Mind Guerilla

ShootersNYC Sets Sights On Editor David Smalheiser

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:06:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY – Adding yet another piece to the creative puzzle that is ShootersNYC (www.shootersnyc.com), the hybrid post boutique offshoot of Philadelphia-based ShootersINC has added veteran editor David Smalheiser's to its staff. Smalheiser joins an editorial team that also features Anthony Marinelli, Mark Hutchinson, Chris Magliozzo, Matthew Burres, Rob Graham and Steve Wheelock.

“I have worked with Dave over the years and I knew he would be a perfect fit with what we’re building with ShootersNYC,” Jeff Beckerman, ShootersNYC Managing Director/Executive Producer says. “He’s a veteran editor who understands how the industry is changing and why Shooters’ unique business model is so valuable to clients today.”

That business model is one that emphasizes a boutique approach to customer service and creative one-on-one with clients, combined with a tremendous amount of talent and full service resources available thanks to a high speed link to its Philadelphia studio.

“Dave’s talent and creativity will be a big asset for us in the work we do in the traditional advertising space, as well as our TV Development and production, feature film, broadcast promotion and branded entertainment work,“ Ray Carballada ShootersINC President says.

Known for his deft touch with comedy, lifestyle and vignette style spots, Smalheiser‘s clients include such top agencies as Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy & Mather, BBDO, EuroRSCG and McCann Worldgroup, among others. In his career he’s worked with such acclaimed directors as Spike Lee, David McNamara, Tim Hamilton, Tenny Fairchild, Annibel Jankel and Marcus Nispel.

Since joining ShootersNYC Smalheiser has completed a package of spots for Nature Valley and Chex, both through agency Campbell Mithun/McCann Worldgroup. His current showreel includes spots for State Street Global Investments and Hamburger Helper.

“There’s great energy at ShootersNYC and I Iove that there are so many facets to the company,” Smalheiser says. “There’s a boutique feel when you walk in the door, but I’m able to access so much talent and technology for my clients – it’s really the ideal situation, and one that is perfectly in sync with the way clients want to work today.”

ShootersNYC (www.shootersnyc.com) is the New York division of ShootersINC, a multi-dimensional creative production and post house specializing in editorial, visual effects, graphic design, finishing and audio post for advertising, television, feature film and new media. For more information contact Managing Director, Jeff Beckerman at 212-533-9400 or at jeff@shootersnyc.com.

ShootersTV (www.shooterstv.com) is a division of Shooters Inc., dedicated to creating programming for reality and non-scripted television. ShootersTV is represented by Peleton Entertainment, the New York-based television agency representing leading producers working in reality and documentary. For more information contact Rob Miller at Peleton Entertainment by email at rob@peletontv.com or phone 212-572-9632; or contact Carrie Spott at ShootersTV by email at carrie@shooterstv.com or phone 215-861-0100.

ShootersINC (www.shootersinc.com) is a full service production and post house that blends talent, technology and client service to provide a superior level of quality and creativity. Shooters’ client base consists of ad agencies, production companies, political consultants, PR firms, and corporations. For more information contact Shooters’ Anne-Marie Starker (anne@shootersinc.com) or phone 215.861.0100.

DIVE (www.divevisual.com) is the visual effects, DI and film finishing division of ShootersINC, led by veteran Visual Effects Supervisor Mark O. Forker. As one of the east coast’s premier postproduction facilities for film finishing services, DIVE offers filmmakers the opportunity to complete Visual Effects, Digital Intermediates and Titles by coupling creative continuity with an integrated workflow. For more information, contact DIVE VP Business Development, Bob Lowery (bob@divevisual.com) at 267.514.7700.

Broadway Video Provides Editorial & Audio Post For ‘Will Ferrell: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize’

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:10:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY -- Broadway Video recently provided editorial and audio services for PBS’ 90-minute special presentation ''The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor'' honoring Will Ferrell. The comprehensive post services at Broadway Video contributed to a quick turnaround from performance to air. The show’s director Linda Mendoza collaborated with Yossi Kimberg, senior editor for Broadway Video, and Ralph Kelsey, VP for Broadway Sound, to highlight an evening of toasts and accolades from Ferrell’s friends including Ed Asner, Jack Black, Matthew Broderick, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Gwen Ifill, Tim Meadows, Adam McKay, Conan O'Brien, John C. Reilly, Paul Rudd, Andy Samberg, Molly Shannon and Ben Stiller.

Kimberg traveled to Washington, DC to view the show in person and then began editing on Avid Symphony in his suite back in New York the next morning. He said, ''The challenge was to edit, mix and deliver the show within three days. Thanks to a tapeless workflow and the Broadway Video team, that goal was achieved.''

At Broadway Sound, Kelsey worked in tandem with Kimberg, providing audio sweetening to deliver a polished final mix. Under Executive Producer Bob Kaminsky’s direction, Kelsey used the numerous recorded tracks to illuminate the live feel of The Kennedy Center. ''Everything that’s needed to finish a show is right here,'' said Kelsey. ''You don’t have to leave the building to get it all done, and our team keeps the editorial and sound moving smoothly.''

In addition to Bob Kaminsky, executive producers Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and Cappy McGarr were all instrumental in bringing the special together.

''I've made shows at Broadway Video for many years. I believe the number of TV specials now exceeds fifty,'' said Bob Kaminsky. ''The Brill Building feels like show business and I'm always happy to walk into that historic lobby. It is a great luxury to go from Yossi and the video edit and to be able to run down to Ralph in the audio studio and back and forth. It saves all kinds of problems during the post process and makes the final mix a creative collaboration rather than the tedious process of patching things that should have been avoided in the first place. I'm a lifer.''

''Will Ferrell: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize'' can be viewed in its entirety at http://www.pbs.org/mark-twain-prize/.

About Broadway Video:

Founded in 1979 by Lorne Michaels, creator and executive producer of "Saturday Night Live," Broadway Video Entertainment is New York's leading full-service entertainment company. BVE offers an unparalleled scope of services that include the production of some of the country's most popular TV programming and feature films, the marketing and distribution of a rich entertainment library and access to state-of-the-art design and post production facilities staffed by the industry's most creative visual and sound designers and technicians.

Broadway Video is located at 1619 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. For more information, call (212) 265-7600 or visit us at broadwayvideo.com.

Web Resources:

http://www.broadwayvideo.com

http://www.broadwayvideo.com/#/PostProduction

http://www.pbs.org/mark-twain-prize/

COLLECTIVE GROWTH: IKA Collective Adds Music/Sound Design Services; Director of New Business Development

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:55:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY – IKA Collective, the creative production/post studio led by director/brand strategist Ian Karr, has forged an alliance with Mixology Post, the original music/sound design/audio post studio founded by composer/engineer Rob Kahn. Additionally, IKA Collective named Stu Sternbach its Director of New Business Development.

“This year has been an exciting one in the evolution of IKA Collective,” Karr says. “We’ve been a one-stop creative shop since the beginning, but now brands and agencies are embracing that concept like never before. We’re the classic story of an overnight sensation -- 25 years in the making. Adding Rob and Mixology to the Collective increases our creative critical mass and takes audio finishing to a whole new level – he is super-talented and a great fit for us. Stuart has a wealth of experience and connections in the advertising production/post production business to bring our collective skills to an even wider array of clients.”

Kahn, who will continue to operate Mixology as an independent company, is available to IKA Collective clients looking for original music/sound design/audio post. The company already offers an array of creative services including, creative development, live action production, editorial, visual effects design and animation.

Since joining IKA Collective, Kahn and his team of audio experts have lent their talents to a launch spot for PurAbsorb, a women’s vitamin supplement, via agency Nail Media Group; a campaign for Penguin Publishing celebrating Nora Robert’s new book, “The Next Always,” and IKA’s own web series “The Midnight Archive.”

“I’m really proud to be associated with Ian and IKA Collective,” Kahn says. “They are a forward-thinking company that is well-positioned to take advantage of the way the industry is heading with its emphasis on creatively nimble companies that can do a lot of things well, fast and on-budget.”

Sternbach joins IKA Collective following years as the president of the independent representation company Pangea, where he represented some of the production/post community’s leading companies. He got his start as an Account Executive at BBDO and from there he transitioned into sales/marketing positions at numerous top post houses before launching Pangea.

“IKA Collective is a rarity in the world of creative production and post,” Sternbach says. “There literally is nothing we can’t do – whether its creative strategy, production or post. IKA Collective possesses the perfect business model for the current economy in which clients are looking to work with shops that can do a lot of things well. I’m proud to be a part of what Ian is building and look forward to playing a role in the company’s the next level of success.”

About IKA Collective:
Founded by noted brand strategist/director Ian Karr, IKA Collective is more than a production company. Rather, they’re creative collective of writers, producers, editors, directors, composers, digital artists, fashionistas, foodies and horror film fanatics who love to tell stories. Whether it’s an ad, a network promo, a digital media project, or their own original content, IKA Collective is all about communicating in a way that entertains and gets results. Our facility includes a live insert stage, five edit rooms, digital color grading, graphics, compositing and audio mixing suites, allowing us to deliver great work at budgets that make sense in every medium. Recent clients include Fox TV, Discovery Channel, Continental Airlines, Hallmark Channel and Penguin Publishing. For more information go to http://www.ikacollective.com

BIGSMACK Teams With A&E Network For Comprehensive Promo Campaign For The Glades

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:06:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The Glades, A&E Network’s new offbeat original scripted drama has been the beneficiary of some great buzz, thanks in part to the comprehensive teaser/promo campaign created by BIGSMACK, the full-service creative/production/design studio led by Creative Director Andy Hann.

Hann and the BIGSMACK team were involved in nearly every facet of the promo effort -- from writing the tagline that drives the teaser campaign “Sunny...with a chance of homicide,” to concepting, producing and designing three :15 teaser spots and a :30 promo featuring series star Matt Passmore. Moreover, BIGSMACK collaborated on the multifaceted outdoor campaign that includes billboards, kiosks, bus and taxi ads, even completely outfitting Chicago’s ‘L’ transit system, as well as an array of online content.

BIGSMACK rose to the challenge delivering a conceptually simple campaign that cleverly taps into the show’s offbeat, Coen Brothers-esque characterization, coupled with a taut police procedural narrative style.

“We definitely ‘got’ the show’s balance between the quirky characters and crime narratives that makes The Glades work,” Hann explains. “A&E loved our ‘orange’ teaser spot concept and the rest of campaign grew from there. The one similarity between all of the spots is the over-arching theme of things not being what they seem.”

