We had the good fortune of connecting with Jonathan and Atreyu Hasenstab, and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonathan | Atreyu, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
“Filming is quite a time commitment, and many people may not realize the amount of planning and experimentation required to get the right shot. For example, take a fifteen-second product advertisement; sometimes, a project like that can take an entire day to film, as every little variable must be controlled. How will the product be moved and/or rotated through the shot? Where will the camera be placed, and what lens are you using? From which angle should the lighting be coming? What bulb are you using to light the shot? Should the light be diffused? Which diffuser will you use for the lighting? All of these things must be accounted for in a shot that may last for all but a few moments, and while it may sound overly pedantic, it’s surprising how easily a viewer can notice when something about a shot feels weird or unnatural, and that will subconsciously affect their perception of the product itself.”

– Jonathan Hasenstab

“An aspect of my industry that outsiders are probably unaware of is the immense amount of work and experience used to create a final image. Shooting a commercial can be split into three phases: pre-production, production, and post-production.

Pre-production involves all the planning and scripting. We get to know the brand we are working with in order to decide what specific colors, props, and shots should be incorporated into the ad. In pre-production, you also want to anticipate problems that can occur in production and post-production.

Production is when you actually film the commercial. A lot of commercial work involves understanding materials and how they react with light, heat, reflections, and rigging. You must understand scene composition, lighting, set design, and know how to use special camera equipment. Sometimes, we’ll also get to build cool rigs to launch products and ingredients into the air for certain shots.

Post-production is where you edit your footage, which can entail visual effects, color grading, and audio mixing. You also need knowledge of copyright law and licensing. Editing is often used to hide mistakes or imperfections in existing footage, or otherwise modify footage to enhance it visually, so most of the time, a viewer will not realize the amount of editing or visual effects that went into a commercial; that’s usually a good thing because it means the editor’s work blended in naturally with the footage.”

– Atreyu Hasenstab

Alright, so let’s move onto what sets you apart from others.
“Working together as a sibling duo provides for a unique dynamic when we plan shots out, as we have a long-developed understanding of the way each of us thinks or communicates when trying to flesh out ideas for projects like music videos. This works well in tandem with our different interests, as my music background helps me specialize in planning out music videos to match the mood of an artist’s song, while my brother’s filmography background helps him specialize in all the technical aspects of the equipment and editing we need to make those videos a reality. We’ve worked together long enough that we’ve gleaned some of these skills from one another, which only helps to further solidify our dynamic.”

– Jonathan Hasenstab

“What sets us apart from others is how my brother and I work together. At the core, we can be honest with each other’s work. We know that we are not set out to hurt each other’s feelings or expressions; we want to make the work as unique and professional as we possibly can. Many people I have worked with know something is off about their work but can’t pinpoint why. Jonathan and I are able to determine why something feels off and improve the edit or shot. We have also developed the required film terminology in order to describe how to shoot certain scenes, engineer rigs, or develop a visual effect.”

– Atreyu Hasenstab

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
“There are a few obvious places that come to mind if I wanted to show someone around Tucson, including: the Reid Park Zoo; the Roadhouse Cinema; the University of Arizona; and the Pima Air & Space Museum, and of course, the airplane boneyard near the Davis Monthan Air Force Base. Eatery-wise, In-n-Out, eegee’s, and Bahama Buck’s are always great hangout places. In particular, I’d absolutely take a friend to the Old Peking Chinese Restaurant, where—for a surprisingly affordable price—you’ll get some fantastic Chinese cuisine with serving sizes that almost overflow from their plates and takeout boxes.”

– Jonathan Hasenstab

“If my best friend was visiting Tucson, we would go on hikes to Seven Falls, Cienega Creek, and Mt. Lemmon. They would have to experience a sunset and the night stars at Windy Point. Like my brother, I would also show them around the University of Arizona and go see the Pima Air and Space Museum. For places to eat, they would have to try sonoran dogs and carne asada fries. I like Vivace’s Italian Restaurant for the food and view. We would eat at Raijin Ramen and Obon for ramen, Izumi for sushi, and Divine Bovine for the best burgers.”

– Atreyu Hasenstab

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
“I’d shout out our parents, Raymond and Deonita. They’ve played a strong role in our success through their ongoing support of our film endeavors. After all, our interests in film started out with us filming comedic sketches for high school assignments in our parent’s garage, and things just blossomed from there.”

– Jonathan Hasenstab

“I would like to shout out Tyler Lidwell at Lidwell Creative. I was able to witness the growth of his company and his tenacity in overcoming all obstacles. He began his studio with a small 12’ by 12’ room with panel LEDs, 200-watt lights, and no air conditioning. It wasn’t much, but he made outstanding commercials in that studio. He created media that looked like it was shot in a huge studio by some big leagues in Los Angeles. In fact, some of Eegee’s commercials were shot in that studio! Now, he has a huge studio with lots of rigging equipment, lights, backdrops, and props, and he has taught me invaluable skills in filmography and set design, in addition to teaching me a lot of the business side of freelance. He motivated and inspired me to establish my own LLC.”

– Atreyu Hasenstab

Website: https://www.hasenstabbrothers.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hasenstabbrothers/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hasenstab-brothers/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HozBrothers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hasenstabbrothers

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPvMCd7cb7tQFuGA6vDPMjQ

Other: Never Ending Music Video YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHGRDy9DUrHgmV6bfNK7zQg Never Ending Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverending.ne/ Atreyu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/executeatreyu.exe/ Atreyu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atreyu-hasenstab-973ba01a1

Image Credits
Photos provided by Griffin Riley, Alex Simpson, Tyler Lidwell, and the Hasenstab Brothers.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.