In our feature documentary, “Craft of Speed,” we tell the incredible story of MOONEYES, one of the most famous brands in motorsports. While many people know and love their attention-grabbing logo of two eyes glancing to the side, few people know the long history of the company, which started in the hey day of hot rodding in the 1950s. Our film takes you behind this renowned logo to its rich human story.
For 30 years, Shige Suganuma and Chico Kodama, two Japanese/Japanese American hot rodders, helped save Moon Equipment Company, an iconic American speed parts company, rebrand it as MOONEYES, preserve legendary founder Dean Moon’s legacy, and popularize hot rod culture in Asia. As Asian/Asian American pioneers in their industry, they battled against racism and xenophobia and ultimately created a global following. Now, Shige is attempting to grow hot rod culture despite declining interest in hot rods, and Chico is handcrafting a new race car to try to break a second land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats.
My team and I started the project in October 2019. After four years of passionate work, the film is now completed. We survived the devastating pandemic, tough economy, widespread social unrest, and many technical challenges. Our film wouldn’t be possible without the support of Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, Dean Moon, Jr., the Mooneyes family, our sponsors, donors, and supporters.
I served as the Producer/Writer/Director as well as the Director of Photography/Editor/Colorist. For more complex interviews or larger scale events, I worked with Tuan Tran as a Producer/Co-Director of Photography. He did all of the gimbal and drone photography. We also recorded our own sound. In addition, we did our own behind-the-scenes photography.
Because of the pandemic, it was difficult and cost-prohibitive to travel to Japan with long quarantine times. So I worked with a local crew to film the scenes there: Kan Taniguchi, Producer; Peter Grasse, Producer/Mr. Positive; Meng Du, Assistant Producer/Mr. Positive; and James Honeycutt, Director of Photography.
The film’s 4096 X 1716/2.39:1 aspect ratio was inspired by the epic landscape of the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and Chico’s long rear engine modified roadster. Framing, composition, and camera movement were very precise to convey the craftsmanship of Mooneyes in creating their famed speed parts. Wide framing with ample negative space were used to express the loneliness of the craftsmen in their demanding work. The camera was often voyeuristic, peeking through windows or doorways to get a glimpse of the inner world of the craftsmen.
In the scenes of the breathtaking Bonneville Salt Flats, I was influenced by some of my favorite nature photographers, Ansel Adams and Sebastiao Salgado. In the scenes of the MOONEYES craftsmen and the vintage machines in the historic MOONEYES Machine Shop, I paid homage to the industrial photography of Irving Penn and Lewis Hine.
Because of my subject of passing history, I explored the Japanese concept of “mono no aware” (“the pathos of things” or “sadness about the impermanence of things”) through the film’s aesthetics, specifically nuanced framing, composition, camera movement, and editorial pacing.
I’m a huge admirer of Edward Hopper’s transcendent artwork. While he’s described as a realist painter, his paintings often depict scenes that are very evocative and even melancholic. Even though it wasn’t intentional, I think that in conveying the complex idea of “mono no aware,” the film resonates with Hopper’s powerful artwork.
Inspired by Japanese folding “byobu” screens that depict expansive narrative, historical, and natural scenes, I tried to replicate them cinematically with long pans that slowly reveal its subject matter and invite the viewer to contemplate the images and their meaning.
The film is observational in its approach. So I needed to be nimble, responsive, and unobtrusive. I modeled my approach after photojournalists and video journalists who work and travel with minimal gear. This required a camera kit that was small, light, fast, and powerful.
After a lot of research, I chose the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 as my main camera. Because it’s a micro four thirds camera, it’s very compact. I paired it with an equally small Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 II ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lens, which covered most of my shooting.
The GH5 is also very powerful, being able to shoot Cinema 4K (4096 X 2160) at 400 Mbps, 4:2:2/10 bit, ALL-Intra. When it came out in 2017, it was one of the highest spec’d cameras in a small form factor, with a relatively low pricepoint. I shot everything in V-LOG L in order to, as Panasonic claims, “gain wide dynamic range with 12 stops.” The GH5’s image quality is beautiful—sharp with natural colors. Its Dual I.S. feature allowed me to shoot handheld and not need a gimbal.
