SALT LAKE CITY — FantasyCon is right around the corner, and new ads by a local company will get fans giggling and excited to take part in the fantastic universes it celebrates.

Created by The Brute Squad, the short series of commericals features fantasy characters playing a game called “Cubicles and Careers,” where they roll the dice to learn their fate in everyday, mundane tasks. Think of it as the Dungeons and Dragons of fantasy world.

Greg Johnson, the producer and co-director of the shorts, said the biggest challenge while shooting the videos was trying not to laugh.

“Especially when the orc is hitting the table and stuff is breaking,” Johnson said. “And we encouraged them to ad- lib. That ‘you came on too strong’ line was ad-libbed and we weren't expecting it. We lost it, started laughing and had to cut the audio out.”

Hired by FantasyCon to create video content, The Brute Squad jumped at the chance to participate. They rented the costumes from Hale Center Theater and set up to shoot.

“We filmed them at our office, with the fog machine,” Johnson said.

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Johnson said he is a big fan of fantasy — even naming the production company after a line in “The Princess Bride.” This project was especially fun for him to get to explore the world of orcs and knights and mages.

“Right now, Game of Thrones is what my wife and I really like, and then Lord of the Rings is always fun,” he said.

The company is also producing a mini-series, about a boy who stumbles on a relic that awakens a monster and has to fight it. The mini-series will premiere at FantasyCon that will be held from July 3-5 at the Salt Palace.

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