Anything but Bland

ANYTHING
but
BLAND
2017 Review
Boring. Dull. Tasteless.
Dry. Monotonous.
Professionals living
anything but bland.

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Bland Productions LLC, is a family-owned video production company in Los Angeles,
California. We opened our doors in 2011, in our hometown of Pekin, Illinois, creating
local commercial work. We keep our company small, but our experiences, tools, and
clientele are growing. As the company grew, our work gives us the opportunity to
travel nationally and internationally, creating rich visual content. While partnering
with national and global companies, we are building an understanding of the needs
and desires of each market.

Imperium Premiere 2015
Joe Bland
Film Producer
“We have the skills, tools, and experience to
bring each of our clients a unique masterpiece.
We have an exciting year ahead, bringing our
first feature film “Ellipse” to market — an incredibly
exciting opportunity for our small startup.”
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ANYTHING
but
BLAND

“
At Bland Productions, we strive to create anything but bland content. Along the way, we
have encountered incredibly talented professionals and companies — living an ‘anything
but bland’ lifestyle.
This magazine is a way to celebrate the incredible journey Bland Productions has been
on. Each year gets better and better. We also hope to highlight our clients and the incredible
work they do! We’re fortunate for the opportunity to work with them, learn from
their gifts and talents, help promote their victories, and now celebrate their success.

TALENT
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ClIXTV
WHITEBOARD
DANIELLE COHN
WES HARDIN
YFC CITIES
ANDREW COLE
FHB
ANDREW BALEK
YFC CHAMPIONS
MICHELLE MEDOFF
YFC CAMP
PEARL COMPANIES
YFC MIDWINTER
ELLIPSE
MEREDITH WASHBURN
QUESTIONS FOR JOE
TALK SHOW
IMPERIUM
SPEAROS
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Patricia: “I met Joe while he was videotaping Musical.ly kids for a friend. He was
shooting the video in an alley, behind our office in Venice Beach. I watched his
camera style and immediately knew he was someone I wanted to work with. So
when the RedFoo’s ‘Sock It to Ya’ shoot came up, it was the perfect choice to use
Bland Productions. Later, I met Grant and Cyrus and realized they were all truly
talented. I hijacked their brilliant TV content, ‘Spearos’ and ‘Where America
Hides Their Money’ for ClixTV. I couldn’t have asked for a better collaboration
or a more creative team. We can’t wait to launch and keep the Bland Productions
team busy, busy, busy!
Patricia Sullivan
Founder, Chie f Creative Officer
at ClixTV
Ed Sullivan
Founder, CEO at ClixTV
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“ClixTV is a social celebrity video network. We’re a new idea that will be a sharing economy at its core. Advertisers pay for
videos and are presented in a non-intrusive way. Fans not only see their favorite celebrities in a new light, but get rewarded for
watching and sharing.”
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At Whiteboard, we help purpose-driven organizations navigate and execute
within the complex digital landscape. The organizations that shape the future
will be the ones that are the most natively digital. Whether we’re helping
you create and launch an innovative app or website, build a digitally-focused
brand, develop and execute a broad digital marketing strategy, or explore the
technological frontiers of artificial intelligence and beyond, we work closely
with our clients and become a core part of your team because the future of our
society is digital.
Our goal is to help our clients create digital environments
for their audiences that feel more
human, not less human. Whether we’re helping
you get your product in the hands of more
customers, find and engage new audiences, or
think with greater imagination, we’re in it with
you to win it. When we join forces with you, that
means we’re joining forces with your mission.
We serve our clients in
three ways:
We consult.
We create.
We teach & facilitate.
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Over the years, Bland Productions and Whiteboard
have collaborated on a variety of projects. Whether
its capturing stories on the streets of New York City,
filming time-lapses off the coast of Miami, or getting
to the root of socioeconomic struggles in Chattanooga,
Tennessee; our work together has always
been anchored in storytelling that inspires people
and makes a difference. Bland Productions continues
to push the boundaries of every project they
work on. They’re dedicated to their craft and have
our full endorsement! In 2018, the state of technology
innovation is going to continue to evolve by leaps
and bounds. From artificial intelligence, machine
learning, self-driving cars, the blockchain, etc.
These technologies will continue becoming our new
normal. We’re excited about embracing our cultural
moment -- and continuing our work to leverage the
internet for good.
