Second Unit, Big Energy: halflife* and Disney's Lemonade Mouth

Not every project halflife* takes on is dark and intense. Sometimes it's a Disney Channel movie about five misfit kids who form a band in detention — and it's just as fun to talk about.

Filmed right here in Albuquerque, Lemonade Mouth (2011) became one of Disney Channel's most beloved original movies, and halflife* got to be a special part of making it come alive. Our team ran second unit production on the film and handled digital asset creation throughout, including one of our favorite little Easter eggs in the movie: a fictional sports drink commercial for the nemesis beverage “Turboblast” that appears within the film itself. The creative team at halflie* was given free reign to cast, direct shoot and post this fun piece that made it wholecloth into the final film. It's a small moment on screen, but it's exactly the kind of detail-obsessed, world-building work halflife* lives for, building something that feels completely real inside a story that's already larger than life.

And Lemonade Mouth didn't just fade into Disney Channel history — it became a certified fan favorite. It premiered to 5.7 million viewers (7.1 million once DVR numbers were counted), making it one of the most-watched DCOM debuts of its year, and its soundtrack cracked the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 with three charting singles. The film took home the Popstar! Poptastic Award for Favorite TV Movie, and director Patricia Riggen earned a Directors Guild of America nomination for her work. More than a decade later, it's still regularly named one of the best Disney Channel Original Movies ever made.

From a whip-smart teen musical to a Best Picture-nominated crime drama, the throughline is the same: halflife* shows up ready to build whatever the story needs — even if that's a sports drink brand that doesn't actually exist. That's the job, and honestly? It's a pretty fun one.