Go West Happy Cow
The ultimate road trip from Wisconsin to California hauling the highly sought after HAPPY COW products. Mike and Kurt, the Happy Cow, rumble through 2,200+ miles of countryside sharing their love with displaced Sconnies. Hilarity ensues.
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Tyler KnowlesDirector
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Tyler KnowlesWriter
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Derek HildebrandtWriter
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Derek Hildebrandt, P.G.A.Producer
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Jack KnowlesProducer
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Valerie Hildebrandt ZibellProducer
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Ben Simms, P.G.A.Producer
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Kurt JensenKey Cast"Kurt 'The Cow' Jensenowski"
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Mike TiborisKey Cast"Mike Tiboriski"
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Project Type:Feature
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Genres:Comedy, Mockumentary, Adventure
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Runtime:1 hour 27 minutes 55 seconds
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Completion Date:July 4, 2019
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Production Budget:10,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital HD 1080P
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Beloit International Film FestivalBeloit, WI
United States
February 17, 2012
Festival Premiere
Official Selection -
Reel Wisconsin Film FestivalSheboygan, WI
United States
March 2, 2012
Official Selection -
Only The Best Film Awards
Best Comedy Feature -
Only The Best Film Awards
Best Indie Feature (low budget) -
Andromeda Film Festival
Official Selection -
This Guy's Film Awards
Official Selection
Tyler Knowles grew up on a farm in southwest Wisconsin. His love for filmmaking began at an early age, experimenting with stop-motion animation and attempting to get his family and friends to act in staged home movies with Tyler at the helm of these productions. In high school, Tyler began shooting and editing shorts using MiniDV cameras and non-linear video editing software, considered high-tech at the time. While attending the University of Wisconsin - Madison, he expanded his knowledge of Apple's Final Cut Pro, which parlayed into a job with Apple, Inc. in 2006, teaching the entire Final Cut Studio software suite across Southern California. It was at this time that Tyler began editing feature-length work. In ten years living in SoCal, Tyler edited seven feature films, including the cult hit, Go West Happy Cow, numerous national and regional commercials, industrial videos, music videos, government projects, short films, demo reels, and the list goes on. Tyler's first feature film sold to Lionsgate, his second premiered at Cannes Film Festival, and Tyler has since received numerous accolades and awards, including two Telly Awards in 2013, a third in 2014, fourth in 2017, and a prestigious Producers Guild of America mentorship. In 2020, Tyler relocated to San Antonio where he continues to freelance in the production world, capture drone imagery (Tyler is an FAA certified pilot), and spearhead all-thing-video in his role as Creative Alchemist at Ignite Veterinary Solutions.
Go West Happy Cow is an independent, feature-length mockumentary, inspired by the lack of out-of-state distribution of New Glarus (Wisconsin) Brewing Company’s award-winning Spotted Cow Beer and the Wisconsin-born filmmakers’ general annoyance with California’s “Happy Cow” ad campaign. We filmed Go West Happy Cow on two high-def Panasonic cameras over nine days, recorded a 28-piece orchestra for portions of our score, bartered for song rights for our killer soundtrack, and received generous product donations from several Wisconsin companies. The final result proudly showcases the collaborative process of our team’s hard work and the fun we had with displaced Sconnies along the way.