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DANIELLE COHN
From Jennifer Cohn, Danielle’s Mother/Manager:
“Dani is a social media influencer who got her following from the
app, Musical.ly. She is becoming an artist. We have worked with Joe
on a ‘Marilyn Monroe’ single, ‘What’s It About You,’ ‘Hate on the
Summer,’ and ‘Little Like Paradise.’ Joe and his co-workers are amazing.
They always do a great job on the projects. They are very professional
and get their work done in a timely manner. Their work is
stunning! Our Marilyn Monroe video received nine million views.”
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WES HARDIN
Wes Hardin is the founder of Phalanx Sports & Entertainment, an events & logistics company
based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Phalanx provides boutique-style service offerings to a variety
of agencies and athletes as they navigate the ever-changing sports and entertainment landscape.
Among the athletes and organizations we have worked with include the Argentina National
Team, Manchester United, Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress, Mike Alstott, HBO and the Sullivan
Media Group.
Wes Hardin
President
Phalanx Sports & Entertainment
“Phalanx is currently embarking on a new initiative to develop
multi-sport complexes and a nationally branded soccer academy, in
conjunction with one of the largest amusement park companies in
the country.
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Phalanx Sports & Entertainment was fortunate to
cast the athletes and specialized background talent
for the first two seasons of HBO’s Ballers where we
met the man behind Bland Productions. Unknown
to most Bland Production fans, Joe has a mean
“Fault” call when serving as a tennis line judge. We
have admired the rise of Bland Productions since
our work together on the set of Ballers. Bland embodies
many of the same qualities that we value at
Phalanx – creativity, innovation, and good old fashioned
hustle. We are very excited about upcoming
opportunities to collaborate on new ventures. 2018
looks to be big year as Phalanx is scheduled to operate
up to nine (9) international friendlies across
the globe. These matches include international superstars
such as Lionel Messi, David De Gea, and
Zlatan Ibrahimovic.”
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Reaching youth is not as simple as sending in a preacher. Kids without
parents first need a loving mentor. Hungry kids need a good meal.
Broken kids need a reason to live.
Vince Sarfraz
Production Coordinator at
Youth For Christ / USA
We are driven by the mission, and in order to reach more kids, we
need to recruit and equip leaders and volunteers in these areas. We
have partnered with Bland Productions to create films that tell the
story of YFC. This team has helped us produce amazingly powerful
stories from the field, especially in cities, including New York City,
Miami, Denver, and more. We are using videos on social media and
private and public events with new and existing partners. Our goal
is to engage our audience with the YFC Mission through video to
help make the stories come alive and increase the number of people
involved.
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The videos Bland Productions produces is helping
us engage our digital audience. The coolest
part is that it gets our YFC staff and volunteers
excited when we post new videos. Powerful videos
telling powerful stories make it impossible for
folks not to share. It is an honor to call Bland Productions
our video partner. Their creativity and
passion is off the charts! They are a pleasure to
work with, and I can always count on getting the
best product possible. We are looking forward to
more specifically producing a series of videos for
virtual story-telling tours that will help us clearly
share the vision and mission of YFC USA to more
people.
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ANDREW COLE
Andrew Cole is a British recording artist with a string of Billboard hits including his single
“Colorblind” with Glenn Morrison. His new recordings include collaborations with
RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson and Blink 182 Drummer Travis Barker. Cole has recorded
tracks with EDM superstars Afrojack, Kryoman and electronic dance legend Erick Morillo.
In the past Andrew has opened concerts for Sir Elton John, Metallica, John Fogerty,
and Lorde, to name a few.
Cole has created a bullying prevention song
and documentary film that consists of 50
world icons singing on one song for bullying
awareness. Icons include Slash, Chad Smith,
Steve Vai, Ozzy Osbourne, Julian Lennon,
and Lemmy of Motorhead, to name a few.
After this caught the eye of former National
Geographic President Adam Leipzig, a documentary
was born documenting his struggle,
titled “#NOJOKE.” The documentary features
a gauntlet of A listers including, Sir Patrick
Stewart, Jane Lynch, Sharon Osbourne,
Cedric the Entertainer, and Charley Sheen.
The movie follows Andrew to
his hometown of Liverpool, on
a journey to peel back the layers
of fear, in an effort to further
understand the bullying epidemic.
During this adventure,
Cole visits leading psychologists
and gurus to uncover the
hidden understandings about
why we bully. “#NOJOKE” will
be released in 2018.
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Andrew was followed, fly-on-the-wall documentary style, during his recent recordings at the The Village
Studios in Santa Monica California, where he is producing of his new album.
“It’s always a pleasure to work with Bland Productions, Joe has the eye to catch magic
and you don’t even know he’s there.” - Andrew
Stay tuned for his new singles, “Ghost,” “Balloons,” and “Walking With Giants,” out this year.
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FHB
Los Angeles based Pop/R&B act FHB is an enigma – an act shrouded
in mystery, cemented in self-empowerment. By withholding any
information regarding brand – age, appearance and all physical attributes
– they ensure that the music and message are at the forefront.
Their music is urban inspired, rhythmic based with a pop appeal, all
while celebrating femininity.
After landing a deal with Dreams World/Sony Entertainment
Group, she released her first single
“Regular,” featuring J.R. (a Trey Songz protégé). The
debut garnered airplay on R&B and rhythmic radio
stations across North America, as well as massive
support from club DJs and over 5 million plays on
SoundCloud.
Bland Productions accompanied FHB and her
squad to Palm Springs for a performance. Every
moment was captured to create an electrifying behind
the scenes look at FHB’s performance for her
fans.
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FHB’s newest single, “Bag” is the second single off of FHB’s upcoming, highly anticipated debut EP. She and
her team at Dream World worked very closely with Bland Productions to create the perfect single artwork
for “Bag”. The EP, which is expected to drop this year, will feature production from Teddy Riley, Jazze Pha,
Luney Tunez, Harmony Samuels, The Starters, and the Aristocrats.
FHB has commanded the spotlight, and fans are eagerly awaiting the debut EP. Look out! There’s plenty
more to come from FHB!
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ANDREW BALEK
Andrew Balek is a freelance post producer who has worked on several television shows,
including, but not limited to: “I’m Dying up Here” (Showtime), “Episodes” (Showtime),
and “Body of Proof ” (ABC). He is currently working on “Taken” (NBC).
THE FUSE
The Fuse is a short story following an electrician
fixing an eerie problem in a house that is staged to
sell. The Fuse is an amalgamation of ideas and actual
events that Andrew dealt with while taking care
of his current house. Bland Productions provided
the backbone of the project, from talented crew to
perfect equipment. Bland Productions provided
the ability to shoot the short in the intended way
and without compromising the final look and feel
for the project.
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This next year, 2018, is going to be a whirlwind of pitches, shorts and several more television shows.
I’m looking forward to the changes and opportunities that await!

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Joe Bland, and Bland Productions, operate and perform their
craft at “the Highest Level” with exceptional professional quality
and production. With their passion to capture and present
the best moments and memories of our events, YFC Champions
will continue to grow and improve each year. Our sincere
thanks and appreciation to Joe Bland and the Bland Productions
team for everything they do for YFC Champions.
Norm Blandel
National Ambassador / Development
at Youth For Christ USA
PGA Master Professional of
PGA of America
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YFC Champions is an event that focuses on bringing glory, thanks, and praise to God for
the many loving relationships who have joined YFC over the years—through their support,
stewardship, and generosity. These folks have helped YFC share the love and hope
in Jesus Christ with young people everywhere. More importantly, they’ve created an
opportunity to develop new, loving relationships to continue to advance our mission of
Youth For Christ through Christian fellowship and the game of golf.
The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs has proven to be an incredibly
special venue, to which, we will return for our third year.
While the golf tournament will continue to be a primary focus,
we do plan to include other activities for our non-golfing partners.
We certainly hope to have another special event to help move the
mission of YFC USA forward in significant ways.
We can’t imagine having a better video production service to
work with! Their quality, cooperation, and professionalism are
unmatched!
Brad Bills
National Field Director – Southwest States
and Pacific Northwest Regions
at Youth for Christ / USA
Chairman – YFC Champions Golf Events
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JORDAN MICHELLE
Michelle is a pop rock singer and songwriter from Great Neck, New York. After working
in local news, focusing her collegiate studies on political science and journalism,
Michelle decided to make a drastic switch to music, after the loss of her best friend and
brother. Her brother was a talented musician, whose life and music career were cut
short. As Michelle reflected, she decided that as long as she was still able, she should be
pursuing music.