Teasers & Promo:
To the strains of Sam Cooke’s classic song “Summertime” (chosen by BIGSMACK) “Orange” begins with a dramatic shot of a glorious sunset behind a photo real 3D animated orange. The word “Sunny” hovers ominously above the imagery. As the camera tracks back, the mood turns dark as the sun is eclipsed by the orange and the words “with a chance of homicide” are abruptly split in half by a knife piercing the orange. The spot ends with an overhead shot of the orange bleeding over The Glades logo. Other teaser spots in the campaign include “Water,” featuring a slow overhead tracking crane shot of a picturesque swimming pool that ends on a deceased woman floating in the water; and “Bikini,” which pans over a bikini clad hottie face down on a lounge chair finally revealing bullet in her back.

The :30 “Sunny” promo offers a completely different tact. Directed by BIGSMACK director Scott Whitham, the spot features Passmore on a beautiful beach talking directly to camera about how he left the “cruel, cold air of the big city for the sunshine state.” As the spot continues it becomes clear he’s not on the beach for fun, but rather examining a crime scene. The promo ends with Passmore sarcastically noting how “it’s still pretty sunny, but that just makes the bodies smell worse” just as camera cuts to show a victim lying on a beach chair. The spots were shot with the RED Mysterium-X on location in Miami, Fl.

Adds Hann, “In many ways The Glades was an opportunity for us to showcase what we’re capable of creatively when we partner with our clients -- from concept development to mounting complex location production, through intricate 3D animation, design and post. A&E showed a lot of trust in us to pull this off, and I’m gratified their trust wasn’t misplaced.”

About BIGSMACK:
Lead by Creative Director Andy Hann, BIGSMACKtv is a full service creative agency specializing in the broadcast industry. From their offices in downtown Philadelphia, BIGSMACK creates, produces, designs and posts image and promotional campaigns for the world’s leading entertainment providers. Recent clients include Discovery Channel, Nat Geo, HBO, Comedy Central, Sundance and A&E, among others. For more information contact: Brett Ashy at The Ashy Agency (brett@ashyagency.com, 323-464-2749) or go to www.bigsmack.tv

Creative Credits:
Client: A&E Network
Project: The Glades teaser/promo campaign, outdoor campaign

Agency/Production/Design/Post: BIGSMACK, Philadelphia, PA
Creative Director: Andy Hann
Executive Producer: Heidi Erney, Kelly Dials
Director: Scott Whitham, Andy Hann
DP: Andrew Turman
Line Producer: Kipp Christiansen

Web Resources:
Click here to watch The Glades teaser/promo campaign:
http://bigsmacktv.wiredrive.com/l/p/?presentation=0bda226cf13ca22e95fbb77d085786a6

Click here for more info about BIGSMACKtv:
http://www.bigsmack.tv

Click here for more info about The Glades:
http://www.aetv.com/the-glades/

One Fine Day Designs Eloquent Video Sequences For National Museum of American Jewish History

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 06:59:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY -- The much anticipated opening of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, which the New York Times recently noted ''sheer ambition gives the museum immediate importance,'' features two powerful feature video sequences designed by One Fine Day, the six-year-old design/visual effects studio led by Creative Directors Nathalie de La Gorce, Chris Haak and Executive Producer Tom Bayer. EMMY-Winning filmmaker David Grubin directed both videos.

For de la Gorce, who led the One Fine Day creative team for this pro-bono project, the intricately designed 2-plus-minute sequence entitled “Purim” that is part of the exhibit looking at the American Jewish experience around the late 1800s, was by far the most creatively challenging.

''The video illustrates a moment in time in the history of American Jews when they had finally assimilated and prospered in America and could afford extravagant parties in luxurious settings, only to see it change because of a resurgence of anti-Semitism,'' de La Gorce says. ''We depicted that shift visually by contrasting these silhouetted ballroom dancing couples with backgrounds made of racially-charged newspaper articles and illustrations published during those years.''

Shot by Grubin on a soundstage with professionally choreographed ballroom dancers, ''Purim'' is seen solely from the POV of someone looking into a ballroom from a distance. Subtle lighting adds a sense of mystery, with the dancers appearing only as non-descript silhouettes moving gracefully to an original score by composer Joseph Lanner.

Designed to convey both a sense of grandeur of the time and ominous changes on the horizon, Grubin’s live action footage -- coupled with footage of actual artifacts from the museum such as fine crystal candelabras and chandeliers, and print content such as advertisements, illustrations and newspaper articles – was composited by de la Gorce and the One Fine Day team using Adobe After Effects and edited using Final Cut Pro.

In addition to ''Purim,'' One Fine Day also contributed creatively to the more editorially focused video called ''Revolution'' -- an exhibit that focuses on the American Revolution.

''The fascinating part of this project for me was working with scholars rather then brand managers for a change, whose most important concern was historic accuracy,'' de La Gorce says. ''It was fascinating to be a part of their process. Their level of passion was both and blessing and a curse because if also meant a lot of last minute changes, but we’re proud of the work and the opportunity to work on such an important project.''

About One Fine Day:
Launched in 2004, by former R/GA and Trollback & Company creatives Nathalie De La Gorce and Chris Haak, One Fine Day (www.ofdny.com) is a boutique motion graphic design and visual effects studio specializing in film and television production. Known for their storytelling prowess, One Find Day’s work focuses on exceptional design that goes deeper and is both more complex and simpler than passing fads. It is that understanding that ultimately makes each project emotionally and visually relevant to its audience. Recent work includes projects for HBO, Cinemax, MTVN, Vh1, LOGO, AMC, TV Land, TNT, Spike, SciFi, National Geographic, TCM, TNT, Discovery, Fidelity, Pontiac, Dodge, Lincoln, GMC, Volvo, Proctor & Gamble, AICP, Intel, SAP. For more information contact Executive Producer Tom Bayer at 212-529-3196 or tom@ofdny.com.

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the “Purim” video:
http://onefinedayny.com/One_Fine_Day_nmjah.html

Click here for more info about One Fine Day:
http://www.ofdny.com

Click here to see a photo of the “Purim” exhibit from New York Times.com:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/11/11/arts/design/20101112-museum-5.html

Creative Credits:
Client: National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, PA
Project: ''Purim,'' ''Revolution'' -- video exhibits

Production: David Grubin Productions, New York
Director: David Grubin

Design/Post: One Fine Day, New York
Creative Director: Nathalie de la Gorce
Executive Producer: Tom Bayer

Music: Joseph Lanner

yU+co. Re-teams With Director Davis Guggenheim On ''Waiting For Superman'' Main-On-End Title Sequence

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:39:00 +0000

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Throughout the course of ''Waiting for Superman,'' the new documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim (''An Inconvenient Truth''), viewers are taken on emotional rollercoaster courtesy of the heart-wrenching case histories of five different families across the country struggling to give their kids a shot at a better education. When it came to the main-on-end title sequence though, Guggenheim entrusted yU+co, the design/visual effects studio led by Founder/Creative Director Garson Yu, to leave the audience with just one lasting impression: hope.

''Garson and I knew we needed more in the end titles than inspirational words -- we were searching for a metaphor that moved the audience at the end to action,'' Guggenheim says. ''Somehow we landed on the idea that a great school is a beating heart -- and when it works -- it pumps life into a neighborhood. Garson and his team took this idea and ran with it. It's everyone's favorite moment -- a school giving life to the world around it, capturing the hope of the filmmakers and inspiring the audience.''

Following on the heels of their successful collaboration on the Academy Award-winning ''An Inconvenient Truth'' (2006), the ''Waiting For Superman'' titles feature a gracefully moving string of connective typography underscored by a series of animated blue lines.

Set to the powerful track ''Shine'' by John Legend, key title credits are interwoven with an impassioned cry for help: ''Our system is broken and it feels impossible to fix, but we can’t wait. Text ‘possible’ to 77177,'' the typography reads. As the titles progress so do the complexity of the animated blue lines.

The sequence builds toward a breathtaking and unexpected payoff with the final on-screen type: ''Great schools won’t come from winning the lottery. They won’t come from Superman. They will come from you.'' The last word ‘you’ fades slowly into the background as the camera swiftly pans backward and quickly skyward. A golden shaft of light reveals that the blue lines seen throughout have formed a large, 3D animated blueprint of a school and a community connected to it.

''The idea was to let the audience take all of this information and transfix them with this peaceful, elegant moving type of connecting words set to this inspiring song,'' Yu says. ''We also incorporated subtle uses of light -- particularly cool blue and warm gold -- to further symbolize the idea of positive change.''

The ultimate compliment comes from the film’s Producer Lesley Chilcott, who views the title sequence as literally the end of the film, not something separate. ''It's part of the film,'' Chilcott says. ''We've screened the film all over the country, and people stay and watch yU+co'.s beautiful 3D animation. The titles are simply breathtaking.''

Chilcott continues, ''We intercut our production credits with little poems about how and why you can get involved. If the film has done it's job, the audience is very emotional at the end, and the poems we wrote, along with the beautiful design gives people choices on how to get more involved.''

For Yu the project was a personal one. ''I have a son who is a senior in public high school and the problems the film highlights are very real, but they are within our power to fix as a nation,'' Yu says. ''Our goal was to communicate an overall hopeful feeling and deliver a call to action for all of us to do something to change the status quo.''

In addition to their work on ''Waiting for Superman,'' yU+co. also completed work on the titles for the Warner Bros. romantic comedy ''Life As We Know It'' and for the second year in a row created the full graphics package for NBC’s recent broadcast of the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards. In addition, they created the open for the live event launch conference of LG’s Optimus smartphones.

About yU+co:
Recognized as an industry leader in visual design and motion graphics with offices in Hollywood, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, yU+co. (www.yuco.com) specializes in main and end titles for film and television, visual effects, TV show opens and network graphics packages, theatrical logos, game cinematics and commercials. For more information contact Director of Business Development Dianna Costello (323-606-5050, dianna@yuco.com).

