NakedCity Wichita

prestigious films shoot livy high at east high

Posted on 31. Dec, 2009 by Tash Maloney in music

It’s safe to say that most rock bands, large or small, have dreamed and aspired to someday be the stars of their own large scale music video. I’ve laid witness to rehearsal room discussions about what the perfect music video would be. Most musicians refer to their fantastical ideas about videos the same way the rest of us would talk about winning the lottery; and for quite a few of those musicians, actually achieving the goal of filming their “dream video” is just as unlikely. But it surely wasn’t unlikely for Livy High, a Wichita based hard rock band.

In late November of 2009, lead singer and Livy High founder, Jason Carroll, made the decision to work with Prestigious Films after tediously shopping the market for the kind of company that could give him the quality and craftsmanship one could expect from any top ranked film crew. “We were lucky enough to find the right people here in my own backyard.” said Carroll. “I knew as soon as soon I saw previous work they did with another band, that we were going to work with them.”

“That’s a wrap! Time for location two!” said director Nicholas Barton of Prestigious Films in a rather hurried fashion. (Prestigious Films is a video production company located right here in Wichita. which specializes in several areas including indie films, television commercials, weddings, web commercials and have even had their works featured on national networks such as A&E and CMT). Without delay, about twenty people spring to their feet and began the process of “striking” or tearing down the set. The amount of teamwork involved in this phase of production was inspiring to witness. People of all kinds, initially strangers to one another, worked side by side, tirelessly, to move the thousands of pounds of equipment from a gymnasium, through a parking lot and a seemingly endless labyrinth of hallways to finally arrive at a thousand seat auditorium located on the second level of the East High facility.

“The video crew was awesome and the production of the video was one of the most professionally coordinated events I’ve ever scene. Nicholas Barton of Prestigious Films really had his work cut out for him and he came through like you’d expect a pro to do. To film three different scenes in different parts of a HUGE high school and to do it on-schedule was quite remarkable. Props to those guys.” stated front man Jason Carroll

I had a chance to sit down with Nick and his colleague Wesley Nott during the post production phase of Livy High’s shoot for their single “No Angel.” Nick and Wesley both had some interesting points to make about just what being an “up and coming” production company means and why it takes more than just hard work and focus to make such an enormous undertaking come to fruitition.

“Finding the right team of people to do the job was a key factor in bringing my company together.” said Barton, “I know that my people are gonna come in and be punctual and focused every single time, for every single shot.” Wesley went on to say that it also takes a great deal of budgeting as well. “There’s no need to buy a five-thousand dollar roll cart for your camera when you can build the very same cart with your own materials for not even a tenth the cost.”

It’s true that saving money and staying focused are two very big factors in film making, but there were many more elements present than that while standing on the set built in the gymnasium of Wichita East High School. It also took a crew of twelve, over a hundred thousand dollars worth of musical, lighting and filming equipment, hundreds of dollars worth of vinyl graphics, one lonely fog machine, and people willing to help out. Like a dedicated East High teacher whose passion for educating his students showed by the long hours he contributed to the project on his day off, Derrick Gronewald. “Mr. Gronewald was the first one there and the last one to leave” stated Director Barton who went on to say. “East High has an amazing theater department and I believe its because of that man. He cares and it shows.”

There’s something about being surrounded by hardworking and giving people and though Livy high were the rock-stars of the event, their egos were put aside and their fancy sleeves rolled up like everyone else there. Livy High did not retire to some air conditioned trailer for rest, but instead worked every bit as hard as their crew, friends, family and even East High student volunteers. Livy High won my admiration not because they are talented, nor by the fact they donated cd sales to East Highs Theater Department and then went above and beyond by donating more of their own money, but its because they have truly set themselves apart with focus, heart, discipline, and talent combined.