My Co-D.P., Tuan, owns a Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S, which is a nice complement to my GH5 for lowlight shooting. He also has a Panasonic Lumix DC-GH4, which we used for a C camera or backup camera. In addition to a collection of Panasonic and Canon lenses, he has a set of fast Rokinon prime lenses, which we used for shallow depth-of-field interviews.
Tuan was also equipped with a Canon C70, and our Second Unit/D.P. in Japan, James Honeycutt, was outfitted with a Canon C300 Mark II. Both cameras matched well with the GH5 and GH5S.
To film Chico Kodama doing land speed racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats and create an immersive feel, I used the GoPro Hero8 Black and GoPro Hero9 Black, mounted on the side of Chico’s race car. Both cameras have HyperSmooth 2.0 and 3.0 electronic image stabilization, respectively, which effectively eliminates any camera shake.
Because the GH5’s LCD is a bit small for my eyes, I chose an Atomos Ninja V for monitoring. At 5 inches, it’s the ideal size for easy viewing. Plus, it’s the perfect size to match the GH5’s compact body. With 1,000 cd/m2 (nits) brightness, it’s bright enough for most outdoor situations. However, at the Bonneville Salt Flats, I had to add a SmallRig cage and sunhood to the Ninja V to block out the blinding sun and reflective salt.
I appreciated all of the Ninja V’s monitoring tools, including the waveform monitor, focus peaking, aspect ratio guides, and 2X magnification. I loved how it could shoot to ProRes 422 HQ, allowing me to easily view the footage on a QuickTime player and immediately edit it on Adobe Premiere Pro without having to transcode it first, which is time consuming.
For the Ninja V’s storage, I opted for a Sony AtomX SSDmini, which fits flush with the back of the monitor. With its whopping 2TB size, I could shoot an entire day without changing the SSD and spending precious time downloading it. The SSD was ideal for long interviews because I didn’t have to keep switching out SD cards and disrupt the interviews.
To mount the Ninja V onto the GH5, I used a combination of a beautiful, strong 8Sinn cage and inexpensive, but well-made SmallRig parts. I love shooting handheld so I appreciated the sculpted right grip of the 8Sinn cage, which molds perfectly with the GH5’s grip without adding too much bulk. I balanced the left side of the camera with a SmallRig universal side handle. Everything was mounted rock solid with SmallRig NATO rails and clamps. Plus, I could easily adjust, reconfigure, or disassemble the camera rig.
Because my camera rig was relatively light, I could hold it all day. If I needed to rest or move, I could let it hang down or sling it to my side with a comfortable Peak Design Slide Lite strap. Because I’m also a photographer, I like being able to operate my video camera like a still camera.
For an onboard mic, I opted for a Deity V-Mic D3 Pro and later a Deity V-Mic D4, which are relatively small and have a super cardioid pick-up pattern. I loved how the mics have stepless gain knobs so I could adjust the gain on the fly and avoid using a preamp/XLR microphone adapter, which would’ve made my camera rig bigger and taller.
For interviews, I chose a trusty Sennheiser ME 64 cardioid mic and Sennheiser EW 100-ENG G3 wireless lavalier mics into a Zoom F4 field recorder and later a Zoom F6 field recorder. The 32-bit float recording capability of the Zoom F6 allowed me to record the extremely loud sounds of land speed racing or drag racing without distortion.
For camera support, I used a workhorse Sachtler DV-8 tripod as well as a Manfrotto 290 MM294C4 monopod for more mobility or tighter areas. For gimbal shots, I employed a Zhiyun-Tech Weebil Lab.
It took a long time to build this camera and audio kit, tailoring it to my needs. And it continues to evolve. However, it satisfies most of my requirements for it to be small, light, fast, and powerful. Despite the hard work to perfect it, you ultimately want it to disappear so that you can concentrate on the moment, operating it without thinking.
I edited and color graded the film with Adobe Premiere Pro initially on a Mac Pro (Late 2013) and later a MacBook Pro (2023) with a M2 Max chip. For storage, I used a massive amount of G-Technology drives and ultimately a giant OWC ThunderBay drive.
Composers, Sven Faulconer and Anthony Loomis, created the powerful music, inspired by the cyclical machine sounds of the historic MOONEYES Machine Shop. Sven composed the beautiful music for the Academy Award-winning short documentary, “The Elephant Whisperers.”
