MK Films & Darren Weninger Create New Work for the National Pork Board with Barkley OKRP
MK Films announced the launch of “Make It Quick,” a new broadcast commercial directed by tabletop director Darren Weninger and developed in partnership with Barkley OKRP. The 30- second spot is one of four in a campaign promoting the flexibility and flavor that come from using pork as the central ingredient.
The “Make It Quick” spot takes viewers on a visual journey through four recipes in four home-cooking situations.
“The challenge of Make It Quick was finding the most appetizing and dynamic food shots to highlight the taste appeal of these recipe moments, especially when capturing each one in a distinct environment,” Weninger said. “Multiple kitchens, a dining room and outdoor grilling scenes were all captured in our studio over four days, made possible through a mix of traditional sets and virtual backgrounds using our two LED walls. The team at Barkley OKRP was great to work with — they understood the challenges and were critical in helping us lock down details at each stage of this massive project. It was truly a team effort,” Weninger adds.
The National Pork Board project showcases MK Films’ ability to scale productions to maximize efficiency while maintaining high quality. At its 30,000-square-foot studio on Chicago’s West Side, Weninger and team have enough stage space and in-house equipment to build multiple setups at once. The crew spends more time shooting and moving between shots because other team members are two steps ahead prepping shots on other sets.
“It can be a bit of a whirlwind for agencies and clients at first, as there’s always something to review, approve or mark complete,” said Joe Mosko, executive producer at MK. “The space and resources in our studio give us creative flexibility and control over each production day because everything is within arm’s length. Owning the equipment is key to staying price-competitive,” Mosko said. “I don’t think any agency or client walks in and wonders where their budget went — they can see it in the setups, the attention to detail and a crew that’s always in motion,” he said.
CREDITS
CLIENT: National Pork Board
Jose De Jesus: Assistant Vice President, Consumer Marketing - Global Market Development
Atiya Dorn: Director, Digital Marketing - Global Market Development
AGENCY: Barkley OKRP
Tim McCracken: VP, Creative
Kyle Anthony: Associate Creative Director, Art
Deidre Lichty: Associate Creative Director, Copy
Michael Kinney: Senior Producer
Meghan Reiners: Director, Client Experience
Riley Valle: Manager, Client Experience
Parker Hamrick: Sr. Content Creator, FUEL
PRODUCTION: MK Films
Darren Weninger: Director
Joe Mosko: Executive Producer
RJ Pole: Producer
Chelsea Houlf: Production Manager
Rachel Mandelker: Coordinator
POST: Cutters
Patrick Casey: Head of Production
Dustin Kaufman: Editor