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the Waiting For Superman title sequence:
http://www.yuco.com/projects/waiting-for-superman

Click here for more info about yU+co:
http://yuco.com

Click here for more info about Waiting for Superman:
http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/

Creative Credits:
Project: ''Waiting for Superman'' main-on-end title sequence

Design/Visual Effects: yU+co - Hollywood, CA
Creative Director: Garson Yu
Executive Producer: Carol Wong
Producer: Sarah Coatts
Coordinator: Ryan Wilk
Designers/Animators: Edwin Baker, Etsuko Uji, Kaya Thomas, Kina Choi, Osamu Shishime, John Kim, Jill Dadducci, Gary Garza, Jae Yoo

Stephen Arnold Music Drives Golf Channel’s Top Shows With Energetic New Themes

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 06:16:00 +0000

The Golf Channel keeps over 120 million homes informed about the sport’s latest breaking news with ''Golf Central.'' When a strong new package of theme songs was needed for their marquee program, they turned to Stephen Arnold Music, the leaders in original music and sonic branding.

The assignment to refresh “Golf Central” was the latest in a string of recent collaborations between Stephen Arnold Music and the Golf Channel, including the shows ''Golf In America,'' and ''Grey Goose 19th Hole.'' For “Golf Central,” the directive was to create an emphatic opening theme for a show providing elite analysis of one of America’s most popular sports.

''This theme was a unique chance to evolve the music that’s associated with a particular sport,'' says Stephen Arnold, President of Stephen Arnold Music. ''The Golf Channel wanted a bigger sound with lots of energy to appeal to a young audience. In addition, they wanted a sonic logo -- or mnemonic -- with the potential to become a classic signature that people can immediately recognize and remember.''

Stephen Arnold Music composed a package of four highly motivational themes that mix the power of a 1-wood drive off the tee with all the tension of an 18 hole 15-foot putt. Guitar, bass, real drums and subtle electronic elements provide the pulse, while live brass and strings lend larger-than-life feel to the action that’s about to unfold.

''This wasn’t your standard twinkling-acoustic-piano approach to scoring for golf,'' Arnold notes. ''The Golf Channel is attracting an increasingly youthful demographic. As a result, this theme package presented Stephen Arnold Music with an opportunity to do the sonic branding that we excel at. Our experience at ‘branding the brands’ tells us what questions to ask before we get started, then allows us to interpret what the client tells us and finally assemble the perfect talent to execute the music.”

Given the chance to capture the pageantry and majesty of golf, and then inject it with a firm dose of 21st Century attitude, Stephen Arnold Music didn’t hesitate.

''Golf Central is a program that a lot of people watch,” Arnold concludes. “Being invited to compose the theme for their marquee show was a very special assignment.”

About Stephen Arnold Music:
 As a multiple Emmy, Addy and Promax Gold award-winning music production company, Stephen Arnold Music has over 15 years of success in delivering the sounds that make a difference to networks, television stations, advertising agencies, film studios and video game companies the world over. The company's Commanding Sonic Branding approach to music production and commitment to industry-leading service is at the core of its promise. For more information, please visit http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com.  

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the Golf Channel's "Golf In America" show open:
http://www.youtube.com/stephenarnoldmusic#p/u/6/GBdMcRr8dXs

Click here for more info about Stephen Arnold Music:
http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com/

Click here for more info about the Golf Channel:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/golf-tv/

BIGSMACK Boosts Science Channel’s New Show 'Large Dangerous Rocket Ships'

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:54:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA -- Nothing says ‘guy-fun’ like rocket science and the possibility of things blowing up. Those two elements are conveniently combined in Science Channel’s new show 'Large, Dangerous Rocket Ships.' Ahead of its July 5 premiere, BIGSMACK, the live action/design studio led by Creative Director Andy Hann, created promo spots (:30 and :60), and a comprehensive toolkit for Science Channel producers for use in future teasers, bumpers, promos and more.

Part reality show, part competition, Large, Dangerous Rocket Ships centers on rocket enthusiasts from around the country who gather every year in Lucerne Valley, CA for the ultimate event in competitive rocketry. Contestants launch homemade rockets of all types and sizes (including one made from a port-o-potty) to altitudes of up to 100,000 feet.

''This is our first assignment for the Science Channel, but we know the creative team and producers well thanks to our work for sister channel Discovery,'' Hann says. ''They trusted us to take the concept, which they loved, and bring it to life. The idea was to have fun with the notion of launching these crazy things, and make it very guy-centric, while giving it this comedic-bent because you never really knowing what object is going to launch.''

Working on an extremely tight turnaround of just two weeks – an amazing task given the amount of 3D animation in the spot -- the 'Large, Dangerous Rocket Ships' promo begins with a shot of a vast desert with four distinct objects in the foreground – a lawn chair, a barbecue, a pick-up truck and an actual rocket that looks to be about six or seven feet tall.

Seemingly shot with a handheld camera, we hear a group of unseen guys narrate the action. The promo takes an unexpected twist as the guys’ countdown and instead of the rocket, the lawn chair fires up and launches, followed by the barbecue. Finally when the actual rocket is set to go, there’s an unexpected breakdown. The guys are temporarily disappointed, that is until the rocket lights up and lifts off dramatically to a chorus of cheers.

The promo ends with the BIGSMACK created tagline: ''Average guys, not so average competition.''

To create the detailed 3D animation and compositing, BIGSMACK called in their newest talent Sr. Visual Effects Director Dave Zeevalk and Sr. Art Director Jason Salo. Working with just a few still photos of the Mohave desert with a pick-up truck in the background, the team added extensive amounts of 3D animation -- everything from specific objects like the rocket, the lawn chair and the barbeque; to the smoke and fire that accompanies each launch; to the miscellaneous debris and dirt around the objects. In addition, they also enhanced the complex lighting and shadows.

''This project came together so fast that getting it done required a leap of faith on our part and the clients,'' Hann adds. ''In a way that was liberating because we didn’t have time to over think things. We had to trust the concept and our own instincts and go for it.''

About BIGSMACK:
Lead by Creative Director Andy Hann, BIGSMACKtv is a full service creative agency specializing in the broadcast industry. From their offices in downtown Philadelphia, BIGSMACKtv creates, produces, designs and posts image and promotional campaigns for the world’s leading entertainment providers. Recent clients include Discovery Channel, Nat Geo, HBO, Comedy Central, Sundance and A&E, among others. For more information contact: Brett Ashy at The Ashy Agency ( HYPERLINK "mailto:brett@ashyagency.com" brett@ashyagency.com, 323-464-2749) or go to HYPERLINK "http://www.bigsmack.tv" www.bigsmack.tv

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the Large Dangerous Rocket Ships promo:
http://www.bigsmack.tv/#reel/spots/36/0

Click here for more info about BIGSMACK:
http://www.bigsmack.tv

Click here for more info about Large Dangerous Rocket Ships:
http://science.discovery.com/tv/ldrs/

Credits:
Client: Science Channel
Project: "Large Dangerous Rocket Ships" promo

Agency/Production/Design/Post: BIGSMACK, Philadelphia, PA
Creative Director: Andy Hann
Sr. Visual Effects Director: David Zeevalk
Sr. Art Director: Jason Salo
Executive Producer: Heidi Erney
Producer: Tommy Leonard
Visual Effects: Jeremy Fernsler
3D Animators: Adam Stockholm, Kevin Fillie

Calabash Animation Animates New General Mills Spot ''Awards''

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:10:00 +0000

On the heels of last year’s General Mills spot ''Measuring Up,'' Calabash Animation has again teamed with agency McCann Worldwide, New York to animate ''Awards,'' a new spot for General Mills that targets adults with a message highlighting the health benefits found in many popular General Mills cereals such as Trix, Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which are rich in whole grains and calcium.

''Most of the time we’re taking popular brand icons Lucky the Leprechaun and the Trix Rabbit and creating these fantastic worlds and environments and the focus is on fun and adventure,'' explains Sean Henry, Calabash’s Executive Producer. ''For this spot, the tone is completely different with the characters toning down their personalities to deliver some very gentle performances.''

''Awards'' features an array of kids winning awards for their achievement in sports and academics. In each scene we see characters like Lucky, Trix and Sonny the cuckoo bird from Cocoa Puffs, standing next to kids beaming with pride over their accomplishments, while the voiceover notes the health benefits found in whole grains and calcium.

Since the spot is designed to appeal to an adult audience, the subtle side of the characters’ personalities had to be showcased. The challenge was to portray an emotional message through the cartoon characters. This required a high degree of sophistication with the animation. ''The result may seem simple, but a lot of thought went into giving a more serious tone to the otherwise exuberant characters,'' Wayne Brejcha, Calabash’s Creative Director said.

The technical challenges included seamlessly compositing live action with animation. ''Though we have mastered this art, every assignment is different and required some extensive experimentation to get the right look and feel,'' Brejcha added.

Brejcha also noted that the spot contained several complex lighting schemes, particularly with the scene in the pool. The light from the pool had to be perfect to evoke a scene grounded in reality rather than seeming surreal. In addition, subtlety was important, especially when it came to the facial expressions of the characters.

''We spent a lot of time on the characters’ expressions,'' Brejcha said. ''We wanted them to seem to be proud of the children like a parent, but in a subtle way so as not to seem like they were being silly. The idea is to speak to adults and get them to think about the product in a different way. Achieving that through animation is never easy and our team did an incredible job with this project.''

About Calabash Animation:
Led by Creative Director Wayne Brejcha and Executive Producer Sean Henry, Calabash Animation, Inc. (www.calabashanimation.com) is the Chicago, IL-based animation production studio, known for its award-winning cel, 3D and stop-motion animation for the advertising and entertainment industries. Calabash Animation is perhaps best known for their creative development of some of America’s most beloved brand icons. In addition to working on some of today’s top advertising the company has also produced several acclaimed short films. It’s 2002 short ‘’Stubble Trouble’’ was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002. Its most recent “Botnik” will hit the festival circuit in Fall 2008.

Creative Credits:
Client: General Mills
Project: “Awards” (:30, :15):

Agency: McCann Worldwide, New York, NY
SVP, Executive Creative Director: Craig Miller
SVP, Creative Director, Art Director: Sean Kiener
SVP, Creative Director, Copywriter: Steve Centeno
VP, Executive Producer: Tom Sann

Production Co: The Sweet Shop, New York, NY
President / Managing Director: Stephan Dickstein
Director: Kathi Prosser
Executive Producer: Susan Rued-Anderson
Producer: Kyra Shelgren

Animation: Calabash Animation, Chicago, IL
Executive Producer: Sean Henry
Creative Director: Wayne Brejcha
Production Manager: Diane Grider
Associate Producer: Alexis Davison

Editorial: Cutting Room, New York, NY
Producer: Melissa Lubin
Editor: Chris Hellman

Web Resources:
Click here to view the General Mills “Awards” spot:
http://www.calabashanimation.com/movies/view2.asp?file=520a_GMI_Awards_30sm.mov

Click here for more info about Calabash Animation:
http://www.calabashanimation.com/

yU+co Makes Splash with Hot Tub Time Machine

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:09:00 +0000

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- One of this year’s most successful comedies is Hot Tub Time Machine -- the story of four friends, all of them bored with their adult lives, who travel back to their heydays in the 80’s thanks to a time-bending hot tub. Digital content creation/production studio yU+co. added to the humor of the film with an opening title sequence that sets the perfect tone featuring a fast-paced photo collage of the history of hot tubs. yU+co. also created a closing title sequence that offers a pitch perfect parody of the classic Motley Crue music video ''Home Sweet Home,'' only with cast member Rob Corddy playing the part of lead singer Vince Neil.

