Devon Lyon directs a Dell Venue tablet commercial.
Augmented Reality Will Bring Us Together By Stephanie Hoover & Crystal Foley Staff Writers Photos by Levy Moroshan
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ost people work to pay their bills and express their passions on the side. Devon Lyon, founder of Lyon Films, is one of the lucky few that gets to do both simultaneously. The Portland-based production company is celebrating 10 years in creativity-fueled business. “We are fortunate that what pays our bills and what ignites our passions are mostly one and the same,” Lyon said. “Working with creative agencies or directly with clients to craft a creative, meaningful message that honors their brand or service.” However, time constraints of 30 or 60 seconds can be challenging. Lyon said he is “personally always looking for opportunities to produce and direct longer form narrative,” as well as a love for the short film format.
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“I’ve had some success in that regard in the past and will be producing a new short later this year—so keep your eyes peeled,” he said. Lyon Films has produced a range of work, employing anywhere from 5 to 50 people per shoot, depending on what the client needs. While they started off producing political commercials, the company’s current expertise falls into three categories. Their biggest sector is commercial production and direction, which includes stan-
dard 30- or 60-second spots for traditional broadcasting or targeted web advertising, which is becoming more common. The second is corporate communications, such as B-to-B and internal communication and messaging. However, Lyon said their most rewarding work is their focus on local non-profits, such as the Portland School System’s program, All Hands Raised. “We are blessed to have such amazing people in Oregon and we count ourselves lucky to know many of them,” he said. Lyon is proud to call Oregon home, and is happy to have worked with the state, the Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA) and corporate clients, all of which helped bring top quality work to the state. They’ve worked with
Devon Lyon
many local companies, including ZoomCare, All Hands Raised, Timbers, Mercy Corps and Ralphs. National brands they’ve worked with include Dell, Intel, EA Sports, IBM, Alienware and Amazon. Lyon has a hard time identifying his personal favorite production, but has a few notable favorites. One is the spot they produced for the gaming PC brand Alienware, which involved building an armored personnel carrier set, as well as commissioning a mini gun, like the one Jes-