Local film company produces Emmy-winning commercial

Winchester native Jason Epperson has always had an interest in film and production.

Epperson and his production company, Eppic Films, just took another significant step forward.

The team’s “Ale-8-One Musical” production has won an Emmy Award for Best Commercial in a Single Spot or Campaign.

“This is our first time doing a musical…it was fun!” said Epperson, who co-owns the company with his wife, Elizabeth. “It’s so rewarding just to get nominated for an Emmy, but [to] win that was a real honor.”

Epperson has done a range of production work.

“The first part of my career was doing a lot of music videos [and] doing a little bit of commercial work,” he said, noting that he has previously worked with clients such as Dollar General.

However, his big break came when he was selected by others – including Steven Spielberg – to be a contestant on the FOX reality show “On the Lot” in 2007.

“I [was] one of a handful of directors [flown] out to L.A., and every week, we worked on a short film,” he said. “That really kind of catapulted my career.”

After taking on specific film projects and working in Los Angeles for some time, Epperson returned home.

“Most of the work I was getting was back home,” he said. “The opportunities were bigger, and the clientele just kind of grew from there.”

Before long, Epperson came to know the staff of Ale-8-One, whose bottling company is located on Carol Road in Winchester.

“In the past few years, since they started doing the flavored drinks, a new marketing director took over,” Epperson said. “We’ve had a great relationship and a solid understanding of putting out fun, trendy content that gets people talking.”

In fact, a separate one of Eppic Films’ commercials in collaboration with Ale-8-One was also Emmy-nominated.

The team set out to create the award-winning commercial by utilizing several actors—including multiple from Leeds Center for the Arts—and collaborating with composer Chris Phelps, among others.

“That was about a five-month project,” Epperson noted, adding that he pitched the idea of a musical despite some initial concerns. “[They] loved it over at [Ale-8-One].”

Leeds Center for the Arts also assisted with choreography for the commercial, which was eventually filmed at The Manchester Hotel in Lexington, with vocals being recorded at Southland Christian Church.

In terms of Emmy recognition, Epperson explained.

“I’ve been putting submissions in for several years now,” he said. “We were familiar with them.”

Epperson, his wife, who served as Assistant Producer, and another employee who worked as editor and assistant director were present to accept the Emmy Award.

The company continues to strive as it looks ahead, as—among other things—it has partnered with an organization called “Athlete Advantage.”

“They do a lot with NIL [and] college athletes. They’ve got access to a lot of UK players,” he said, noting that a number of other projects and trends are also being considered. “We’re shooting a lot of content with the UK football team right now…I can see our company really growing.”

Epperson, who has worked in both Clark County and Fayette County, spoke of what he enjoys the most.

“The thing that I love the most is when I go out, and people ask, ‘Did you do this commercial or did you do that?’” He said. “We’ve put our stamp on our work. If you look at it, you will almost know that Eppic did it. I love that!”

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