The History of Hot Tubs in Pictures
According to yU+co. Art Director Synderela Peng, the concept for the opening titles centers on a photo collage that hilariously depicts the history of hot tubs, especially people partying in hot tubs. Set to the 80’s pop metal classic ''Turn Up the Radio'' by Autograph, the collage begins with rudimentary drawings of prehistoric man in hot tubs, then quickly swish pans to an array of photos through hot tub history -- from the Renaissance to the turn of the 20th century and up to modern day. Among the stand out photos are shots of a baby in an old wooden tub and a trio of senior women soaking in a tub littered with empty beer bottles.

''We wanted the open to complement the tone of the film and set the mood,'' Peng says. ''The concept simply was to show the history of people and hot tubs -- from cavemen to modern day -- obviously with a lot of funny pictures along the way.''

Although some of the photos are stock, the bulk of them were actually shot by yU+co designers at what may be the company’s first (and only) work-related hot tub party. All of the photos were tweaked digitally to adjust their color so they resembled old, faded photos with smudges and watermarks. They were then composited with objects, backgrounds and people that were either added in or taken out to spike the comedy. ''For example, we added beer bottles and drug paraphernalia to some of the stock images,'' says Peng. ''We also stayed true to the esthetic of the time with a color palette and a logo that has a decidedly 80’s feel to it.''

End Titles: Motley Crue Redux
The ending title sequences begins with the start of the classic Motley Crue music video ''Home Sweet Home,'' their paean to the good and bad times of life in a rock band, with one significant difference…actor Rob Corddry who wears a blonde wig and tight spandex, plays the role of lead singer Vince Neil.

Based on a concept from director Steve Pink, the yU+co design team took Pink’s footage of Corddry shot on an empty stage and edited it into the original video, which was up-res’d from a VHS copy to give it an appropriately degraded feel. In addition, yU+co contributed to the concept of freeze-framing on the altered video and adding touches of lightning, smoke, geometric shapes and grids and the occasional snakes, bats and skulls with wings -- all recognizable clichés found in most 80’s hard rock and heavy metal album covers.

''We had so much fun with this, and how could you not?'' adds Peng. ''We did a lot of research on 80’s album covers -- the font choices, color schemes, and so on. The freeze frame technique, which already has an inherent 80’s sensibility, compliments the video perfectly. We saw this as purely a graphic design assignment and it was great fun because we were given the freedom to be creative with typography and backgrounds, rather then trying to create some big visual effect.''

In addition to working on Hot Tub Time Machine, other recent yU+co. projects include the film title design for DreamWorks’ Shrek The Final Chapter 3D and a series of spots for the 2010 Census campaign. For Turkish Telecom, yU+co. also created two one-minute CG animated films introducing Marvel superhero characters to Turkish audiences, as well as a series of Iron Man 2 promos for the new film.

About yU+co:
Recognized as an industry leader in motion graphics, visual effects and experiential design with offices in Hollywood, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, yU+co. (http://www.yuco.com) specializes in digital content for all media platforms including title design for film and television, visual effects and animation, theatrical logos, game cinematics, commercials and new media. For more information, contact: Dianna Costello for feature film and television projects or Michael Bennett for gaming/game cinematics and commercials at 323-606-5050.

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the Hot Tub Time Machine titles:
http://yuco.wiredrive.com/l/p/?presentation=bb91c4e09ea1d21fbca7d27d85f40747

Click here for more info about yU+co:
http://www.yuco.com

Creative Credits:
Project: Hot Tub Time Machine titles
Client: United Artists/MGM Studios

Design/Animation: yU+Co., Hollywood, CA
Creative Director: Garson Yu
Executive Producer: Carol Wong
Design Team: Synderela Peng, Wayland Vida, Kaya Thomas, John Kim, Gary Garza, Miguel Rodriguez., Osamu Shishime.

Oink Ink Announces Call for Entries for 13th Annual “Dead Radio Contest”

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:42:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY -- Oink Ink, the leading agency specializing in the creation and production of award-winning radio ads, announces the call-for-entries for this year’s Dead Radio Contest, the annual contest now in its 13th year honoring the best radio ads that we’re never produced. The deadline for this year’s entries is May 22, 2010 with the winning script to be selected in June. The winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to Oink Ink’s production studios in New York or Venice, CA, to attend the recording session.

For further contest information and submission guidelines, visit http://www.oinkradio.com/2010DeadRadio or call 800-776-OINK.

The popular contest offers frustrated copywriters across the country the chance to submit their best un-produced radio scripts that have been ''collecting dust since their untimely deaths,'' says Dan Price, Oink Ink president.

A precursor to some very high-profile recognition, the contest has given a second chance to many first-rate scripts. In fact, six of the past winning spots convinced previously doubting clients to change their minds and broadcast the once dead work. Each of those spots ultimately went on to find success at numerous national and international awards shows, including Radio Mercury, Cannes Lion, Clio and London International winners.

Last year Dead Radio top honors went to Neil Blewett of the agency ZIG, Toronto, for his IKEA spot ''Morning Face,'' which features ‘Linda from HR’ who, to the horror of her office, traipses around with ‘morning face’ – something you get when you don’t sleep well. The Swedish announcer reminds us that “It’s called beauty sleep for a reason” as the spot goes on to promote Ikea’s Sultan Mattresses.

Blewett’s win marked the third victory in four years for writers from Toronto. ''I couldn't believe it at first,'' said Blewett of winning. ''I went from writing a spot that I felt really good about. To feeling disappointed when it didn't get approved. To crossing my fingers when I entered the contest. To being anxious when I heard I was a finalist. To doing arm pumps when I got the call that I won.''

____________________________________________

Click here to listen to the IKEA’s “Morning Face” spot:
http://www.oinkradio.com/2009DeadRadioWinner/v03/index.html
____________________________________________

''We believe in the spirit of great writing and great radio,'' adds Price. ''There’s a lot of good ideas out there; some of which never see the light of day. The contest is our opportunity to breath life into an idea that maybe should have been breathing all along.''

The contest also serves as a reminder to the marketing industry at large about the power of radio advertising, which is enjoying a renaissance lately.

Besides Oink Ink’s own recent growth, which includes new studios in mid-town Manhattan, new hires and a recent ‘top-track’ pick by Shoot magazine, a recent article in Advertising Age noted: ''double-digit increases in national and local spot buys among top marketing categories such as entertainment, financial services and automotive…And several analysts peg radio to finish 2010 with year-end revenue that is flat or even 2% higher than last year, which would mean the industry's first year-over-year gain since 2006.''

Oink Ink is an award-winning, bicoastal creative agency founded by veteran managing director and president Dan Price and his brother, executive creative director Jim Price. Oink Ink writes, produces, directs and manages radio advertising for ad agencies, client-direct accounts, cable network promos and special projects. Headquartered in New York, and with offices in Los Angeles, Oink Ink has been providing high-end radio work for 18 years, for such notable clients as Google, AT&T, CBS Television, Coors Light, Ford, IBM, Southwest Airlines and Staples, to name a few. Oink Ink is a sister company of 38 Greene Studios in New York, which produces sound design, radio, audio for TV and original music work for such ad agency leaders Wieden + Kennedy, BBDO, McCann-Erickson, Ogilvy, Publicis and Saatchi & Saatchi.

yU+Co Teams With Agency DraftFCB For 2010 Census Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:28:00 +0000

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- In a whimsical, branding initiative, yU+Co, the design and visual effects studio led by Creative Director Garson Yu, unveiled a multifaceted campaign targeting…well, every person in America. Working under the direction of agency DraftFCB New York, the 2010 Census campaign encompasses TV, print, outdoor and online -- a media blitz that includes the work of 14 partner agencies produced in 28 different languages.

''It was an enormous project -- absolutely the biggest I’ve ever worked on,'' Gary Resch, Senior VP, Executive Creative Director at DraftFCB, says. ''We’re essentially speaking to every person in America and its territories, and all ethnicities. We had to make sure the messaging was consistent, but also recognize that what’s right for one group might not be right for another.''

Yu adds, ''There was a very specific message that the U.S Census Bureau needed to communicate: encourage people to fill in the form and mail it back. The solution was a very direct message and execution that even a four-year-old child could understand.''

Through five :15 TV spots, the census form comes to life. In what look like paper cutouts, elements of the form get up and move across the blue and white landscape of the mailer. ''The shape of the Census form envelope is like an arrow,'' Yu explains, ''The shape of a roof -- on a hospital, a school or a house -- is also like an arrow. These components give you something that’s very clever, intelligent and smart. It doesn’t look like a generic motion graphics spot because we used the actual form to give vitality to the graphic instead of relying on a computer graphic. We created the animation using stop motion – it looks like paper. It’s borne out of the story and the content.''

The arrow, used throughout the multi-media campaign, becomes a device as elegant and clear as international signage leading the viewer through the specific stories of the spots. Boxes, dots, punctuation marks and letters on the form become whatever the message dictates. In one spot, ''Ten Years,'' the form springs to life as a blue border becomes the arrow showing viewers precisely where to go on the document. The number ‘10’ becomes a clock counting off ten minutes and boxes become buildings that jump up on the landscape. The voiceover narrates the journey with: ''When you take ten minutes to answer ten questions, your local community gets what it needs for the next ten years.''

Another spot, entitled ''Schools,'' the x’s used to fill in the form become adorable x-figure schoolchildren with their own personalities, jumping into a schoolhouse made with the arrow that leads viewers through the story. One x is a disappointed child until the schoolhouse expands to allow more children inside.