Sound Supervisor/Sound Designer & Editor/Foley Artist, Jeff Hutchins, designed the immersive soundscape. He’s known for his exceptional work on “SpongeBob SquarePants” and has won five Emmys and seven Golden Reel Awards for excellence in the sound industry.
And Dialogue Editor/Re-Recording Mixer, Bruce Greenspan, edited the dialogue and mixed the sound. He mixed the terrifying sound for the Netflix docuseries, “Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer.” We did the final review of our 5.1 mix at Monkeyland Audio, owned by sound industry veteran Trip Brock.
Design Director/Graphic Designer, Sven Igawa, designed our beautiful key art and advised on the titles of the film. He’s created successful brand identities and advertising campaigns for many international companies, including HBO, Mountain Hardware, PlayStation, and Quiksilver, and has won numerous awards in identity, packaging, and collateral.
“Craft of Speed” recently received a prestigious Silver Remi Award in the “Features - Documentary” category from the 57th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.
Elana Scherr, Senior Editor/Features of “Car and Driver,” says about the film, “It’s too good a history to go unshared.”
“Craft of Speed” will be celebrating its U.S. Premiere, presented by MOONEYES and Humanist Films. A live screening will take place at the beautiful Lions Automobilia Museum in Rancho Dominguez, California on Saturday, 7/20/2024 and then a virtual screening for the U.S. will be held from Saturday, 7/27/2024 to Saturday, 8/3/2024.
To buy tickets to the “Craft of Speed” U.S. Premiere:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
“CRAFT OF SPEED” MOONEYES DOCUMENTARY TO CELEBRATE ITS U.S. PREMIERE
The “Craft of Speed” MOONEYES Documentary will be celebrating its U.S. Premiere, presented by MOONEYES and Humanist Films. A live screening will take place at the beautiful Lions Automobilia Museum in Rancho Dominguez, California on Saturday, 7/20/2024 and then a virtual screening for the U.S. will be held from Saturday, 7/27/2024 to Saturday, 8/3/2024.
SYNOPSIS:
For 30 years, Shige Suganuma and Chico Kodama, two Japanese/Japanese American hot rodders, helped save Moon Equipment Company, an iconic American speed parts company, rebrand it as MOONEYES, preserve legendary founder Dean Moon's legacy, and popularize hot rod culture in Asia. As Asian/Asian American pioneers in their industry, they battled against racism and xenophobia and ultimately created a global following. Now, Shige is attempting to grow hot rod culture despite declining interest in hot rods, and Chico is handcrafting a new race car to try to break a second land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats.
Four years in the making, this 2-hour feature documentary covers the entire history of MOONEYES. This version of the film has “burned in” captions to increase accessibility. Be one of the first to see this new and extraordinary film, which recently received a prestigious Silver Remi Award in the “Features - Documentary” category from the 57th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.
Our deepest thanks to Shige Suganuma & Family; Chico Kodama & Family; Dean Moon, Jr. & Family; the entire MOONEYES family; our esteemed interviewees; our talented crew; our loving families; and all of our generous sponsors, donors, & supporters. Special thanks to our gracious host, the Lions Automobilia Museum. This U.S. Premiere is dedicated to MOONEYES fans, for whom we made this film.
“CRAFT OF SPEED” U.S. PREMIERE
LIONS AUTOMOBILIA MUSUEM
Rancho Dominguez, California
Live Screening
Saturday, 7/20/2024
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Reception
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Screening
Lions Automobilia Museum
2790 E. Del Amo Blvd.
Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221
*The ticket price includes museum admission.
Virtual Screening
Saturday, 7/27/2024 to Saturday, 8/3/2024
U.S. Only
*After this film becomes available on 7/27/2024 at 12:00 a.m. PDT, you’ll have 7 days to start watching. Once you begin, you’ll have 4 days to finish watching.
