CRAFT AND VOICE WITH EMMY-WINNING WRITER LENA WAITHE

Questlove and Lena Waithe go deep into issues around the importance of voice and creativity. In an animated segment, Questlove explains how he developed his own voice, first as a musician and now as a filmmaker. Note: Interview with Lena Waithe was recorded prior to the The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

Exploration of voice continues with a segment examining how it applies to the craft of whisky making. Balvenie Malt Master, Kelsey McKechnie, discusses the creative dynamic between upholding the house style of the 130+ year-old brand while also bringing it forward with new ideas.
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 – Tommy Espinal
2nd AC – Jonathan Rodriguez
Cam B – Tinx Chan
Cam C – Jono Daudoin
Cam D – Jon Chen
Gaffer – Julian Tran
Key Grip – Jean Luc Boon
Grip – Lucien Raffaele
Best Boy – Aaron Herschlag
Best Boy Grip – Liam Murphy
Swing/Truck Driver – Noah Yu Schifrin
Production Designer / Props – Cassia Maher
Art Assistant – Maddie Kruse
Art Assistant – Jay Rivera
Assistant Director – JP Bouchard
Sound Mixer – Wesley Grant
HMU – Tiphereth Danger
Driver/PA – Anthony Valdes-Strickler
PA – Alexis Aguilar
PA – Jennifer Garcia
Stand in – Jasiel Louison
Questlove Wardrobe Stylist – Kah Li Haslam
Questlove Hair Stylist – Elliott Simpson
Questlove Makeup Artist – Kim Braisin-Winsor
Lena Waithe Wardrobe Stylist – Jason Bolden
Still Photographer – Michael Schwartz
Still Photographer 1st Assitant – Eric Bouthiller
Still Photographer Tech – Dallas Raines

POST CREDITS:
Editors -- Connor Kailsta , Corry Wiens
Colorist – Andrew Ceen
Assistant Editor – Danny Garfield
Sound Design & Mix – Brian Bracken, 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.