Two days after its release on YouTube, "Nerf John Wick" has racked up over two million views and counting. So, I reached out to Corridor Digital to learn more about the people and techniques behind its making.
Childhood friends Sam Gorski and Niko Pueringer found their filmmaking when they created their YouTube channel, Sam and Nico, back in 2010. They are now the the creators, directors, owners, and faces of Corridor Digital. They produce alongside their team: Jake Watson (partner, executive producer, and creative producer), Wren Weichman (head VFX artist and editor), David Carmichael (showrunner, shooter, producer, and editor), Nick Laurant (shooter and editor), and Christian Fergerstrom (business manager, creative producer, and production manager).
So, aside from this team, with their adventure-driven and humorous take on filmmaking, what has made "Nerf John Wick" such a big hit? Christian pointed me to two behind-the-scenes videos, the first being the "Secret Sounds of Nerf John Wick," where David Carmichael talks about the sound design and how they created the intense audio for the Nerf Blasters. With limited audio experience, a Zoom H4nSP Recorder, an Aputure Deity Condenser Shotgun Microphone Kit, Adobe Premiere CC, and Adobe Audition CC, David was able to create an impactful audio performance, which without a doubt contributed greatly to their viral success.
The second behind the scenes video, "Nerf John Wick & Stunts!", peeks in on the team's stunt philosophy and choreographic process. The most relevant info is between the time frames of 3:31 and 6:40, but watch the whole thing for more insight and some well-earned t-shirt plugs.
And there you have it. Watching their videos, I can't help feeling that the team does what they do for the fun and the love of filmmaking. And in the end, that is what made their latest creation such a hit. If you dig their work as much as I do, check out some more of their videos on Corridor Digital's YouTube Channel.