Buy tickets:
craftofspeed.eventive.org
mooneyes.com
craftofspeed.com
Left to Right: Tuan Tran, Producer/Co-Director of Photography; Ming Lai, Director; Chico Kodama, President of MOONEYES USA / Day 1 of shooting at MOONEYES, Santa Fe Springs
“CRAFT OF SPEED” WINS A SILVER REMI AWARD FROM THE 57TH WORLDFEST-HOUSTON
We’re excited to announce that “Craft of Speed” has won a prestigious Silver Remi Award in the “Features - Documentary” category from the 57th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. Started in 1961, the WorldFest-Houston is the oldest independent film festival in the world. With so many film festivals all over the world, it’s very special to have such a long history of supporting independent film. The festival is known for recognizing emerging talent and has presented many renowned filmmakers with their first awards, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, Robert Rodriguez, Robert Townsend, the Coen Brothers, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, and David Lynch. It's extremely tough to get selected by a film festival and even more so to win an award, especially from an older and more established festival. So this is an unexpected honor. Our deepest thanks to WorldFest-Houston; Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and the entire MOONEYES family; our insightful interviewees; our talented and hardworking crew; our generous sponsors, donors, and supporters; and our loving families.
To learn more about WorldFest-Houston:
https://www.worldfest.org/
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
FILMING TIME MACHINES—THE MOONEYES DRAGSTER & DOS PALMAS
To see the iconic MOONEYES Dragster on display at historic MOONEYES headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California or at popular MOONEYES events, like their New Year’s Party at Irwindale Raceway in Irwindale, California, is very special. It’s instantly recognizable with its MOONEYES logos and yellow paint. It looks fast even standing still, with its Dragmaster chassis and Moon Equipment Company speed parts. It’s not just a famous race car, but a literal time machine that takes you back to the heyday of hot rodding and drag racing. It was Dean Moon’s test bench for his innovative products. The original dragster is on exhibit at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing while the replica one lives at MOONEYES Santa Fe Springs. This faithful reproduction features a chassis built by Dorin “Dode” Martin of Dragmaster, the same company that built the chassis of the original dragster.
To see the MOONEYES Dragster run is even more special. We had the honor of filming and photographing it, driven by MOONEYES owner Shige Suganuma, along with the equally renowned Dos Palmas dragster, driven by hot rodder, journalist, and author Tony Thacker. This “test and tune” at the Irwindale Dragstrip was in preparation for the dragsters’ appearance at the upcoming Dragstalgia at Santa Pod Raceway, England, which will celebrate 60 years of U.K. drag racing. As Shige and Tony took turns running the dragsters, we were transported back in time to when Dean Moon and his driver Dante Duce drove the original dragster. We love seeing these beautiful race cars in museums and car shows, but we enjoy watching them run even more.
Thank you to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, Emi Suganuma, the MOONEYES crew, Tony Thacker, the Dos Palmas crew, and the Irwindale Dragstrip. Special thanks to Tuan Tran Video for their support.
To read Tony Thacker’s in-depth article on the Mooneyes Dragster and Dos Palmas:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/mooneyes-dos-palmas-gas-dragsters/
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” Mooneyes Documentary:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/
“CRAFT OF SPEED” IS ON POWERTUBE TV’S “TALKING ABOUT CARS”
During the 74th Grand National Roadster Show, we were interviewed by Bob Beck and Randy Kerdoon on their popular PowerTube TV “Talking about Cars” podcast. Bob Beck is a respected builder, driver, race announcer, and podcaster. He’s the entertaining race announcer of the MOONEYES X-Mas Party and now the MOONEYES New Year’s Party Drag Races. Randy Kerdoon is an award-winning sportscaster and podcaster. He worked with renowned KNX News and KFWB News. Instead of a typical studio, their podcast was recorded at the amazing NHRA Museum, filled with famous race cars. In fact, mounted to the the wall above us was the record-setting Budweiser King Top Fuel Dragster, which was the first dragster to go more than 300 mph at the NHRA Gatornationals on March 20, 1982. Thank you to Bob Beck, Randy Kerdoon, producer Peggy Beck, PowerTube TV, and the NHRA Museum for this unique pleasure. Stay tuned as we plan our World Premiere.
To watch the podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CovSpNN9gBU
(Our interview starts at 12:57 and ends at 30:38.)
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
“CRAFT OF SPEED” IS IN “HEMMINGS”
We’re very excited to be in Hemmings. Founded in 1954 by Ernest Hemmings, it’s a leading resource for car collectors. Whether you’re an aspiring car collector or you own a fleet of them, Hemmings fuels your passion with in-depth knowledge. We love their expertise in Dean Moon’s storied history, from helping Carroll Shelby build the first Shelby Cobra to serving as one of the founding members of SEMA (originally the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association and now the Specialty Equipment Market Association). We deeply appreciate Hemmings helping us to raise awareness about our fundraising and distribution efforts. Thank you to Tara Hurlin and Hemmings for their generous support! Stay tuned as we plan our World Premiere.
To read the article:
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/new-mooneyes-documentary/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=EDaily&utm_campaign=2024-02-07&uemlid=92d85e924889d04529be84da70b325e846a3253860c848122954084bafd29ee1
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
“CRAFT OF SPEED” IS IN “CAR AND DRIVER”
We’re deeply honored to be in “Car and Driver,” one of the leading automotive publications in the world. We had the pleasure of being interviewed by Elana Scherr, Senior Editor/Features of “Car and Driver,” after she attended our MOONEYES Family & Friends Screening of “Craft of Speed.” We appreciate her extensive knowledge of hot rod history and MOONEYES. We love her in-depth coverage of the human story behind this iconic company, honoring Dean Moon, Shige Suganuma, and Chico Kodama. For many people, legendary publications like “Car and Driver,” which started in the hey day of hot rodding (founded in 1955), are the portals into the immersive world of car culture. So we’re very moved to be featured in it. Thank you to Elana Scherr and “Car and Driver” for this beautifully written article and Victor Carrillo of The ID Agency for his thoughtful introduction. Stay tuned as we plan our World Premiere.
To read the article:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a46619090/mooneyes-documentary-hot-rodding-details/
To learn more about “Craft of Speed”:
craftofspeed.com
CONGRATULATIONS TO CHICO KODAMA ON BEING INDUCTED INTO THE GRAND NATIONAL ROADSTER SHOW HALL OF FAME!
We had the honor of attending the 74th Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) Hall of Fame Dinner and watching Chico Kodama, President of MOONEYES USA, being inducted. About to celebrate its 75th anniversary, the GNRS is the longest running indoor car show in the world. 2023 Inductee and one of our esteemed interviewees, Dave Shuten, introduced Chico, sharing his story of moving to Los Angeles and meeting him for the first time. He talked about how nice he was and how he’s remained so after all these years of knowing him. Chico accepted the honor by saying how touched he feels when people thank him for helping to save Moon Equipment Company. As an incredibly humble person, he said the award should actually go to the owner of MOONEYES, Shige Suganuma. He also thanked his wife, Sandy, and his family for their love and support. We couldn’t be more proud of Chico, Shige, and the entire family of MOONEYES.
MOONEYES FAMILY & FRIENDS SCREENING OF "CRAFT OF SPEED"
Check out a selection of photos from the MOONEYES Family & Friends Screening of “Craft of Speed.” Thank you again to everyone who attended this private screening, hosted by MOONEYES, AutoMoto Entertainment, Bike Shed Moto Co., and Humanist Films.
Sergio Domingues of Street Legal Apparel, a MOONEYES dealer in Brazil
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VISITED OUR BOOTH AT THE MOONEYES NEW YEAR’S PARTY!
The long-running MOONEYES X-Mas Party, which has now become the MOONEYES New Year’s Party, is one of the best events to celebrate the new year. We deeply appreciate everyone who came by our booth and chatted with us about “Craft of Speed.” We enjoyed catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, especially from abroad. We had the pleasure of hanging out with Morgan Gales of Bike Shed Moto Co., who were the wonderful hosts of our recent MOONEYES Family & Friends Screening, and Nick Tolosa of Makina Driver’s Club, who was inspired to start his own popular brand because of MOONEYES. We had the honor of meeting Sergio Domingues of Street Legal Apparel, a MOONEYES dealer in Brazil, and Matt and Noel of 76 Kustoms, custom motorcycle builders who hold the Bop N’ Roll Kustom Kulture Show in the Philippines. While we admire the wide range of vehicles at the event, we love meeting all the different people, united by their passion for car and motorcycle culture. Thank you so much to MOONEYES for allowing us to exhibit at their well-attended event. And thank you to AutoMoto Entertainment for partnering with us. Stay tuned as we plan our World Premiere.
To learn more:
craftofspeed.com
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED THE MOONEYES FAMILY & FRIENDS SCREENING OF “CRAFT OF SPEED”!
