This rather whimsical film about running on Route 66 is a project for the International Association of Administrative Professionals:
IAAP | Route 66 from Blue Coffee Pictures on Vimeo.
Blue Coffee Pictures explains:
This Kansas City-based organization wanted a film that inspired members to give back to the not-for-profit and have some fun along the way. The idea was for the group to host a virtual walk along Route 66. Every dollar pledged to the organization would equal one virtual mile they would collect on the 2,000-mile journey west. Those dollars would earn participants badges at 16 different iconic locations along the route.
Matt and I came up with the concept of leaving the “virtual” part behind. Instead, we showed members what it would look like if you actually tried to walk Route 66. We knew it couldn’t just be Matt: it had to be a character. The end idea was a fanny-pack donning, knee-sock wearing mix of Forrest Gump and Napoleon Dynamite — which Matt pulled off to perfection.
We filmed in 14 different historical stops along Route 66, driving day and night to make sure we hit the right spots at the right time, guaranteeing beautiful light. Adrenaline pumped in as we got to Anaheim and filmed the IAAP’s Board of Directors welcoming Matt, as our character, to the virtual finish line.
Three days. 2,000 miles. 14 stops. More than 200GB of footage.
For a bit of context, here’s the running scene from “Forrest Gump.” You’ll see the Santa Monica Pier and Twin Arrows in Arizona along the way: