Microsoft Founder Delights Thousands at CES 2008 During His
Keynote Speech With "Bill's Last Day" Video; Audience Bootlegs Appear
on YouTube.com
KIRKLAND, Wash.--(Business Wire)--You've spent 30 years of creating one of the biggest technology
companies in the world and racked up billions of dollars. Now what?
Microsoft Founder Bill Gates decided to have the last laugh as he
showcased a brief video created by Tri-Film Productions during his
keynote speech Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show 2008.
The video, called "Bill's Last Day," is Gates' riotous spoof
illustrating how he might spend his last full day at Microsoft, and
his relentless pursuit of a new "day job." Since it aired yesterday
morning at the Show, hundreds of thousands have viewed
audience-attending, bootleg tapes of the video, uploaded onto popular
Internet site, YouTube.com.
During Gates' keynote speech, he explained it will be the first
time since he was 17 years old he wouldn't be working full-time at
Microsoft come July. "I'm not sure what that last day is going to be
like, so I asked some friends to help me prepare for that, and we got
together and did a little video," he said, smirking on stage and
cueing the Tri-Film short before a live audience of thousands.
Mark Dickison, Tri-Film writer, producer and director, spearheaded
the video project within a miraculous seven-week window, traversing
three major holidays to pull together an all-star cast, cross-country
shoots and edits. With a near 20-year history of creating hilarious
video shorts for Microsoft product launches and keynote appearances,
the crew and Microsoft executives whipped up a wish-come-true list of
the hottest celebrities and political figures to play parts in "Bill's
Last Day."
What follows are laughter-inducing vignettes of Gates: Pursuing
manly perfection in the gym with his trainer (played by Matthew
McConaughey); white-guy rapping in the sound studio with a weary Jay-Z
at the engineering controls; interrupting Bono's U2 concert to vie for
a spot in the band; beseeching Steven Spielberg for a movie gig (and
George Clooney's subsequent mock refusal to play Gates); approaching
Jon Stewart for a co-anchor spot on The Daily Show; and making calls
to be the nation's next running mate (in successive phone
conversations with Clinton, Obama, and Gore--in that order).
The skits are loaded with self-mockery--from counsel with his
desk-side Star Wars figurines, to falling off an exercise ball, to
jamming glory on his Guitar Hero game. Cut-in's with Gates' colleagues
explore the future of their chief executive with jesting commentary.
"Bill Gates is a master of poking fun at himself, and I appreciate
the risks he takes and the trust he places in our entire creative
process," Dickison said. "He appreciates good humor and he has an
amazing sense of humor that I think few people realize."
Dickison said he has additional footage with Gates and other
celebrities, which may be edited into refreshed versions and released
online this year.
Since 1990, Kirkland, Washington based Tri-Film Productions has
developed compelling video productions, product presentations, sales
meetings, seminars and trade shows as well as advanced digital
applications via CD/DVD and the Internet for clients around the world.
To view the clean "Bill's Last Day" video and select past Microsoft
shorts, visit http://trifilm.com.
Wilson Public Relations
Tamara Wilson, 206-838-8977
tamaraw@tamarawilson.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
