Brandon Kraines, owner of Stereo Lab Films and director of Ty Lawson’s docu-series, “The CrossOver,” is a busy, but patient man. He held his five-week old child - who was as patient as a five week old could be - throughout our entire conversation.
The Tulane University graduate is a budding young Los Angeles-based director with a far-reaching body of work. In 2007, he won the Gold ADDY and Best of Show Award at the American Advertising Federation’s annual competition for his hilarious Suave Shampoo spot “Catch.” He also took home a Silver ADDY for his Bud Light spot “Ladies Room.”
After partnering up with ibeatyou.com, Brandon has directed and wrote some of their most watched viral content, including overnight web sensation “Step Brothers” starring NBA superstars Steve Nash and Baron Davis.
After partnering up with ibeatyou.com, Brandon has directed and wrote some of their most watched viral content, including overnight web sensation “Step Brothers” starring NBA superstars Steve Nash and Baron Davis.
Brandon recently wrapped up his documentary, “The CrossOver”, which offers a look into Ty Lawson’s journey from the NCAA championship to the NBA. Stereo Lab Films is now currently seeking distribution for “The CrossOver." Please send emails to info@stereolabfilms.com for general information about the project and future viewing details.
Brandon was kind enough to lend his time to answer some questions about the series, and the intersection of social media and basketball. Below is a transcript of the discussion.
This interview was conducted by Jon Thompson, a recent UNC grad with a pure passion for basketball and all things social media. Of course, he tweets.
Brandon was kind enough to lend his time to answer some questions about the series, and the intersection of social media and basketball. Below is a transcript of the discussion.
This interview was conducted by Jon Thompson, a recent UNC grad with a pure passion for basketball and all things social media. Of course, he tweets.
Jon: You’re best known for your work in the comedy genre. How did you end up directing a basketball related docu-series?
Brandon: I actually had a chance to work with Baron Davis and Steve Nash on a project for ibeatyou.com and that was my segway into the sports arena. I went to high school with Baron, whose early interest in sports films rubbed off on me. Now, we both own production companies. We’re a one-stop shop at my place, Stereo Lab Films. We do everything from pre-production to the actual filming, the writing, and then the editing. So we handle all areas of production. Ty Lawson was brought to me by Chris Feil, also of Stereo Lab Films.
Brandon: I actually had a chance to work with Baron Davis and Steve Nash on a project for ibeatyou.com and that was my segway into the sports arena. I went to high school with Baron, whose early interest in sports films rubbed off on me. Now, we both own production companies. We’re a one-stop shop at my place, Stereo Lab Films. We do everything from pre-production to the actual filming, the writing, and then the editing. So we handle all areas of production. Ty Lawson was brought to me by Chris Feil, also of Stereo Lab Films.
Jon: Did you know a lot about Ty before being introduced to this project? If not, how did you go about your research?
Brandon: I actually didn’t know about Ty until I watched the tournament this year. I’m more of a pro basketball fan and not a college basketball fan really (laughs). College basketball is not as big on the west coast. But I knew who Ty was before I met him because I followed the tournament. I follow it every year.
Brandon: I actually didn’t know about Ty until I watched the tournament this year. I’m more of a pro basketball fan and not a college basketball fan really (laughs). College basketball is not as big on the west coast. But I knew who Ty was before I met him because I followed the tournament. I follow it every year.
Jon: We’ve seen many documentaries on NBA rookies in the past. What makes “The CrossOver” different?
Brandon: I’ve seen Mike Beasley’s documentary. This documentary shows more on the inside, things that you usually don’t see or even think about. It’s not only about Ty and what he’s going through as far as the actual process of entering the NBA draft, but it shows what’s beyond basketball. We meet his agent Jeff Fried and he explains the business of basketball to us and how you only schedule workouts with certain teams; for example, Ty wouldn’t work out for the Clippers because they’re obviously selecting Blake Griffin. He’s only going to work out with teams in the 8-20 area. Ty also has to deal with the relentless media, and questions like “Is Ty too short?;" “Will he be able to run an offense in a half court system?”
