Five Questions with... director Stacy Peralta

Stacy Peralta, documentary filmmaker and Nonfiction Spots commercial director, steps up to answer Five Questions.

1. What are you working on today?
Just finished: A TV spot for Bud/Nascar, a feature screenplay for Sony studios and just secured financing for another documentary that will go into production this July for a finish date of Summer 07.

2. What have you found is the best tool or innovation that has come out in the last year?
I’m very impressed with the quality of the new 24p cameras and I’m knocked out by the evolving capabilities of After Effects. I also drive a car that runs on vegetable oil; bio-diesel. It works great, doesn’t pollute and smells like a barbecue.

3. The project (film, television, commercial or music video) that most impressed you in the last year? Why?
The David Letterman show because it continues to be funny night after night, year after year, decade after decade.

4. The best or favorite project that you worked on in the past year? And why?
I’m just finishing a straight to DVD documentary film. The clients had no involvement. They just wanted the film made so we ended up getting to do everything we wanted, which made for a very free environment and liberating environment.

5. Name the top 4 artists on your iPod?
Fila Brizilla
my fifteen year old son Austin’s jazz CD
Massive Attack
Liza Richard’s complilation made for me.

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Recent Project

BUDWEISER "NASCAR"

Acclaimed, award-winning documentary filmmaker — and Nonfiction Spots commercial director — Stacy Peralta set out to honor the Earnhardt family's three generations of NASCAR success on Father's Day, in a new spot for Budweiser via DDB Chicago which debuted during Jun. 18's broadcast of the 3M Performance 400 from Michigan International Speedway.

Watch The Video:   [High]   [Low]   Download Flash 9 Player

Using stock footage gathered from The Earnhardt family, Anheuser Busch, The Associated Press, Getty Images, NASCAR and Sports Illustrated, and working side-by-side with his colleague, editor Paul Crowder — who edited Stacy's documentary features "Dogtown and Z-Boys" and "Ridings Giants" — the spot drew from over 50 years of the Earnhardt family’s racing legacy and Budweiser’s long-time support for auto racing.

Credited by many with launching the modern sports action video with his sensational Bones Brigade Video Show in the mid-1980s, Peralta's autobiographical "Dogtown and Z-Boys" earned 2001's Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for Best Documentary Film, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary and many other prestigious honors, and the film also became a hallmark for the successful development of branded entertainment content as a result of its exclusive sponsorship arrangement with Vans Shoes. Next for Stacy came his surf film “Riding Giants,” which made history as the very first documentary to open the Sundance Film Festival — and also repeated his unique recipe for creating successful branded content. Just as Vans benefited in countless ways from its sponsorship of “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” Quiksilver’s financial support of “Riding Giants” helped the international sportswear company earn invaluable press and marketing returns. With the debut of this Budweiser spot, Stacy eagerly anticipates the next wave of opportunities to create quality commercial content.

Credits

Ad Agency: DDB
City/State: Chicago, IL
Executive Creative Director: Michael Folino
Group Creative Director: Barry Burdiak
Creative Director: John Hayes
Assoc. Creative Director/Art Director: Dick Tracy
Assoc. Creative Director/Copywriter: Geoffrey McCartney
Senior Producer: Will St. Clair

Production Company: Nonfiction Spots & Longform
City/State: Santa Monica, CA
Executive Producers: Michael Degan, Loretta "LJ" Jeneski
Director: Stacy Peralta

Editorial Company: Nonfiction Post
Editor: Paul Crowder
Assistant Editor: Lara Mazzawi
Producer: Betsyann Faiella

Design, Visual Effects & Finishing: Blind
City/State: Santa Monica, CA
Creative Director: Tom Koh
Executive Producer: Santino Sladavic

Animators: Atsushi Ishizuka, Jason Kim, John Robson
Producer: Amy Knerl

Music: Spank Music & Sound Design
City/State: Santa Monica, CA
Composer: Alex Kemp
Producer: Ken Kolasny

Sound Design & Audio Post: Another Country
City/State: Chicago, IL
Mixers: John Binder, Robert Marshall

Stock Footage Agencies:
NASCAR
Associated Press
Getty Images
The Earnhardt family
Anheuser Busch
Sports Illustrated