Thank you so much to Fred LoBianco, Scott Parker, and the entire team at AutoMoto Entertainment for their inspired work in organizing this private screening. A heartfelt thank you to Anthony “Dutch” van Someren, Vikki van Someren, Morgan Gales, Fiona Richardson, Lee Goodchild, and all the staff and members at Bike Shed Moto Co. for being such wonderful hosts at their beautiful L.A. location. Many thanks to Victor Carrillo and his whole team at the ID Agency for their expert assistance with strategic planning and media introductions. Thank you to Hot Rod Magazine, Car and Driver Magazine, Mattel/Hot Wheels, SEMA, Igloo, and many leading media, brands, and organizations for attending. Most of all, our deepest gratitude to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and all the MOONEYES family and staff for all their support. It was very touching to see so many friends of MOONEYES attend this event. We deeply appreciate all of our sponsors, donors, and supporters for their generous assistance with our film. A special thank you to our talented crew for making this film possible. Thanks to our good friend, Glen Tao, for photographing this unforgettable evening. And a final thank you to my wife and family for their love and support. This film honors the important contributions of Dean Moon, Shige Suganuma, and Chico Kodama to hot rodding and more generally car and motorcycle culture. But it also pays tribute to all of their family and friends and the MOONEYES fans who have supported them. Please stay tuned as we plan our World Premiere.
To learn more:
craftofspeed.com
See photos from the screening.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM “CRAFT OF SPEED”!
Happy holidays from “Craft of Speed”! This holiday season is meaningful because we finished our feature documentary about legendary MOONEYES after four years of passionate work. We deeply appreciate Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and all of the MOONEYES family, friends, and staff for their generous support of our film. We’re grateful to the entire Jim Dunn Racing family and team for their kind help. Thank you to all of our interviewees, crew, sponsors, donors, and supporters for their great assistance. Special thanks to the AutoMoto Film Festival and the ID Agency for their strong partnership. With this film, we wanted to create a special gift for MOONEYES fans and the international car & motorcycle community. We look forward to sharing it with you in the new year.
Please follow us for the latest updates: craftofspeed.com @humanistfilms
Left to Right: Fred LoBianco/AutoMoto Film Festival, Shige Suganuma/MOONEYES, Ming Lai/Craft of Speed, Chico Kodama/MOONEYES
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED OUR "CRAFT OF SPEED" SNEAK PEEK!
Thank you to everyone who attended our “Craft of Speed” Sneak Peek at the AutoMoto Film Festival / Winter event! We deeply appreciate all your love and support! A heartfelt thank you to Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and all the MOONEYES family, friends, and staff for their generous assistance in making our feature documentary. Special thanks to legendary Jim Dunn Racing for their kind help. Many thanks to our sponsors, donors, and supporters. This preview screening wouldn’t have been possible without the vision, dedication, and hard work of Fred LoBianco, Scott Parker, Aaron Kahan, Ben Kahan, Davis Powers, and the entire AutoMoto Film Festival team. We’re very honored to share the stage with Robert Williams, Steve Vallino, Sean Starr, Sarah Reyes, Daniel Driensky, and all the talented filmmakers. We’re also excited to work with AutoMoto to support the Ronald McDonald House Pasadena. Deepest thanks to our entire “Craft of Speed” team for their inspired work.
Please stay tuned for more exciting news about “Craft of Speed”: craftofspeed.com
Bruce Greenspan, Dialogue Editor/Re-Recording Mixer, doing the final check of the sound at Monkeyland Audio
EXPERIENCE THE SOUND OF “CRAFT OF SPEED”
When you step into the historic MOONEYES Machine Shop, it has a distinctive sound. Vintage metalworking machines, from lathes to drill presses to milling machines, create a symphony of whirring sounds as the MOONEYES craftspeople make their famous speed parts. In “Craft of Speed,” the MOONEYES Machine Shop and the rest of the legendary MOONEYES Santa Fe Springs location become a powerful character in our feature documentary, with its own strong voice.
To produce the evocative sound of “Craft of Speed,” we worked with an incredible team, many of whom we’ve had the honor of collaborating with for a long time.
Inspired by the unique sound of MOONEYES, our composers, Sven Faulconer and Anthony Loomis, created a powerful score for the film. They brilliantly translated the cyclical sounds of the machines into an “ostinato,” a repeating musical rhythm. Sven composed the beautiful music for the Academy Award-winning short documentary, “The Elephant Whisperers.” Anthony has contributed additional music and synth programming to projects such as Marvel’s “Spider-Man,” “Daredevil,” “Invincible,” and more.