Brandon: I’ve seen Mike Beasley’s documentary. This documentary shows more on the inside, things that you usually don’t see or even think about. It’s not only about Ty and what he’s going through as far as the actual process of entering the NBA draft, but it shows what’s beyond basketball. We meet his agent Jeff Fried and he explains the business of basketball to us and how you only schedule workouts with certain teams; for example, Ty wouldn’t work out for the Clippers because they’re obviously selecting Blake Griffin. He’s only going to work out with teams in the 8-20 area. Ty also has to deal with the relentless media, and questions like “Is Ty too short?;" “Will he be able to run an offense in a half court system?”
Jon: The impact of social media on marketing is growing at an astronomical rate. How have you used social media to promote your past projects and how are you using social media to promote this series?
Brandon: For past projects I’ve pretty much done the same thing. We’ve marketed our work online in all of the appropriate places such as YouTube and DimeMag.com. Also, people are passing it around and seeing it. We’re still in the beginning stages; we only started circulating it online last week. A lot of people like yourself are reaching out to us. People that don’t know Ty just want to help with this part of the ride. They’re seeing it on the UNC sites and all the blogs, and this is definitely making more of an impact than anything that I’ve done on the internet so far. We're connecting with fans on Facebook, MySpace, the official website of Ty’s series, and the official website of my company.
Brandon: For past projects I’ve pretty much done the same thing. We’ve marketed our work online in all of the appropriate places such as YouTube and DimeMag.com. Also, people are passing it around and seeing it. We’re still in the beginning stages; we only started circulating it online last week. A lot of people like yourself are reaching out to us. People that don’t know Ty just want to help with this part of the ride. They’re seeing it on the UNC sites and all the blogs, and this is definitely making more of an impact than anything that I’ve done on the internet so far. We're connecting with fans on Facebook, MySpace, the official website of Ty’s series, and the official website of my company.
Jon: We all know Ty Lawson is a great basketball player, and from the times I saw him off the court when I attended UNC, he seemed like a nice person. What was it like working with Ty?
Brandon: He’s a cool, laid back guy and he’s open to a lot of ideas. Ty's a real go-with-the-flow kind of person. He's a very appreciative man and he thinks he made the right decision by playing out his junior year before declaring for the draft; his coach and parents agree. To be honest, that’s as high as his stock was going to go. He won it all, and he was the ACC Player of the Year; I think he made all the right decisions regarding his college career.
Jon: What are some of Ty’s thoughts coming into his rookie season. How does he see his role with the Denver Nuggets?
Brandon: We haven't talked much about his role with the Nuggets, but from what I’ve gathered, he’s really excited to be playing behind Chauncey Billups. He said it couldn’t have worked out better because he’s learning from the best. He’s excited to be playing for a team that’s playoff bound and he expects to learn a lot.
Jon: I know Ty has a Twitter account. How often did you see him tweeting on his phone? What other forms of social media did you see him use?
Brandon: He tweets a lot. I’ve seen him on Facebook before, too. He’s definitely on BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) all the time. He's tough to get a hold of, but texting and BBM is the way to go.
Brandon: We haven't talked much about his role with the Nuggets, but from what I’ve gathered, he’s really excited to be playing behind Chauncey Billups. He said it couldn’t have worked out better because he’s learning from the best. He’s excited to be playing for a team that’s playoff bound and he expects to learn a lot.
Jon: I know Ty has a Twitter account. How often did you see him tweeting on his phone? What other forms of social media did you see him use?
Brandon: He tweets a lot. I’ve seen him on Facebook before, too. He’s definitely on BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) all the time. He's tough to get a hold of, but texting and BBM is the way to go.
Jon: One last question. Any thoughts on where all of this (social media) is headed?
Brandon: I think social media is the future. It’s forever changing and evolving and we can expect the unexpected. Someone is always coming out with the next 'new' thing. Commercials on TV are starting to show advertisements for social media channels and that’s where the eyeballs are--so I think you’re going to start seeing a lot more commercials on the web.
Jon: Well, thanks for you time today. I appreciate it and good luck with the series.
Brandon: No problem. Thank you.
Brandon: I think social media is the future. It’s forever changing and evolving and we can expect the unexpected. Someone is always coming out with the next 'new' thing. Commercials on TV are starting to show advertisements for social media channels and that’s where the eyeballs are--so I think you’re going to start seeing a lot more commercials on the web.
Jon: Well, thanks for you time today. I appreciate it and good luck with the series.
Brandon: No problem. Thank you.