In yet another spot, ''Roads,'' the x’s are cars traveling down streets as the arrow splits and morphs itself into a mélange of highways. The x-cars find themselves in a tangle of traffic. The VO asks, ''If we don’t know how many people there are, how do we know how many roads we need?'' The spot resolves with x’s chugging down the roads at a comfortable clip. Each spot is a visually striking, compelling tale with a beginning, middle and an end -- all in 15 seconds.

''How do you take a government form and turn it into something engaging?'' asked Resch. ''That’s what Garson and the yU+co team did, using the actual form itself.''

Yu says, ''Our challenge was to make it fun to fill in the form, which in the past has been seen as a turn-off. Now, the form becomes something appealing.''

Keeping the arrow as a unifying theme, yU+Co’s mnemonic branding devices come in two phases -- one calibrated to launch 2010Census, and one to unveil in the middle of the campaign. In developing the first one, Yu and his team went to the source: the envelope one uses to mail back the form. In crystal clear blue and white, the animated visual is simple and direct. While the partner agencies’ commercials are varied, layered and relevant to the cultures they speak to, the yU+co end tag element ties them together.

Phase two of the mnemonic development is a companion end tag. At this point Census workers will go door-to-door to collect information from households who haven’t mailed in their form. This tag begins with the shape of the arrow and then animates into a house with a door, which opens, accompanied by the line ''Open Your Door To Our Future.'' And, again, the end tag has to work across all languages, boundaries and cultures.

Coordinating the work from the partner agencies was complex. ''It was quite a maneuver to mobilize that amount of people,'' Kelly Fagan, DraftFCB executive producer, says. ''The way Garson has set up the company, everyone has to perform on an extremely high level. First there was the work itself -- it had to communicate not only in TV but it had to work in outdoor, print and online, as well. But then there was the additional challenge of having to accommodate the many different languages and cultures. At the same time, executing the production had to be considered every step of the way. It all had to work cohesively.''

Carol Wong, yU+Co executive producer, says, ''One of the many challenges in designing a graphic sequence that would accommodate any of the 28 different languages is that most of the translations required longer text to communicate the same message. We had to also consider languages, which read from right to left or used characters instead of letters. From a production point of view, it had to be very user-friendly so that all of the teams could incorporate our graphics easily within their spots. Whether that involved slight variations on transparency, text size, length or speed of animation, we worked closely with each agency to provide a unique graphic for each individual need, while still maintaining the integrity of the core brand imaging and message.''

According to DraftFCB EVP and Team Census lead Jeff Tarakajian, there were three communications goals: increase mail response; reduce differential undercount; and support enumeration.

''We weren’t sure what to expect in the beginning,” Wong adds. ''It’s a lot of creative chefs to work with. But all in all, it turned out to be a fantastic experience. Each team was very collaborative, working together to brand one strong message that would work for each of the different ethnic communities.''

''In advertising, you don’t have the opportunity often to work on something that has that intense a positive impact, without the consumer having to buy something,'' Fagan says.

''We were fortunate to be a part of this project. It’s our way of giving back to the community,'' Yu adds.

About yU+Co:
Recognized as an industry leader in visual design and motion graphics with offices in Hollywood, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, yU+Co. (www.yuco.com) specializes in digital content for all media platforms as well as for title design for film and television, visual effects and animation, theatrical logos, game cinematics and commercials. For more information, contact: Dianna Costello for feature film and television projects or Michael Bennett for gaming/game cinematics and commercials at 323-606-5050.

Creative Credits:
Client: U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC
Project: 2010 Census campaign
Branch Chief, COTR: Kendall B. Johnson

Agency: DraftFCB, New York, NY
Executive Producer: Kelly Fagan
SVP/Executive Creative Director: Gary Resch
SVP Creative Director: Noah Davis
EVP/Group Management Director: Jeff Tarakajian
SVP/Group Management Director: Wendy Glass
Producer: Jennifer Glendining

Design/Visual Effects: yU+Co., Hollywood, CA
Creative Director: Garson Yu
Executive Producer: Carol Wong

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the Census TV campaign:

''10 Years'': http://yuco.wiredrive.com/presentation/library/detail/?presentation=beff2e6200d8c1e2e2f97b9e2aa29b31&index=11

''Schools'': http://yuco.wiredrive.com/presentation/library/detail/?presentation=beff2e6200d8c1e2e2f97b9e2aa29b31&index=12

''Roads'': http://yuco.wiredrive.com/presentation/library/detail/?presentation=beff2e6200d8c1e2e2f97b9e2aa29b31&index=13

''Hospitals'': http://yuco.wiredrive.com/presentation/library/detail/?presentation=beff2e6200d8c1e2e2f97b9e2aa29b31&index=14

Click here for more info about yU+co:
http://www.yuco.com

Tonal Goes To The Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:07:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY -- Tonal, the original music/sound design house led by Creative Director Alex Lasarenko, continues its long-time commitment to the independent filmmaking community, completing work on three new, highly-touted feature films, including the acclaimed documentary TEN9EIGHT: Shoot for the Moon, which New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman recently called “the most inspirational, heartwarming film you will ever see.” TEN9EIGHT will premiere this month on the BET network.

In addition to TEN9EIGHT, Tonal also worked on the terrifying documentary Cropsey, which was most recently seen in February at the Philadelphia Film Festival; and The Aspern Papers, a modern telling of the Henry James novella of the same name.

''Indie filmmakers all want same thing: for their movies to stand out,'' Lasarenko says. ''That usually means they want to push the envelope musically as well. Each of the films we scored recently is very different, but if there is a unifying theme to them it’s that the music is bold, adventurous and above all memorable.''

TEN9EIGHT:
TEN9EIGHT, produced and directed by award winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio, chronicles the inspirational stories of several teens from low-income communities who enroll in a course at school -- an innovative program that teaches these students how to become entrepreneurs. 24,000 students, from Harlem to Compton (and all points in between) then enter a nationwide business plan competition run by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and what they learn along the way profoundly changes their lives and destinies.

Musically, Lasarenko notes, Mazzio initially wanted an array of musical textures, something to match the lives of each kid profiled in the film. However, Lasarenko felt strongly that in order for the music to be effective it had echo the larger themes of each teen’s journey from despair to inspiration to redemption.

''It was important that the film have some basic musical theme that link each teen’s story in a larger context,'' Lasarenko says. ''I composed a theme for when they describe their low points, another for when they describe the positive change they decided to make in their lives, and yet another when they find success. The challenge was composing these over-arching themes and then creating numerous variations on those themes that coincide with their individual stories.''

Cropsey
A complete 180 from TEN9EIGHT is Cropsey, a documentary by two filmmakers who investigate the mystery surrounding five missing children in their home town of Staten Island, New York and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances. For this, Lasarenko perfectly captures the chilling nature of the story with a simple-yet-haunting, sparsely orchestrated theme.

Although the film is powerful throughout, the most intense sequences occur when the filmmakers investigate the abandoned hospital for the mentally handicapped said to have been the home of the accursed murder. Lasarenko adds to the scary atmospherics by sampling the sounds of screaming, moaning hospital patients heard on an actual Geraldo Rivera television news report from the 1970s where he investigated the hospital for negligence and abuse. Those samples were then used to create an eerie sonic bed for Lasarenko’s music.

''For Cropsey my goal was find out exactly how a melody can be beautiful and evil sounding at the same time,'' Lasarenko notes.

The Aspern Papers
In The Aspern Papers, a modern adaptation of the novella by Henry James set in Venezuela, a young American publisher sets off on a journey to acquire the valuable and original manuscripts of his beloved poet, Jeffery Aspern. There he discovers the poet's ancient muse and her reclusive niece. The American invents a false identity convinced that once inside their house he will get his hands on the precious papers. The tables soon turn though.

''Like the film, the music is journey as well,'' Lasaenko, says. ''In the beginning, the music has lots of movement -- a restless sense, but as he starts to realize he’s being manipulated, the music starts to get simpler and more introspective. I also took the South American setting to incorporate some indigenous instruments such as the quattro, a four-string guitar and numerous percussion instruments. All of which helped capture the mood and sense of place perfectly.''

About Tonal:
Founded in 2002 by award-winning composer/sound designer Alex Lasarenko, Tonal is a place where original music and ideas converge in an artistic environment. Clients ranging from advertising agencies, television networks, feature filmmakers and record labels have sought out Tonal for their distinct ability to craft memorable music no matter the genre. Located in the heart of Manhattan’s West Chelsea arts scene, the company’s offices are destination for artists and performers of all stripes from around the globe. For more information about the company visit http://www.tonalsound.com

Web Resources:
For more into about Tonal:
http://tonalsound.com/

For more info about TEN9EIGHT: Shoot for the Moon:
http://ten9eight.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1519656/fullcredits

For more info about Cropsey:
http://cropseylegend.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1277936/fullcredits

For more info about The Aspern Papers:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1468741/maindetails

BOND Edit’s Claudia Reda Walker Cuts International Pantene Campaign Featuring Giselle Bundchen

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:21:00 +0000

NEW YORK -- For Claudia Reda Walker, resident fashion/beauty editorial expert at full-service creative post house BOND, every commercial she works on is a chance to add something new, fresh and exciting to the genre. Her latest project -- a nine-spot campaign for Pantene, featuring supermodel Giselle Bundchen, created by agency Wing, New York (a division of Grey Global Group) -- is no exception.

''Working with Creative Director Javier Bonilla and his team is always a joy,'' Reda-Walker says. ''Time after time he brings me beautiful footage, and the Pantene spots were no different. We agreed on an elegant-yet-modern cutting style. ‘Summer’ was particularly fun to cut. Javier trusted me do my own thing. I let the images flow one into the other, using the sun’s natural glares to transition from one shot to the next. The idea was to enhance Gisele’s carefree attitude. The cut had to be effortless and smooth. I opened the spot with just the wave sound to reinforce this.''

In the spots featuring Bundchen, which are targeted to the Brazilian market, we see Bundchen in a variety of settings -- a white sandy beach, a beautiful hotel room, an elegant loft with large stain glass windows. In each spot Bundchen speaks directly to the camera about her hair, its needs and how Pantene Pro V helps keep it looking beautiful. Her testimonial is intercut with glamourous shots of her natural, flowing hair.

Other spots in the campaign target specific markets such as Colombia, Mexico and Argentina, featuring testimonials from models and celebrities from each country. In the ads they talk about their work and how it often means their hair is mistreated, colored, ironed, blow-dried, etc. Thankfully Pantene helps restore it to its natural health, shine and beauty.

Once again, BOND’s full service post approach played a key role with BOND-FX visual effects artist Jeff Spangler adding some digital magic to the star's hair, animating 3D vitamins and enhancing and adjusting numerous scenes.