Our sound supervisor/sound designer & editor/foley artist, Jeff Hutchins, designed the rich soundscape of the film, bringing it to life. He’s known for his extraordinary work on “SpongeBob: Squarepants” and has won five Emmys and seven Golden Reel awards.
Our dialogue editor/re-recording mixer, Bruce Greenspan, optimized all of the dialogue. Instead of typical interview footage, the documentary uses its interviews primarily as voiceover, making it feel more personal and introspective.
Finally, Bruce mixed all of the sound, carefully balancing it to serve the story. He mixed the terrifying sound of the Netflix docuseries, “Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer.” We did the final check of the sound at Monkeyland Audio, owned by sound industry veteran Trip Brock. Monkeyland Audio’s extensive credits include the Academy Award-winning, “An Inconvenient Truth.”
We feel very honored to work with such an amazing team, who have elevated our film with their inspired work.
The AutoMoto Film Festival / Winter will be screening a Sneak Peek of “Craft of Speed,” a 20-minute preview of our film, on Sunday, 12/10/2023, at 7:30 p.m. Join us for an early look—and listen—of our film.
Sneak Peek Screening and Q&A:
Sunday, 12/10/2023, 7:30 p.m.
South Park Center (USC Tower)
1139 S. Hill St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” Sneak Peek:
https://www.automotoentertainment.com/filmfest-winter-2023
To buy tickets to the AutoMoto Film Festival / Winter event:
https://automotoentertainment.ticketsauce.com/e/automoto-film-festival-winter-2023
“CRAFT OF SPEED” SNEAK PEEK TO SCREEN AT AUTOMOTO FILM FESTIVAL / WINTER
A “Craft of Speed” Sneak Peek, a 20-minute preview of the film, will be screening at the AutoMoto Film Festival / Winter event in Los Angeles on Sunday, 12/10/2023, at 7:30 p.m. We’re deeply honored to be a part of this special event. After four years of hard work making the film, we’re very excited to share this exclusive sneak peek. As lovers of the arts and culture, we’re proud to share the stage with “Art is Love: Nepal” and “Robt. Williams: Facile Raconteur.” Robert Williams not only founded the revolutionary “low brow” art movement and created the groundbreaking Juxtapoz Magazine, he also worked for renowned pinstriper/artist/car designer, Ed Roth, and is a longtime friend of MOONEYES. Thank you to the AutoMoto Film Festival for this huge honor.
Sneak Peek Screening and Q&A:
Sunday, 12/10/2023, 7:30 p.m.
South Park Center (USC Tower)
1139 S. Hill St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” Sneak Peek:
https://www.automotoentertainment.com/filmfest-winter-2023
To buy tickets to the AutoMoto Film Festival / Winter event:
https://automotoentertainment.ticketsauce.com/e/automoto-film-festival-winter-2023
“CRAFT OF SPEED” IS NOW COMPLETED!
We’re excited to announce that after four years of hard work, “Craft of Speed,” our feature documentary about MOONEYES, is now completed. It’s been an incredible honor working on this film and documenting the lives of Dean Moon, Dean Moon, Jr., Shige Suganuma, and Chico Kodama. We created this film with an extraordinary crew and post-production team: Tuan Tran, Producer/Co-Director of Photography; Sven Faulconer, Co-Composer; Anthony Loomis, Co-Composer; Jeff Hutchins, Sound Supervisor/Sound Designer & Editor/Foley Artist; Bruce Greenspan, Dialogue Editor/Re-Recording Mixer; Sven Igawa, Design/Director Graphic Designer; Kan Taniguchi, Japan Unit/Producer; Peter Grasse, Japan Unit/Producer/Mr. Positive; Meng Du, Japan Unit/Associate Producer/Mr. Positive; and James Honeycutt, Japan Unit/Director of Photography. Our film wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, Dean Moon, Jr., the MOONEYES family, our sponsors, donors, and supporters. As part of the AutoMoto Film Festival’s special Winter 2023 event on Sunday, 12/10/2023, we’re presenting a Sneak Peek, a 20-minute preview, of our film. Join us for this early look at the film.
Sneak Peek Screening and Q&A:
AutoMoto Film Festival / Winter 2023
Sunday, 12/10/2023, 7:30 p.m.
