hand puppets. Let ’em play. Let ’em get dirty. Even when it’s a hundred degrees, they’d rather be outside. Then you’ll get those moments that remind us why we decided to be parents in the first place.

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K&BG’s Sleeping Bags

August 12, 2010 / Editorial, Film

Don’t ya love it when it all comes together. Take for example the two 15-second spots we shot for Kitchen & Bath Galleries announcing their Expo in May (see the post titled “No Shouting Required”). After the event brought in new clients, K&BG asked us to shoot a 30-second branding spot. The idea they liked best: you’ll love your new room so much that you’ll never want to leave. See how it happily plays out below.

Local Magazine Taps CDP

July 1, 2010 / Editorial, News

I was honored to shoot the cover for one of Wilmington’s coolest magazines. Tourists and locals alike love Focus on the Coast for its fun, relevant articles and tips on everything from what to wear, to where to eat. Featured in the July issue is Lumina Station ~ a small mecca of upscale shops and eateries. We thought it would be fun to show a couple of kids enjoying this outdoor shopping venue. Look for more Focus on the Coast covers from us coming soon!

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Goodnight Sleepstore TV

May 24, 2010 / Editorial, Film

Here’s a sneak peek at “Insomniac,” a brand-new spot for the Goodnight Sleepstore that starts running in June. This is the second ad of a campaign that’s generating a lot of buzz for the mattress retailer. I enjoyed working with director Joey Connolley again. More collaboration is coming this summer to a TV near you, so keep your eyes open. 🙂