Richmarc Productions

03/19/2020

Part 2 of Throw Back Thursday's "Tuesdays With Terchek."

Here are a variety of production stills from the sets of some of Tim Terchek's TV commercial productions. Hope you enjoy the look back....please check out the next link for a look at Tim's brilliant TV ads.

03/19/2020

It's Thursday....a great day for a "Throw Back Thursday" and today we are throwing back (not UP) to "Tuesdays With Terchek" where we retrace the incredible career of our great friend Mr. Timothy Tercheck...or as we know him, "Tim-Bob."

Shooting with Tim was always fun and we never knew what would happen other than it was going to be a whole lot of fun...

We usually had a bit of film (yes film--a visual medium involving celluloid and sprocket holes) left over at the end of the shooting days so--not wanting to let anything go to waste--Tim would wing something on camera that would be only suitable for the client's boardroom or Christmas parties.

One ad called "Bubble Pack" was so successful it kicked off what would become a series of TV commercials, all using humor very effectively to create memorable ads.

The 'buyer' in the ads was played by Clay Lacy (an incredible character actor as you'll see) and the sales rep was played brilliantly by Rick Miles. We just saw Rick and wife Ellen at a super bowl party last month and both are doing well. Rick mentioned at the time he remember all too well how long it took to get the cob web ad shot. You'll see what we mean shortly...

This post will carry a Vimeo link to 7 1/2 minutes of some of our highlights with Tim, and a post following shortly will share still pictures we found recently while going through some archived files.

We hope you enjoy the look back....

Joycie-Lou & Ricky-Joe

This is a sampling of TV ads, Circa 1980s, from the creative mind of Tim Terchek.

07/21/2019

This USMC recruiting film is a look inside the training involved to become an officer in the Marines. On this assignment we were exposed to every facet of the US Marines and needless to say it remains among our most favorite projects. It is entitled: "RAZOR SHARP."

This USMC recruiting film is an inside look at the training involved in becoming an officer in the US Marines.

07/18/2019

Shooting any of the USMC films was brutal physically and mentally for us....keeping up with in-shape kids half our age. Soundman Geoff Maxwell will tell you he would spend every day the month before heading out on one of these assignments, training, running and lifting to be in shape and ready to go.
Of all the dangerous situations and risking serious injury over the years...THIS film is the one that Rick was most injured.
Of all the hand-held camera work over the years, he never fell...make no mistake that's not him....we had great crew who had his back. Despite the concern from the crew, the women's USMC boot camp film proved to be his crucible.
Running with a handheld camera across a wooded area, a tree root caught his foot and down he went, camera and all. The best news that day was we had a back up camera and the lens was not damaged.
Later in the same shoot, we had a unique opportunity at the recruits marching that we could not set up....'get what you can.' so he grabs the camera and takes off, jumping a short and seemingly innocent line of shrubs. As he started down on the other side all we heard was "Oh-oh..." and down he went. Seems there was a post hole and one of his feet landed in it and down he went....Best news again...the camera was not hurt because the hole froze his foot and he could not move, forcing him to roll 180 degrees landing on his back. Camera was good....they held the platoon for a moment, we
Got the shot.
and in situations like the obstacle course while beneath the women going up the obstacles, he received multiple boots to the head...
All the live fire, a flight in an F18, many flights in choppers, and much more, not so much as a scratch until we met up with the women of Parris Island USMC recruit depot.
Way to go Ladies! OOOO-RAH!

Here is the film that convinced so many young women to sign up for the USMC and serve our country. Thank you for your service, Marines.

--Joyce

USMC RECRUITING FILM ABOUT the 13 WEEKS OF USMC BOOT CAMP TRAINING FOR WOMEN INTERESTED IN A CAREER WITH THE U.S. MARINES.

07/18/2019

Mid 1990s, Mike Roberts calls up from LMG in Toledo, needs a couple spots for a health insurance client of theirs called Paramount. Easy enough.
Off to Chicago for a casting session, just about everyone we saw could have done it so we start looking for who might be the most fun to hang with at the grazing table.
Something struck us about this fellow....he was very good but to find out if he had range tossed him a curve ball.
Asked him to make this into a comedy ad. He looked at me like the goof I probably was at that moment, thought about it for a minute and delivered a low key friendly delivery that made us all chuckle...
you got the gig brother....that was funny and you are REALLY good.
NOTE: casting well, spending a lot of time finding the right talent for a project makes the shooting a breeze.
Take a look at these ads.... you can see some real brilliance in the way he comfortably works his way around the bike, and the next ad where he draws circles was very difficult.
He had to hit hidden pre-drawn circles while making the right delivery.
The actual drawing of the lines we did in post along with adding in some dry marker squeaks to help with the authenticity.
This guy was really really good. Little did we know.... :)

CIRCA EARLY 1990'S

07/17/2019

Pictures from USMC assignments...memories and comments welcome....