South Park Center (USC Tower)
1139 S. Hill St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
To visit the “Craft of Speed” official site:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/
To learn more about the “Craft of Speed” Sneak Peek:
https://www.automotoentertainment.com/filmfest-winter-2023
To buy tickets to the AutoMoto Film Festival / Winter event:
https://automotoentertainment.ticketsauce.com/e/automoto-film-festival-winter-2023
TUAN TRAN VIDEO + HUMANIST FILMS SUPPORT PLIANT FOR THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION
We recently had the honor of working with Pliant for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, filming an interview of child welfare advocates David Ambroz and Maci Dean and a PSA for National Adoption Day. David is the author of the best-selling “A Place Called Home: A Memoir” about his own adoption experience. Our friends at Tuan Tran Video shot and edited the videos. We did the portraiture and behind-the-scenes photography. We were deeply moved by David and Maci’s powerful stories. Thank you to Michelle Reiner and Michael Draper of Pliant for this meaningful project.
To watch the PSA for National Adoption Day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgUCBmPEJvI
To learn more about the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption:
https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/
"CRAFT OF SPEED" IS INTERVIEWED BY GNARLY MAGAZINE
Recently, we had the honor of being interviewed by Jeffrey Alexander for Gnarly Magazine. The article will appear in their July 2023 issue. However, you can read the online version for free in the sneak peak of their new website. A quarterly publication, Gnarly Magazine specializes in Kustom Kulture, from hot rods and motorcycles to artists and pintstripers to their vibrant community. We’ve always loved magazines. While we enjoy social media, we deeply appreciate traditional media, which invites you to read in-depth articles and pour over beautiful photography at your own luxurious pace. So we applaud Gnarly Magazine for their strong commitment to print. Thank you to writer Jeffrey Alexander, publishers Johnny VonGnarly and Hot Rod Chuck, and Gnarly Magazine for this great honor.
To read the online article:
http://gnarlymag.com/mooneyes-documentary-celebrates-kustom-kultures-international-unity/
To learn more about Gnarly Magazine:
https://gnarlymagazine.com/
WHITTIER LIBRARY TO SCREEN “THE TALES OF THE RAT FINK” AND “CRAFT OF SPEED” TRAILER
The Whittier Library’s Reel Club documentary film club will be hosting a screening of “The Tales of the Rat Fink,” a wonderful feature documentary about artist/pinstriper/custom car designer, Ed Roth, on Monday, 3/20/2023, at 6:00 p.m. As part of this special event, we’ll be presenting our “Craft of Speed” trailer. Dean Moon and Ed Roth were close friends and powerful icons in the hot rod industry. MOONEYES continues to be good friends with the Roth Family and honors Roth’s important legacy. Thank you to the Whittier Library, Jacqueline Sanchez, and Rachel Fiore for this incredible opportunity.
“The Tales of the Rat Fink” Screening
“Craft of Speed” Trailer Presentation by Director Ming Lai
Monday, 3/20/2023, at 6:00 p.m.
Whittier Library
7344 Washington Ave.
Whittier, CA 90606
To learn more about the screening of “The Tales of the Rat Fink”:
https://www.whittierlibrary.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/10958/1646
To watch the “Craft of Speed” trailer:
https://www.craftofspeed.com/trailer
“CRAFT OF SPEED” IS FEATURED ON MAKINA DRIVERS CLUB
We had the pleasure of meeting Nick Tolosa, the founder of the Makina Drivers Club, at the Mooneyes New Year Party 2023. Inspired by the inaugural MOONEYES New Year Party in 2022 and his longtime love of cars, he launched his own car culture lifestyle brand. Honoring his ethnicity, Nick named his company, “Makina,” which means “machine” in Filipino. We love not only the evocative name of his company but also the immense pride in where it’s based—Eagle Rock, California and Honolulu, Hawaii. His brand is not limited by a specific make or model of car but embraces all types of cars and drivers. His clothing line includes warm tributes to a local Eagle Rock European and Asian auto parts store and a beloved Hawaiian drag racer. We appreciate the great design of his brand and even more so his strong sense of community. Thank you to Nick and Makina Drivers Club for featuring “Craft of Speed” on their site.
Visit the Makina Drivers Club site:
https://makinadriversclub.com/
Follow them on social media:
@makinadriversclub