CRAFT AND COMMITMENT WITH COMEDIAN AND ACTOR FRED ARMISEN
Questlove and Fred Armisen dig into the impact of commitment on one’s creative work, discussing Armisen’s journey from drummer to SNL cast member to comic actor. The episode further explores commitment as it applies to improvisation with a documentary on the Upright Citizen’s Brigade featuring improvisational actor Carl Tart. Finally, the segment investigates The Balvenie’s unconventional commitment to the ancient craft of floor malting, which requires the distillery to maintain its own barley farm, large malting floor and staff of maltsters.
A “conversational investigation” of craft and creativity, each episode of Quest for Craft explores a specific theme, combining free-wheeling dialogue between Questlove and a fellow creative along with other interviews, animations and documentary segments. The main conversations are filmed at the iconic Electric Lady Studios in New York City (commissioned by Jimi Hendrix in 1968).
Questlove describes this series “educational TV for adults - I follow my curiosity wherever it leads and I never fail to learn. As a creator, I am increasingly moving from a head space to a heart space and this season reflects that. We’re interested in how people’s passion drives and improves their work. And surprisingly, it turns out I have a lot in common with a 131-year-old whisky based in rural Scotland.”
The Balvenie is committed to its distillery not just as a place of production, but as a community of makers. This commitment to maintaining a collective of craftspeople working together brings invaluable skill, knowledge, experience and passion to every stage of the whisky-making process. The partnership with Questlove allows the whisky maker to explore the very creativity and craftsmanship that drove the family-owned distillery to begin making scotch in the first place.
Quest for Craft Season One launched in 2021 with episodes featuring The Godmother of Punk, singer-songwriter Patti Smith, SNL comedian Michael Che and more. The season won the 2021 Shorty Award in the Industry: Wine, Beer & Spirits and 2021 Brand Film Award in the Consumer Goods categories. In 2022, Quest for Craft Season Two highlighted conversations with GRAMMY Award-winning musician Mark Ronson, professional ballet dancer Misty Copeland, and others, which earned the show the 2023 Webby Award for Series (Branded) Video.
Now in its third season, the series continues to peel back the curtain through new perspectives, unveiling the uniquely human attributes and deep intrinsic values that elevate something from great to exceptional. With insight from some of the world’s most creative minds, the series uncovers the nuances integral to the creative process through their own pursuit of craft across music, dance, writing, comedy and the whisky-making process.
CREW CREDITS:
Director - Trevor Undi
Executive Producer - Rob Meyer
Producer - DC Saxton
Associate Producer - Kecia Romiel
Supervising Producer - Matthew Thurm
DP - Ming Jue Hu
1st AC - Steven Tong
2nd AC/DIT - Nicole Lehrman
2nd AC - Jonathan Rodriguez
Cam B - Tinx Chan
Cam C - Jono Daudoin
Cam D - Jon Chen
Gaffer - Julian Tran
Key Grip - Harrison Rusk
Grip - Lucien Raffaele
Best Boy - Aaron Herschlag
Best Boy Grip - Jean Luc Boon
Swing/Truck Driver - Noah Yu Schifrin
Production Designer / Props - Cassia Maher
Art Assistant - Shawn O’Connor
Art Assistant - Jay Rivera
Assistant Director - Alicia Pillar
Sound Mixer - Dennis Rainaldi
HMU - Tiphereth Danger
Driver/PA - Jade Hunter
PA - Leslie Castandesta
PA - Anthony Valdes-Strickler
PA - Livia Santos
Stand in - Edgar Alvarez
Questlove Wardrobe Stylist - Kah Li Haslam
Questlove Hair Stylist - Elliott Simpson
Questlove Makeup Artist - Kim Braisin-Winsor
Still Photographer - Michael Schwartz
Still Photographer 1st Assitant - Nate Margolis
Still Photographer Tech - Dallas Raines
POST CREDITS:
Editors -- Connor Kailsta , Corry Wiens
Colorist - Andrew Ceen
Assistant Editor - Danny Garfield
Sound Design & Mix - Pattrick Donahue, String and Can
Additional Footage - Provided by Film Supply
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The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky ©2023 Managed by William Grant & Sons Inc. New York, NY. 43% Alc./Vol. Must be of legal drinking age to engage (21+). Handcrafted to be enjoyed responsibly.