Michelle was introduced to the Bland Productions
team when she was hired to play a part in their
show, “Spearos.” “The level of professionalism they
showed was admirable; I truly couldn’t believe how
young they were, and that they had only been in LA
for a few months (at that time).” Fast forward a few
months, I enlisted Joe and his team to shoot a music
video for me. They put so much time and heart into
developing the story, picking locations, and allowing
me to just be the artist, while taking on all other
responsibilities themselves. I’m excited I get to continue
working with them! This time (continued)
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it’ll be on an upcoming music video, which, so far, is
one of my favorite projects with them. In addition,
I’m so excited to be in another Bland Productions
milestone, their first feature film, “Ellipse.” It’s really
cool, because I met them when they first got here,
and I’ve been able to not only watch them grow and
expand, but to journey with them. No matter how
close we’ve become, they have managed to always
keep such a professional presence on set. They always
make me feel like the production is happening
around me, which allows me to strictly focus on the
art, and not the stress of production. Major props to
them, I’m really excited to see what’s next and I’m
happy to be a part of it!
“Lately, I have been in conversation
with a number of
labels and TV producers,
but that’s about all I can say
right now. Definitely be on
the look out for many exciting
things to come this year!”

YFC Camp exists to create an outdoor environment
that invites God to transform the
lives of young people through shared experiences,
outdoor challenges, and times of solitude
that draw students to the heart of God
within the context of authentic relationships
and memorable learning experiences.” In
other terms, YFC Camp is a summer week
long residential camping experience that is
tailored to the teenagers who are a part of a
local YFC ministry. Through the context of
authentic Christ-sharing relationships, we
both articulate and display the
power of the gospel to teenagers
who don’t yet know Jesus.
Molly Ramseyer
National Camping Director at Youth
For Christ USA
“We are privileged to use Bland Productions to show supporters/
donors just how impactful YFC Camp is, which allows for greater
degrees of buy-in and support for the future of YFC Camp. The
videos produced through Bland Productions are of the highest
quality, and are widely accepted by campers, cabin leaders, staff
members and financial supporters.
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“In fact, the camp property owners often ask for
access to Bland footage as well. Bland Productions
creates a degree of excellence that simply cannot be
replicated in other places, thereby raising the overall
quality of the YFC Camp experience to worldclass.
Thank you, Bland Productions, for your commitment
to excellence in the product you produce
and for making YFC Camp a world-class product as
well. We are proud to work with Bland Productions;
they are the best production company, and we feel
privileged to benefit from their hard work. We hope
to keep working with Bland Productions at YFC
Camp, at as many locations as possible. They make
the promotion and execution of camp a top notch
experience.”
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Pearl Companies was founded in 1954 with Pearl Insurance, one of the top brokers in
the United States and is an insurance broker, administrator, and marketer. Pearl
Companies is a privately held, multifaceted organization, consisting of Pearl Insurance,
Pearl Insurance Solutions, Pearl Technology, and Pearl Automotive, which includes
Lexus of Peoria, Peoria Toyota, and Autohaus of Peoria.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Joe Bland, of Bland Productions, on
a video project that required multiple shoots, in multiple cities, over a short
period of time. Working with Joe was not only pleasurable, but he was professional
in his work. The interviews he shot were completed in very few takes
and were instrumental in presentation to our prospective clients.
Not only has Joe shot live video for our company, he has also animated many
product videos used in our client campaigns – one of which won a Silver
Award at PIMA’s 2017 Marketing Methods Competition. I am impressed with
Joe’s range of ability when it comes to video production.
Shannon Warner
Executive Vice President - Marketing & Affinity
Programs at Pearl Companies
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We earn customer and employee loyalty by: Working hard, working smart, and working
together to ever grow our world-class products and provide superior professional and
personal service.
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Midwinter is YFC USA’s national staff and volunteer conference. The
purpose is to gather the YFC family to grow as Christ-centered leaders,
elevate spiritual formation, and celebrate what God is doing, while
unifying around our shared vision.
Cory Huffman
YFC Camp & Conference Director at
Youth For Christ / USA
Bland Productions works with the Midwinter conference to elevate
the quality of the overall event. Bland productions creates
humorous and serious video pieces for all of the main sessions.
These pieces include highlights from the conference, funny skittype
videos, bumpers, and serious thematic videos to enhance
the deeper message of any one session.
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Over the last several years, the quality of video
production at YFC conferences has been enhanced
and upgraded, almost entirely because
of Bland Productions’ work and involvement.
Attendees (and especially guests outside of YFC)
have been continually impressed, and YFC staff
members have gone back to their local chapters
and pushed to upgrade their local video production
to emulate what they have seen from Bland
Productions. All this to say that, Bland Productions
has heavily influenced the field staff and
local chapters in YFC to push toward excellence
in the realm of video production. I can’t wait to
continue to partner with Bland Productions and
take our events to the next level!
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At the beginning of the third quarter in 2017,
the script was completed. “Ellipse”, a Sci-Fi
drama, is the journey of a man, having just
suffered a tremendous loss, who finds that his
self destructive coping methods have put he
and his loyal dog in dire straights.
Grant Martin
Writer, Actor, Director
Bland Productions
Now stranded on an uncharted planet, the captain must face his
emotions without the buffer of alcohol. Captain Rauge’s values are
truly tested when his methods of grieving may cost him the life of
yet another loved one.
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After two years in Hollywood, a couple things became abundantly clear: A strong work
ethic exceeds all other channels or connections to success, and anything they can do, you
can do—period. As simple as this seems, it required loads of time and hard work to fully
grasp. With this new knowledge in our pocket, the Bland Productions team decided it
was time to enter the feature film business.
Things were set in motion as we began location
scouting, prop building, scheduling, and casting.
“It’s not a matter of putting an equal portion of effort
into the different tasks; it’s the understanding
that 100 percent of your effort must go into every
task,” said Grant Martin, “Ellipse” writer and co-director.
This feature is aiming to hit film festivals and
markets all over the world, opening up significant
opportunity in the feature film business for Bland
Productions.
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Meredith
Washburn
Photography

For over a decade I have been telling visual stories as a
photographer and director. I have built a diverse portfolio
as a hybrid photographer (both film and digital)
while traveling the globe and primarily specializing in
outdoor destination weddings, portraits, and editorial
images. I have been awarded Editors Choice Winner
for Two Bright Lights and recognized with features in
Glamour Magazine, Country Living Magazine, Junebug
Weddings, The Knot, Wandering Photographers, and
more. My inspiration for photography stems from
lengthy road trips, chasing grand adventures, and
beautiful landscapes with my husband and two dogs.
I have worked as a photographer and videographer
with Bland Productions on projects ranging from
small to large film productions, music videos, documentaries,
commercial work, and late night TVshows.
I am constantly blown away by the passion,
hard work, vision, and imagination that drives this
team of creatives. I look forward with excitement to
my next collaboration. For 2018 I look forward to
experiencing new places in the United States and
beyond, collaborating on projects with people who
inspire me, and pushing boundaries to make images
that are inventive, unconventional, and timeless.
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Questions for Joe:
What advice do you have about starting a new project?
Joe Bland: “Depends on the project. For the clients that admit to knowing very little about
video production, our advice is simple. Trust us to do our thing. We can create, execute &
deliver a beautiful end result. Other clients are highly skilled in video production, but just
need to oversee the bigger picture. We love to help them visualize that big picture by painting
a clear visual of what we can create! Communication is key for both clients and Bland Productions
to fully understand the direction we are headed and how we plan to get there. Every
project is vastly different, so communication is key.”
What was the easiest and hardest part in creating your first feature film, “Ellipse?”
Joe Bland: “Creating a feature film is no small task. It’s extremely time consuming and doesn’t
allow much space for rest and refuel. I found myself making hard sacrifices for the few
months I created a project of this caliber. It can become all consuming. The actual filming
of Ellipse was probably the easiest part. We simply show up and start filming. Committing
to a feature film is probably the hardest part! Grant and I spent months planning out every
aspect for each scene. We even mapped out how many extension cords we needed on set!
The beginning and ending of the film is truly the most difficult. The beginning - planning as
much of your film as possible; and the ending - getting your film to market. It’s not fun, but
extremely necessary.”
Why should clients spend more money on a professional?