''Because the spots were not scripted and the women interviewed for hours, the editing challenge was to compress their testimony into just 30 seconds,'' Reda-Walker adds. ''They had to be engaging, informative, interesting and natural and yet deliver the campaign’s message. It took a lot of work to make it all effortless and cohesive.''

About BOND:
From inside their beautifully designed 6,500 square foot studio, BOND (http://www.bondedit.com/) – the creative editorial/post house founded in 2006 by editor Jeff Beckerman – lends its versatile talents to the best in cross-platform advertising and entertainment. They offer clients a full menu of creative services, including editing, graphics, motion effects and sound design/audio post. For more information contact Executive Producer, Stephanie Shayne at stephanie_shayne@bondedit.com or 212-533-9400.

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the new Pantene campaign:
http://clients.bondedit.com/Video/CW%20Pantene%20Summer%20SPA%20ray.mov

Click here for more info about BOND:
http://www.bondedit.com/

Creative Credits:
Client: Pantene
Project: Pro V campaign (9 x :30)

Agency: Wing, New York
Creative Director: Javier Bonilla
Copywriter: Marta Marcos

Editorial/Post: BOND, New York
Creative Director: Jeff Beckerman
Editor: Claudia Reda-Walker
Visual Effects: Jeff Spangler
Executive Producer: Stephanie Shayne

Neo-Pangea Reteams with National Geographic Channel To Launch ''The Headshrinker'' Web App

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:56:00 +0000

Reading, PA -- To celebrate National Geographic Channel’s (NGC) ''Search for the Amazon Headshrinkers,'' which kicked of the network’s 2nd Annual Expedition Week, Neo-Pangea teamed with NGC to create ''The Headshrinker,'' a versatile web application that allows users to upload any photograph (your boss, your mother-in-law, that shifty cousin who owes you $50…) and transform it into a realistic-looking 3-D shrunken head.

From there, users can customize their creepy creation by choosing from four different head shapes. They can add different accessories including bones, braids, and jewelry. They can also change the color of their shrunken head’s hair or add facial hair to match their own, or create some crazy-freak-alien-hybrid. To further accentuate the experience, users can select from Amazon-inspired environments and different types of background music. They can then share their morbid masterpiece through e-mail, embed on their Facebook wall, or shout to BFFs on other popular social networking sites like Mixx, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, reddit, and MySpace.

__________________

To try “The Headshrinker” for yourself, visit http://www.natgeotv.com/headshrinkers
__________________

''We really had a good time with this one'' said Neo-Pangea Creative Director Brett Bagenstose. ''In fact, the creations turned out to be far more bizarre than we had originally intended. Once we started rotating the images to put the picture’s eye or nose where it’s mouth is supposed to be, it opened up a whole new world of gross opportunities. And yes, I enjoy having a job where a ‘gross opportunity’ is a good thing.''

''The Headshrinker'' is the latest collaboration between Neo-Pangea and the National Geographic Channel. Their first joint effort, ''The Aftermath” timeline, earned Neo-Pangea a National Addy Award.

''National Geographic Channel offers such diverse and interesting content, that partnering with them is always an exciting challenge,'' Bagenstose continued. ''Working with Nat Geo, we’ve had an opportunity to imagine what the end of the world would look like and what our intern would look like with his eyes stitched shut. I can’t wait to see what we’ll get to imagine next.''

About Neo-Pangea:
Neo-Pangea is an innovative digital agency that specializes in digital video production, Web design, 3D design, interactive experiences, and live-environment multimedia. It has created successful promotions for Fortune 100 brands across the globe such as the National Geographic Channel, Comcast, and Wal-Mart. For more information, visit http://www.neo-pangea.com.

About National Geographic Channel:
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the HYPERLINK "http://www.natgeotv.com/" \t "_blank" National Geographic Channel (NGC) is a joint venture between National Geographic Ventures (NGV) and Fox Cable Networks (FCN). Since launching in January 2001, NGC initially earned some of the fastest distribution growth in the history of cable and more recently the fastest ratings growth in television. The network celebrated its fifth anniversary January 2006 with the launch of NGC HD, which provides the spectacular imagery that National Geographic is known for in stunning high-definition. NGC has carriage with all of the nation's major cable and satellite television providers, making it currently available in nearly 70 million homes. For more information, please visit http://natgeotv.com/.

Calabash Animation’s Short Film, ‘’Botnik’’ Wraps Up Film Festival Run

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:44:00 +0000

CHICAGO, IL – ‘’Botnik,’’ the animated short produced by Calabash Animation and directed by Calabash’s Jacqueline Smessaert-Brennan wrapped up its film festival run at the end of 2009 with appearances at Filmstock in Luton, UK; Tallgrass Film Festival, Wichita, KS; and the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival, Ojai, CA.

In the last few months “Botnik” appeared at Comic Con Independent Film Festival, San Diego, CA; Raindance Film Festival, London; Valley Con, Fargo, ND; LA Shorts Fest, Los Angeles, CA; and Temecula Valley Film and Music Festival.

“The last year has been an amazing learning experience for me,” Smessaert-Brennan says. “We’ve met with some amazing people who love the film and have encouraged us to keep pushing forward with it. Now that we’re nearing he end of our festival run we’re looking forward to pursuing any and all opportunities for ‘Botnik.’ Our goal remains the same as when we started: to get the film seen by as many people in as many mediums as possible, which includes TV, DVD, web, mobile, airlines and beyond.”

“Botnik” highlights from ’09 include:

• Winning at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in the category of Best Animated Short;

• Being accepted into Comic Con, and serving on a panel with acclaimed animator Bill Plympton and several notable others;

• Meeting with Matt Groening (creator of “The Simpsons”) at Comic Con, which resulted in a screener request from FOX Television.

Written and Directed by Smessaert-Brennan, ’Botnik’’ is a ten-minute cel/digital animated short that tells the story of a frustrated wannabe artist who longs to make the scene with resident hipsters and win the heart of a beautiful beatnik girl. Thwarted by a crushing combination of creative block and pressure to produce, he retreats to his retro-laboratory and emerges with the solution: a gleaming robot artist programmed to create the ultimate art show.

According to Calabash Creative Director Wayne Brejcha, ‘’Botnik’’ represents the company’s most ambitious film production to date and came about thanks to Calabash’s internal film program that encourages staff animators to submit film ideas with the best one being produced. The program began in 2001 and was an immediate success with its first short, ‘’Stubble Trouble,’’ receiving a 2002 Academy Award nomination. Since then the company has produced five animated shorts, all of which are available on the company’s website.

‘’We are extremely proud of ‘Botnik,’ both from a creative and an execution standpoint,’’ said Brejcha. ‘’It’s complex in terms of the story and animation technique, and we look forward to sharing it with the world on the film festival circuit and beyond.’’

About Calabash Animation:

Led by Creative Director Wayne Brejcha and Executive Producer Sean Henry, Calabash Animation, Inc. (www.calabashanimation.com) is the Chicago, IL-based animation production studio, known for its award-winning cel, 3D and stop-motion animation for the advertising and entertainment industries. Calabash Animation is perhaps best known for their creative development of some of America’s most beloved brand icons. In addition to working on some of today’s top advertising the company has also produced several acclaimed short films. It’s 2002 short ‘’Stubble Trouble’’ was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002. Its most recent “Botnik” will hit the festival circuit in Fall 2008.

Web Resources:

Click here to view the trailer for Calabash’s short ‘Botnik’

http://www.calabashanimation.com/movies/view.asp?file=botnik_trailer.mov

Click here to visit the Calabash website:

http://www.calabashanimation.com

Click here for more info about ‘Botnik’

http://www.myspace.com/Botnik_2008

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1362368/

BIGSMACKtv Creates New Image Campaign for BIO Channel

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:01:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Irreverent is not the first word that comes to mind when one thinks of the BIO Channel, but that is the best way to describe the new 9-spot image campaign created for the popular cable network by BIGSMACKtv, the agency/production/design studio hybrid led by Creative Director Andy Hann.

''BIO has changed their identity significantly over the last few years and so we wanted to reinforce the network’s brand, which at its core centers on the idea that understanding is empowering,'' Hann says.

The campaign centers on profound quotes from famous personalities read with intense seriousness by real people in their natural environment who have seemingly embraced the quotes as a life mantra through which they have become more empowered and actualized.

Each spot begins with a seemingly out-of-left-field Latin-infused percussive soundtrack that abruptly stops as soon as the subject stands before the camera on a small red circle stage designed to recall the red dot in the BIO logo. The juxtaposition of the quotes and who said them with the personality and setting of the real people gives the campaign its absurdist edge.

The spots ends with the BIGSMACKtv penned tagline: ''The stories are true. The inspiration is endless'' followed by a fast-paced montage of black and white still photos of an array of celebrities from Al Capone to Cameron Diaz to the Rolling Stones and more.

BIGSMACKtv began the process with hours of extensive research to find these revelatory quotes. Their only criteria was that it feel insightful enough to be believed that the person reading the quote would take it to heart.

The detailed casting sessions for the nine principal talent included equal parts real people and actors was followed by an intense one-day shoot on a farm in Bucks County, PA and exterior locations in downtown Philadelphia. Although the shoot was logistically complex, Hann notes it was made easier thanks to their smart casting choices.

''When you have the right cast, the shoot is easy,'' Hann notes. ''The real people were quirky personalities to begin with so all they had to be was themselves, and the actors were consummate pros. The goal was to find people that had a look about them that was easy to prejudge. But then, through their quote, your perception of them would change. It’s about empowerment through knowledge, which is really what BIO is all about.''

About BIGSMACKtv:
Lead by Creative Director Andy Hann, BIGSMACKtv is a full service creative agency specializing in the broadcast industry. From their offices in downtown Philadelphia, BIGSMACKtv creates, produces, designs and posts image and promotional campaigns for the world’s leading entertainment providers. Recent clients include Discovery Channel, Nat Geo, HBO, Comedy Central, Sundance and A&E, among others. For more information contact: Brett Ashy at The Ashy Agency (brett@ashyagency.com, 323-464-2749) or go to http://www.bigsmack.tv

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the BIO image spots:
http://bigsmacktv.wiredrive.com/l/p/?presentation=2d30d4160f00c27029aec83272ff4d0b

Click here for more info about BIGSMACKtv:
http://www.bigsmack.tv/

Click here for more info about BIO:
http://www.biography.com/

Creative Credits:
Client: BIO
Project: 9-spot image campaign

Agency/Production: BIGSMACKtv, Philadelphia, PA
Creative Director: Andy Hann
Executive Producers: Heidi Erney, Kelly Dials

BOND Launches BOND Design Collective

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:12:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY -- Looking to expand the creative services and talent available to its clients, as well as build new relationships, markets and opportunities, BOND, the full-service creative post-house led by Creative Director Jeff Beckerman, has formed the BOND Design Collective -- a strategic alliance between three extraordinarily talented creative companies that specialize in visual effects/3D animation, conceptualization, motion graphics and interactive design for any type of screen. Together, they form a power and dynamic creative force unlike many others.

