Chicago Doesn’t Come to Play, We Come to Fight!
From growing up in Vietnam watching taped WWE replays, wrestling my brothers and cousins on stacked chairs, tables, and couches, breaking half the furniture trying to hit those moves… to watching CM Punk, a figure who made the impossible feel real… to now actually collaborating with Phil himself on the Cubs’ Fly the W postseason hype film.
Somebody pinch me, cuz am I dreaming?
If you told 13-year-old Anh back in Hanoi that one day I’d not only meet my hero but also creatively lead and DP a piece with him, and then see it play live at Wrigley Field on video board in front of 41,000 fans for October Baseball, I would’ve said you must be 🤪🧢. This feeling? Impossible to explain.
They say don’t meet your heroes, but I’m glad I did. CM Punk carried the exact grit and presence this piece demanded, and it couldn’t have lined up any better.
Special thanks to Sarah Peñalver, a true advocate from the start who always had my back to make sure the creative came through. And to Cubs Productions, Cubs Social, and the Cubs org for backing the vision and pulling the team together while a million other things were going on. Forever grateful! 🫶❤️🙏
Credits
Executive Producers: Jen Martindale, Matt Romito Directors: Adam Sobel, Anh Vo Writers: Anh Vo, Adam Sobel Producer / AD: Andre Lewis Producer / Talent: Jade Brown Producer / Social: Sarah Peñalver
Talent: CM Punk Partners: WWE
CAMERA DP / Color: Anh Vo Ronin Op: Andy Cat 1st AC: Doris Pan 2nd AC: Gary Walker II BTS: Jack Phillips Social: Jeff Hopkins
G&E Gaffer: Matt Bordman Key Grip: Henry Fingerman Swing: Corey Surratt Ballpark Lights: Ethan Levy
SOUND Mixer: David Rivera
ART Wardrobe: Vichcraft
POST Offline Editor: Andre Lewis Online Editor / Motion Design: Jack Phillips VFX Supervision: Shane English
ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE Game & Archival Footage: Cubs Productions Drone Work: Soaring Badger Productions
365 days ago, we had too much fun making the Opening Day - Be Here For It spot for @cubs ⚾️
Almost time to take a baddie to the ballgame again @whip_pan9408900 😉
6 Emmys for Cubs Prod 🏆 WOW! 🙈 So honored and proud to be part of this amazing team.
And for the Japan Series Spot: Two Worlds, One Dream to win Outstanding Achievement for Sports Promo is truly a dream come true.
Grateful for the trust, creativity, and support from the org that allow us to tell unique stories with heart and purpose.
Blessed for this journey and excited for what’s ahead. 💙
From the first shots of spring training to the chills of Opening Day, through summer heat waves, fall chills, snow, and rain delays, we had our cameras rolling.
From 5 a.m. mornings in the cold to 11 p.m after walk-off wins, let alone covering 80+ home games, we sure captured it all.
This is more than just a highlight reel. It’s the late nights editing, the scripts rewritten, the music chosen with care. It’s color grading until it feels just right, it’s hauling gear blocks and blocks to the ballpark, and it’s adapting to the unpredictable rhythm of a baseball season.
This project is special to us. Even after 16 versions, it still moves me every time, because somehow everything came together just right. We made this together, with everyone wearing different hats, overcoming obstacles. In our own way, every artist on this team live, train and breathe as the athletes ourselves too.
We’re proud of what we’ve built, and even more excited for what the future brings tomorrow.
This is just the end of the beginning.
October is Why.
A Cubs Production Original
Okay last one before this “cinematic” trend gets too old. Our very first elaborate one-take from film school, pretty happy with how it turned out 🤭
Written & Directed by Will Schneider
Produced by Joshua Dreymann, Caitlin Presberg, Wesley Orlowski, Will Schneider
DP Anh Vo
Production Designer Nicole Tsai
Edited by Charlie Kessler
Starring:
Melanie McNulty as Kelsey
Julie Roberts as Janet
Joshua Dreymann as Josh
1st AD Ting-Yu Chang
2nd AD Rou Wang
Script Supervisor Yu-Wei Chang
Intimacy Coordinator Caitlin Presberg
Production Assistants Cassie Calhoun-Liebnow, Calvic Covaciu, Lulu Pearson, Jimmy Roberts, Briar Rose Rood
Camera Dept.
1st AC Jacob Ocker
2nd AC Joe Real
Camera Op Yijun Pan
Steadicam Op Miles Royal
G&E
Gaffer Jay Nicholls
Key Grip Atlas Zhou
Swing Vanessa Arce
Swing Laura Berry
Swing Ann Chong
Art Dept.
Art Director Blake Bonaparte
Costume Designer Li Cheng Hung
Set Decorator Kamiah Mitchell
Key Makeup Artist Corrine Ashley
Sound
Mixer Manny Rodriguez
Boom Op Antonio Macias
Editor Travis Duffield
Re-recording Mixer Travis Duffield
Post Dept.
Editor/DIT Charlie Kessler
Colorist Sam Howells
One of my favorite sequences from Come Out, Wherever You Are, loved bringing this moment to life 🫶
*Now playing in “glorious” 5120x1080 🤣*
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director – Caitlin Presberg
Writer/Producer – Dan Burns
1st AD | Slate – Micheal Muro
Script Supervisor – Abigail Oltrogge
Covid Compliance Officer – Shelly Haslbauer
PAs – Porter Webb, Mara Flynn, Kassidy Hokanson, Natalie Goodman, Chase Morgan Hulett, Shawna Johnson, Jordyn Rae
Still Photographer – Isaac Rowland
CAMERA TEAM
DP – Anh Vo
1st AC – Izzac Nixon
2nd AC – Jake Ames
G&E TEAM
Gaffer – Erik Resel
Key Grip – Tyler Grutsch
Swing – Jaqueline Ratliff
ART TEAM
Production Designer – Susan Presberg
MUA – Casey Stuckey
SOUND TEAM
Sound Mixer – Ted Robinson
POST TEAM
Editor – Alina Solvechevska
DIT/On-Set Editor – Kai Robertson
Sound Design/Re-Recording Mixer – Enhanced Media
Music – Paul Bedal with Katie Burns
VFX – Tape Slate Production
Color – QuickSilver Color
CAST
Verne – Blake De Pastino
Pete – Douglas “Hurricane” Hall
Marge – Amber Mason
Marion – Marilyn Bass
EXTRAS
Katie Lane, Susan Presberg, Wayne Hollander, Robb Miller, Eric Nygard, Judy Nygard, Natalie Goodman
From the archives: a one-take we shelved 5 years ago. Never made the final spot, but IG’s new aspect ratio finally gave it a reason to see daylight the way we intended🥹
Director: Adam Sujic
Producer/UPM: Kyle Goldhoff
1st AD: Rou Wang
Stills/PA: David Cerda
PA: Isabella Murray
PA: Kyle Moorhouse
Camera
DP/Color: 🫶
1st AC: Jacob Ocker
2nd AC: Doris Pan
Steadicam: Miles Royal
G&E
Gaffer: Vincent Prochoroff
Key Grip: John Nicholls
Art
Production Designer: Kaymia Li
MUA: Lauren Litwin
Art Dept PA: Natasha Dragoi
Location Sound
Mixer: Cesar Ortega
Post
DIT/Editor: Charlie Kessler
Cast
Frank: John Fonseca
Aveline: Courtney Fleaka
Adem: Adem Sujic