Joe Bland: “It always comes down to problem solving. Professionals
have been through the trenches. They can visualize
problems before they happen. If a new problem comes
up, they have “Plan B” ready to go. If a lens is dirty, they
have cleaning solution on set. If a drone falls out of the sky,
they have a backup drone. Every professional has a backup
plan ready to go. At the end of the day, a professional delivers
a quality product in a timely manner. Less headaches for
the client.”
How do you plan for the future? Are there any products or software that stand out to
you?
Joe Bland: “Have short term (1-3 months), mid term (6-12 months), and long term (1-5
years) goals. My short term goals are always about how to partner, and pay the bills . My mid
term goals are projects like “Ellipse”, that will help our company reach the long term goal.
Technology is advancing so quickly right now. Most of our gear has a 3-5 year shelf life. We
have to be smart about purchases and make sure it fits our workflow. Artificial Intelligence is
getting pretty savvy at video editing. Someone could shoot a music video within four hours
and A.I. could spit out a final video within 30 seconds. That being said, the need for content
will grow exponentially.”
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Anything more to add?
Joe Bland: “Treat every job the same - whether you donate your time, or whether it’s a paid
gig. Always keep it professional and stay focused. Whatever you create will have your name
attached to it. Practice your work ethic even on the simple, non-paid jobs, you’ll benefit
from it in the long run. If you slack off for a minor project, you are training yourself to slack
off for an important project. My video interest stems from 11-year-old me making my first
home video. I still use some of those techniques today. Never think you’ve made it to the top.
Always create. Find a mentor. Stay humble. Read often and learn new things.
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“My name is Ryan Anderson, and
I’m married to the beautiful Lauren
Anderson. We’ve been married
for four years, and just celebrated
our son, Jet’s first birthday!
We live in Peoria, Illinois. I do all
kinds of things to stay busy, but
I spend most of my time working
with high school students
through the ministry of Campus
Life, and helping my wife, Lauren,
run our wedding photography
business.
Ryan Anderson
Host
“I had the honor of hosting ‘Thursday Nights with Ryan Anderson!’ Think of it as a
smaller version of ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.’ I would interview guests, deliver
the monologue, and even act in sketches we performed for the show. I also served as
content writer, behind the scenes.
Thursday Nights with Ryan Anderson was a talk show that would stream live, online, every Thursday
night. Our hope was to highlight local talent within the community. We hosted musicians, performers,
and others to highlight the stories and lives of people in central Illinois, an area that might not normally
have a platform to tell their stories. We provided a space for people to laugh, have fun, and enjoy being on
the show, in the live audience, or an
online viewer.
“My favorite memory from the show
is when Kyle got his chest waxed on
the air. Every week we would do a
segment called “Kyle does something
for the first time” - my co-host Kyle
Holmes laid down and got waxed - I
don’t know if I have ever laughed so
hard in my life (especially at someone
else’s pain).
“Bland Productions did such an awesome job with the show—not only did they allow us to share the stories
of local people within the community who deserved to be highlighted, but they gave us a space to add
humor and fun, as well. The show was professionally done, and no one would’ve guessed we were executing
it on a shoestring budget, in the attic of a coffee shop!
“For this next year, I’m excited to see what Bland Productions does next. I’m also excited to continue finding
ways to learn and share in the stories of others, even if it isn’t on TV.”
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Kyle Holmes
Co-host Extraordinaire
Kyle Holmes is a renaissance man. While he
has a passion for live theater and comedy, he
finds himself working in the construction
industry as a preconstruction manager. He
loves spending time in his home city of Minneapolis,
Minnesota with his wife (Anna) and
dog (Geno).
“We told and explored the hard-hitting stories
of central Illinois through the eyes of a
couple of goofballs, while celebrating local
talent and art. My favorite was a joke that
was funny enough to distract the camera and
audio crew. Unfortunately, that joke was unable
to be aired on the show due to its ‘inappropriate
nature.’ Bland Productions was the
most professional crew I’ve had the pleasure
of working with. Joe and his team were always
prepared and ready for anything, while making
it fun and exciting. Up next, I have big
plans to do some traveling, both in the states
and abroad.”
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Lauren Anderson
Photographer at
Lauren Anderson Photography
Daughter of the King, wife of Ryan, & momma to Jet. Central
Illinois is where we call home & I have the honor of serving
people on one of the biggest days of their lives as a wedding
photographer. I’d like to think I am creative but I like to live
my life with order & organization. People inspire me & I am
a big fan of birthdays & I try to find a way to celebrate everything!