The BOND Design Collective includes BOND-FX, which specializes in visual effects, motion graphics and scene enhancement; The Core, the Santa Monica, CA based design studio specializing in conceptually driven broadcast design and motion graphics; and eatdrink, Chicago, best known for its award-winning interactive and CG design for numerous top national brands.

The BOND Design Collective is the latest addition to BOND, which includes BOND Edit (creative offline/online editorial and finishing); BOND Audio (sound design and audio post); and BOND-FX.

According to Beckerman, what makes the BOND Design Collective so powerful is that each company brings something different creatively to the proverbial table.

''Given these economic times, we see this as a potential game-changer for both the current clients of all three companies, as well as potential new ones looking to tap into a wealth of talent and technology rarely found within a single entity,'' Beckerman says. ''From high-end concept development through challenging executions, whether in advertising, broadcast, network branding, multimedia and beyond, there literally isn’t a facet of our modern communications landscape we can’t handle.''

• Led by visual effects designer Jeff Spangler, BOND-FX is a Flame/Flare-based visual effects and motion graphic studio. Their work includes new ads for Pantene, General Mills and Wendy’s.

• The Core is known for its high-energy creative direction, conceptually driven design and motion graphics work for an array of clients including VH1, Spike, Marc Ecko and Yahoo. Led by Creative Director Chris Hoffman and Executive Producer Chad Feeback, the company just won a 2009 First Boards Awards and a 2009 Telly.

• eatdrink’s work integrates striking interactive design, 3D animation and video executions. Clients ranging from A1 Steak Sauce, Disney, McDonald’s and Zappos, as well as many others, have been the recipients of their design expertise. Chad Hutson is eatdrink’s Founder and Executive Producer.

For Beckerman, the BOND Design Collective maintains the benefits of a specialized creative boutique while adding deeper capabilities in conceptual design, 3D, visual effects and interactive design into one coordinated team. All without losing the personal touch and service that BOND is known for throughout the post-production community.

''Our goal,” Beckerman says, ''is to find new ways to better serve our clients, make new ones and further expand into other industries. This is also an amazing opportunity for The Core and eatdrink to be able to offer their clients BOND’s audio, editorial and visual effects capabilities for their projects. Having a coast-to-coast reach means we can work with clients virtually anywhere in the U.S. Together we are a formidable powerhouse of talent and energy and we look forward to showing the industry how much we’re capable of.''

About BOND:
From inside their beautifully designed 6,500 square foot studio, BOND (http://www.bondedit.com/) -- the creative editorial/post house founded in 2006 by editor Jeff Beckerman – lends its versatile talents to the best in cross-platform advertising and entertainment. They offer clients a full menu of creative services, including editing, graphics, motion effects and sound design/audio post. For more information contact Executive Producer, Stephanie Shayne at HYPERLINK "mailto:stephanie_shayne@bondedit.com" stephanie_shayne@bondedit.com or 212-533-9400.

Web Resources:
Click here for more info about the BOND Design Collective:
http://www.bonddesigncollective.com

Tonal Sets Uplifting Mood For A&E’s Recovery Project Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:53:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY -- Following the success of the Emmy-winning series “Intervention,” A&E has created The Recovery Project, a multimedia and community based outreach program designed to raise awareness about addiction and how it is treatable and recovery is possible. A key component to the project are two moving TV spots featuring a powerful, anthemic score composed by Alex Lasarenko, Creative Director of music/sound design house Tonal.

''The goal of the spots is to show people who are suffering from alcohol and drug addiction that they are not alone, even though they may feel alone,'' Lasarenko says. ''Musically they wanted something that would symbolize that -- something that began very starkly with one instrument, but slowly builds into a larger sounding piece.''

In the spots, entitled ''Share'' (:60) and ''Lifetime'' (:30) we see vignettes of recovering addicts going through their daily lives while they talk about the positive changes in their lives thanks to recovery. The music begins with a simple piano melody that slowly incorporates more instrumental textures such as a soft acoustic guitar and bass. As the music swells to include a string section, drums and a more soaring, anthemic quality, the pace quickens with the subjects now holding signs indicating exactly how long they’ve been in recovery.

In an unusual move that speaks volumes about A&E and director Terence Wiliams’ trust in Lasarenko's musical instincts and how well he captured the emotions the spots are meant to evoke, Lasarenko recorded all of the music before the cameras even rolled. In fact the music, which features all live instruments, was played during the shoot to give the cast and crew inspiration.

''Terence and A&E gave us a lot of creative freedom,'' Lasarenko explains. ''Their only mandate was that the music should start simple and build to a big finish. I heard that several people involved with the project were moved to tears by the music, which makes us proud.”

About Tonal:
Founded in 2002 by award-winning composer/sound designer Alex Lasarenko, Tonal is a place where original music and ideas converge in an artistic environment. Clients ranging from advertising agencies, television networks, feature filmmakers and record labels have sought out Tonal for their distinct ability to craft memorable music no matter the genre. Located in the heart of Manhattan’s West Chelsea arts scene, the company’s offices are destination for artists and performers of all stripes from around the globe. For more information about the company contact Michelle Brunwasser at 212.255.4369 or michelleb@tonalsound.com.

Web Resources:
Click here to watch A&E’s The Recovery Project spots:
http://www.tonalsound.com/assets/m/Recovery%20Project_60_final.mov

Click here for more info about Tonal
http://www.tonalsound.com

Click here for more info about The Recovery Project:
http://www.aetv.com/real-life-change/

Creative Credits:
Client: A&E
Project: The Recovery Project -- “Share” (:60) and “Lifetime” (:30)

Agency: A&E in-house, New York

Production/Editorial: Bobs Your Uncle, New York
Director Terence Williams

Music: Tonal, New York
Creative Director/Composer: Alex Lasarenko
Executive Producer: Warren Wolfson

‘AMANPOUR’ PREMIERES ON CNN WITH SIGNATURE THEME BY STEPHEN ARNOLD MUSIC

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:49:00 +0000

DALLAS, TX -- The premiere of “Amanpour” on CNN represents a pivotal new chapter in the career of the news network’s chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour. A live global interview program that hosts the world’s elite in politics, culture and beyond, the show makes its presence known with a gripping custom theme from Stephen Arnold Music.
Stephen Arnold Music matched the larger-than-life profile of Amanpour with a strong set of themes – five in all – that reflected her status as one of the top journalists in the field. Written to reach an international audience, the music’s foundation draws off of a signature four-note sonic logo, unfolding via a stirring arrangement of live orchestral strings, horns, and percussion, combined subtly with advanced electronic elements.

''Christiane Amanpour is among the most recognizable talents in the CNN family worldwide,'' says Stephen Arnold, President of Stephen Arnold Music. “It was important to develop a strong signature that fits her personality. The ‘Amanpour’ theme is distinctive and authoritative and also has a feminine quality to it. A sense of elegance, importance and intellectual appeal were also essential qualities to weave into the music.''

The composition that Arnold and his team wrote and arranged was recorded by members of the Dallas and Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra, bringing together violins, violas, cellos, French horns and more for a rich sound that only live players and instruments can bring. The result is a theme fit for on-air royalty, effectively mixing majesty, tension and drama, all riding a rhythmic pulse.

With compositions that have been central to the branding of broadcast brands such as CBS, Fox Business Channel, The Weather Channel, and a full 35% of all U.S. local TV markets, Stephen Arnold Music’s expertise made them a natural choice for the project. ''We have a strong feel for what CNN’s network sound is, and we made sure to extend that to ‘Amanpour’,'' Arnold says. ''Our longtime experience in sonic branding is what allowed us to translate Christiane Amanpour’s amazing qualities into a fitting theme for her new show.''

''Inside the Middle East''
In addition to 'Amanpour,' Stephen Arnold Music was also selected to write a fresh theme for the popular CNN program ''Inside the Middle East.'' Part of a relaunch that also called for a new graphic look, Stephen Arnold Music created a contemporary, energetic theme that seamlessly fused electronic and Arabic feels.

Stephen Arnold Music recorded strings, santoor and a wealth of percussion instruments with ancient Middle Eastern roots, plus the latest in modern synths, to make an invigorating cross-cultural statement. ''A good hook is a good hook,'' Stephen Arnold says of the company’s ability to write across an international range. ''It takes a lot of experience and research to fuse traditional and contemporary styles, but you also have to just put your head and heart into the music. You can hear we did just that in the new theme for CNN’s ‘Inside the Middle East.’''

About Stephen Arnold Music: 
As a multiple Emmy, Addy and Promax Gold award-winning music production company, Stephen Arnold Music has over 15 years of success in delivering the sounds that make a difference to networks, television stations, advertising agencies, film studios and video game companies the world over. The company's Commanding Sonic Branding approach to music production and commitment to industry-leading service is at the core of its promise. For more information, please visit http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the CNN 'Amanpour' open:
http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com/amanpour/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuxRY--ckVs

Click here for more info about Stephen Arnold Music:
http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com/

Click here for more info about 'Amanpour':
http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/amanpour/

Leroy And Clarkson’s Crafts Duel in the Desert For ABC’s New Dancing With The Stars Promo Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:32:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY -- In creating ABC-TV’s new promo campaign for Season 9 of Dancing with the Stars, Leroy and Clarkson (http://www.leroyandclarkson.com/) and Creative Director Daniel Fries drew inspiration from classic western duel sequences to create a sultry dance battle against a burning horizon.

Beautifully photographed and featuring some equally impressive 3D animation and compositing, Fries says the goal behind the campaign was to try and reach a younger, hipper audience without turning off their loyal viewers. That meant taking ballroom dance away from its theatrical roots and shaping it into something more cinematic.

“This is the biggest season ever of Dancing With the Stars -- featuring a live premiere event, bigger stars on the show and a new elimination format -- so ABC challenged us to take this campaign to a much more epic place,” Fries says.