07/17/2019

Variety of USMC assignments pictured here

07/17/2019

Below is a posted video from an assignment at the Tik Chik Narrows Fishing Lodge in Alaska. And I actually caught a shiny rainbow trout... the video and add'l info is available below....

07/17/2019

A once in a lifetime gig...we (implies a crew...Chris Bryan was with me....2 person crew) were offered a week at this fishing lodge in Alaska in exchange for our work on the video. Likewise, the editor John Hess (Chicago Post Productions, Inc.), music by S***t Bushor, and the writing and producing by Hooper White. What a group this was!
Hooper was, at the time, president of the Hooper White Co. in Chicago and managing clients advertising for the likes of Kodak, Coors Beer, Car Companies, etc... he was hired by the client to find cost savings in radio and tv production....he was not the ad agency's best friend but he did save those clients a LOT of money.
prior to opening his own business, he was the Sr. Creative Dir at Leo Burnett...and he worked with Leo....
And HERE is the real story behind the apples at the reception desks at Leo Burnett. It's not what you've heard....This is what Hooper told me, he was actually involved with this....Leo wanted to give something out to people that came to their office. Hooper said they had agonizing meetings over WHAT to give....finally FRUIT was decided...then, more painstaking and time consuming meetings about WHICH FRUIT to give out. It was finally decided that because of its bright and happy color and being good for you with all the vitamin C, ORANGES would work. it was decided....but not quite...Hooper said by the end of the first week he was noticing orange peel on conf room tables, on the floor, on desks, and door k***s were sticky. MORE MEETINGS...they liked the fruit idea but not oranges...some one suggested apples--the peels are edible and apples are recommended by doctors. done. and to this day you can find an apple in a bowl in the reception area at Leo Burnett.
John Hess was a terrific editor and We got to work with him a LOT. He taught me a lot about cutting and finishing, clients and the production biz in general...
Having S***t on this trip was great. he's a terrific fisherman and he knows when the camera is working, what to say, how to say it to drive the story line. and his music....fabulous.

A look at the Tik Chik Narrows Fishing Lodge located in Alaska, a a crazy bunch of fishermen!

07/17/2019

a few pictures from our Marine Corps days....like the day we took over Iwo Jima Memorial...boot camp filming, that's Judy Desmond touching up a Marine's make-up...that went really well for him back at barracks we heard....there are 5 of the people that made it work...Scott Davis, Mark McCarville, Brad Ruby, David Petty and Greg Williams. The Marine looking through the camera was our Captain from HQ to see to it we got all we needed...always a good idea to let the client look through the camera to approve the shot...and take care of any changes he asked for...

07/17/2019

For any of you that worked with us on the USMC films, here's a look back at the film we shot in 1996 which was used for recruiting men and women in the the Marine Corps. The idea was to show the experience as accurately as possible which mean immersing the crew into the training program at Parris Island, S. Carolina just outside a great little town and tourist mecca named Beaufort.

This is the recruiting film used to explain interested men and women what boot camp will be like and what it will take to succeed there.

06/30/2019

Among the interesting questions from friends in the biz, "....do you remember your first job?" Yes, but it's a qualified 'yes' it's the first HDTV production that we did that we remember.

In 1999 we bought our first HDTV Camera for which there was absolutely ZERO demand...but there it was. In the course of marketing the new technology, Joe Mahler saw how the picture quality, and more importantly the color reproduction just might help out a project he had.

This was for the BARN SIGNWORKS, They are located near Greenfield, IN. Their hand crafted wood signs are gorgeous.

Joe wanted to capture the quality, colors along with the ambiance....they are located in a huge rustic barn. It is Gorgeous. HD had potential we thought to make this a visually stimulating project. We think it did...but you be the judge.

A foot note: Joe dropped by the office one afternoon and told us our logo was all wrong...did not reflect, in his view, the fun experience he had working with us. He presented several renderings and the last one he showed us was a grand slam. we loved it and for the next nearly 20 years we've had this fun logo that continues to get notice and compliments....all thanks to Joe Mahler... so, again, Joe, Thank You! a look at our logo that Joe produced is below.

And, if you are looking for a top quality sign, for any business or occasion, and in any size...check out the good folks at
http://www.barnsignworks.com/

Here's a link to our first HD project, produced for Barn Signworks. https://vimeo.com/345317496