Bland Productions Shout Out: Imperium was the second
movie I partnered with Bland Productions for & there is a
reason for that. I love being around people who are passionate
about what they do & Joe & his crew absolutely radiated that
love. While I am in no way a true actress, the cast & crew were
extremely professional & made filming fun.
Ben Brown
182nd Airlift Wing
Illinois Air National Guard
“I have an incredible and supportive family (Manda, Josh,
Bekah, Jessie). I work at the Peoria Air National Guard in the
Maintenance Squadron. I also had the privilege of playing Neil
Brown in “Imperium,” a Bland Production short film. Joe did
a great job leading the project, and he’s surrounded by an incredible
family who make up Bland Productions. I have awesome
memories from my experience working on ‘Imperium,’
from riding in a helicopter all over the city to filming in the
third story of the old Speakeasy. “Imperium” was a blast. In my
personal life, I’m looking forward to traveling to New Zealand
and Antarctica with the military.”
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Cory Herman
Post Production
20th Century Fox
Cory previously worked at Amazon and Black Valley Films.
“Joe’s guerilla-style filming, in the middle of the night, in
downtown Chicago, was Werner Herzog tactics at its finest.
Given the limited time and resources, Bland did a great job!
I believe Imperium is a testament to what can be done when
you are forced to be creative (with very little), and you have a
goal-focused team.”
CJ Fisher
Juvenile Justice Ministry Director
Youth for Christ
“There were a lot of great moments and friendships built while
working on ‘Imperium,’ but my favorite was when Joe (director/producer)
got his car keys stuck in the lip of his trunk,
and we had to break into his car to unlock it. I felt like a real
undercover agent. Imagine a group of people breaking into a
car, in the middle of the night, in a Chicago parking garage. It
would have taken one phone call from an observant passerby,
to get ahold of the police. That would’ve been a hard one to
explain. Bland Productions is a fantastic company to work for.
Joe and the team were always professional, but personable as
well. They take time to go over every detail to make sure the
production is excellent.”
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19
Upon the exciting venture from Illinois to California, Bland Productions was in a state of
[sheer] drive and passion, and the move to California solidified its “freight train”
persona. This passion had no chance of slowing down. The hope was to produce a film
project that reflected their personal journey of unknowns and new life in
California—excitement, fear, screw-ups, thrills, and adventures. Thus, “Spearos” was
born.
The concept was easy. Two simple boys and their dog move to California to start spear fishing. Three friends doing something
they had never done before—learning by fire, staying focused, no matter what problems surface—and not stopping until their
goal was met.
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Bland Productions won a prestigious award of merit from the
Accolade Global Film Competition. The award was given for
Bland Productions Web Series, “Spearos,” which features an
exceptional story line, talent, location, visuals, sound, and editing.
Producer Joe Bland, said “Spearos was one of the toughest
productions I’ve ever worked on. It wasn’t just a story on a
screen but very parallel to our real lives. We left our hometown
in, Pekin, Illinois. We said the hard goodbyes, sold nearly all
of our possessions, minus the video gear (*chuckle*), and we
moved to LA in pursuit of this web series and feature filmmaking.”
The Accolade Award recognized film, television,
videography, and new media professionals who demonstrate
exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those
who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound
social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified
professionals in the film and television industry. Upon winning
an Accolade, Bland Productions joins the ranks of other
high-profile winners of this internationally
award, including the Oscar-winning production of “The Lady
in Number Six” by Malcolm Clarke, the talented Dave Bossert
of Disney for his short documentary, “The Tunes Behind the
Toons,” Hollywood industry veteran Ron Howard, for “When
You Find Me,” and Highwire Films Australia for its popular
ABC TV series, “Twentysomething.” Rick Prickett, who chairs
the Accolade Global Film Competition, had this to say about
the latest winners: “The Accolade is not an easy award to win.
Entries are received from around the world, from powerhouse
companies to remarkable new talent. The Accolade helps set
the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were pleased
with the exceptional high quality of “Spearos.” The goal of The
Accolade is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.”
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BlandProductions.com
Services:
Feature Films
Documentaries
TV / Web / Pilots
Music Videos
Promotional Videos
Motion Graphics
Visual Effects
Sizzle Reels
Compositing
Color
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