The Leroy and Clarkson creative team responded with the Duel in the Desert -- a trailer-like promo that captures the scale and drama they were looking for.

Set to a dramatic score by music house Musikvergnuegen, Hollywood, CA, the spot begins with a shot of a brilliant sunset and a slow motion shot of a silhouetted man and woman strolling confidently toward the camera. Their destination: a shiny black stage, surrounded by huge LED screens, scaffolding, and a cheering audience of thousands. As the silhouetted couple takes the stage, we see other couples size them up warily. Suddenly the competition begins and the couples exhibit their best moves. Using a variety of lenses, frame rates and tracking shots, Fries’ camera captures all the sultry moves in vibrant 35 mm detail. As 3D animated embers cascade on the LED screens, the spot comes to a climactic end with the woman in red hoisting the coveted trophy high above her head.

For Fries, one of the primary challenges was dealing with the environmental conditions -- namely shooting physically demanding choreography under a 110-degree desert sun on a lit, black stage. “It was important that we minimize everyone’s time out in the sun,” Fries said. “We had to be very economical in terms of how we used the talent so they would last the entire day.”

Equally important were the visual effects, which included the 3D animated LED screens and scaffolding. These are also used throughout the season in a comprehensive toolkit that carries the look and feel for episodic promos.

“I didn’t want this to feel too theatrical and synchronized like a musical,” Fries says. “We wanted it to feel raw and explosive. That gave us the emotion and action of a more cinematic style.”

Fries adds, “This was one of those projects where every facet of Leroy and Clarkson was tested -- from creating the concept to mounting a complex live action production through the intricate post process. And all of this for one of the biggest shows on television.”

Based on the response from ABC -- who has made the promos and graphics a key part of the Dancing With The Stars website as well -- it’s clear this promo campaign is as big a hit as the show itself.

About Leroy and Clarkson:
Leroy and Clarkson (http://www.leroyandclarkson.com/) is a creative agency, a design studio and a production company fluent in brand identity, promotional campaigns and graphic design. We are writers, designers, directors, editors and producers with the ability to develop and execute everything from simple title design to large-scale, brand-level campaign work.
We bring an emotionally engaging and narrative-driven approach to our projects. Our clients are networks, agencies and filmmakers looking to take their projects in new, culturally informed and creative directions.

For more information, please contact Susie Shuttleworth at 212-431-9291. The company is represented for broadcast work by Brett Ashy of The Ashy Agency (323.464.2749) and for advertising by Lisa Toliver (858.309.5169).

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the Dancing with the Stars promo:
http://www.leroyandclarkson.com/mov/83.mov

Click here for more info about Leroy and Clarkson:
http://leroyandclarkson.com/

Click here for more info about Dancing with the Stars:
http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars

Creative Credits:
Client: ABC-TV
Project: Dancing With The Starts promo campaign/graphic toolkit

Production/Design Post: Leroy and Clarkson, New York
Creative Director: Daniel Fries
Executive Producer: Susie Shuttleworth

Vh1 Launches ‘The T.O. Show’ Campaign With Sound Design From Nutmeg Audio Post

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:23:00 +0000

NEW YORK, NY -- Go for two: VH1 needed both intensity and space in the :30 promo for their highly anticipated new program “The T.O. Show.” They called on Nutmeg Audio Post (www.nutmegaudiopost.com) for a standout sound design that would show why the multidimensional athlete Terrell Owens (T.O.) was a star worth watching.

Nutmeg Senior Audio Engineer Mike Vitacco collaborated closely with VH1 Director/Writer Tyler Greco, starting with an extremely productive pre-production, to craft “T.O.” into an arresting promo. Set in a surreally empty football stadium, Owens plays chess with himself, as the camera continually rotates 360 degrees to show the many scenes of celebrity, solitude and psychological intrigue that are his everyday life.

Vitacco’s sound design draws viewers in deeper by employing subtly unexpected sounds and judicious use of space. “This promo explores the internal struggles and multiple identities we all deal with,” Vitacco explains. “I wanted to accentuate the visual openness of the spot. The empty football field with the lights gives the idea that maybe he’s in front of 80,000 fans, or maybe in his own world.”

Vitacco adds, “I try to give every project its own fingerprint, by employing original, organic sounds that I create, instead of whooshes from a library. The sound of champagne pouring into a glass is actually a modified tape shuttle effect, flashbulbs popping are robot gulps, and my guitar through a Moogerfooger delay is also there -- the result is an alternate reality. But it’s not just what the sound effects are: It’s also the space that we were able to lend to each of them. Nothing is rushed, and nothing is stepping on something else.”

It’s in the Mix:
VH1’s Greco teamed closely with Nutmeg from the beginning, planning the visuals in synch with Vitacco’s sound design concepts and an artfully minimalist hip hop track from composer Eddie Cooper of Explosion Robinson. Jamie Hubbard of Cause & [Effect] ensured the video editorial kept sound and visuals perfectly sharp.

“When we collaborated on the pre-production, I did a read of the script myself so Tyler would know exactly how much time he needed for each camera movement,” says Vitacco, who also oversaw the ISDN record of Owen’s VO, and the subsequent mix. “Advance sound work like that helps him not to rush the visuals, and contributes to a top-notch spot.”

“’T.O’ really started with the sound design and music,” adds Tyler Greco. “Once we conceptualized this stark, surreal stadium setting, the audio became just as important as the camera work. Mike’s work really pushed the spot – when it’s over, viewers really have a sense of what the show is about, who T.O. is, who he isn’t, and that they want to know more.”

“Whenever you work at Nutmeg Audio Post, you know you’re going to get a unique perspective on sound,” Greco continues. “Nothing is cookie-cutter there, because they give you a fresh approach. That’s important, because then you get what we accomplished with ‘T.O.’: a one-of-a-kind spot that stands out from the pack.”

“The T.O. Show” airs every Monday at 10:00 PM EST on VH1.

About Nutmeg Audio Post:
Nutmeg Audio Post is New York City’s comprehensive audio post facility that puts creativity first. Founded in 1979, it is home to an elite staff of mixers and support staff committed to providing world-class audio post production and sound design for HDTV and SDTV, film, radio, online and interactive media. For more information, please visit http://www.nutmegaudiopost.com or call 212-921-8005.

Creative Credits:
Client: VH1
Project: The T.O. Show promo

Agency: Vh1 (In-House)
Director/Writer: Tyler Greco
Vp On-Air Promos: Tony Maxwell
Senior Director On-Air Promos: Adam Wilson
Supervising Producer: Michael Flexner
Line Producer: Amber Harris
Executive Producer: Wendell Wooten
Evp Creative & Consumer Marketing: Nigel Cox-Hagen
Svp Branding & Design: Phil Delbourgo

Audio Post: Nutmeg Audio Post, New York
Mixer/Sound Designer: Mike Vitacco

Music: Explosion Robinson, New York
Creative Director: Stephen Hermann
Composer: Eddie Cooper

Editorial: Cause & [Effect], New York
Editor: Jamie Hubbard

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the VH1/T.O. Show promo:
http://clients.nutmegaudiopost.com/toshow/Vh1_TO_30_WEB.mov

Click here for more info about Nutmeg Audio:
http://www.nutmegaudiopost.com

Neo-Pangea Launches Wal-Mart “Your Zone” 3-D Web Application

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:58:00 +0000

Reading, PA -- The Internet has been changing the way the world works, dates and does practically everything else over the past two decades. However, for all of the life-changing strides the Internet has made in other fields, it hasn’t done much in the way of making furniture lighter…that is until today.

The creative team at Neo-Pangea, in partnership with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and their traditional print and television advertising agency, The Martin Agency, is pleased to announce the creation of ''Your Zone.'' This innovative 3-D online experience lets you hold in your hand a virtual room filled with ever-changing Wal-Mart furniture sets, pieces and home décor.

''Because this is a tool that people use to see actual products, it was important for us to make sure the items look exactly as they do in the store,'' said Neo-Pangea’s Royal Alchemist Jason Morris. ''The textures for the individual drapes, sheets, comforters, etc., was taken from photos of the actual products.''

And here’s where it really gets cool...

Users can print a marker on a regular piece of paper using a standard printer and when placed in front of an ordinary webcam, a 3-D room full of Wal-Mart products comes to life in your hands. The fabrics, wall colors and accessories change over time to represent different styles and provide a larger view of their vast product line.

The team at Neo-Pangea utilized Papervision3D to render the virtual room in real time, so that when you rotate the marker, the room rotates. When you move the marker closer to the Webcam, the room gets larger.

'''Your Zone' is a revolutionary way for Wal-Mart shoppers to enjoy a realistic view of how a wide variety of furnishings will look in their homes without having to lug enormous pieces back and forth,'' said Neo-Pangea Baron of Pixels Brett Bagenstose. “It won’t make the furniture lighter, but it's the next best thing."

About Neopangea:

Based in West Reading, Pennsylvania, Neo-Pangea is an innovative agency that specializes in digital video and audio productions, Web design, interactive experiences, and live multimedia performances. It has created successful promotions for Fortune 100 brands such as Comcast, Nike, National Geographic... and now Wal-Mart.

About The Martin Agency:

The Martin Agency is based in Richmond, Virginia and is part of Interpublic Group of Companies. It has been ranked the #3 Agency in the world by Advertising Age. They lead brands such as GEICO, UPS, Hanes, Wal-Mart, and NASCAR.

About Wal-Mart:

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is currently ranked number one on Fortune magazine’s prestigious Fortune 500 list and operates more than 7,000 facilities and employs more than two million associates worldwide. For the fiscal year ending January 31, 2008, Wal-Mart was the world’s largest retailer with in excess of $374 billion dollars in sales.

Web Resources:

For more information on Neo-Pangea visit:

http://www.neo-pangea.com.

For more information on The Martin Agency visit:

http://www.martinagency.com

For more information on Wal-Mart’s “Your Zone” Augmented Reality application visit:

http://yourzone3d.com

Shooters Post & Transfer Creates 'Defining Moments' For MASN

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:52:00 +0000

Company Develops Unique Virtual Set For Comprehensive Campaign

PHILADELPHIA -- Shooters Post & Transfer (www.shootersinc.com), the full-service creative post house, stepped up big-time for MASN, (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network), the Baltimore, MD-based regional sports network owned jointly by the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, handling the production with a cast of real fans, and the complex post production that centered on creating intricate 3D virtual sets that evoked the iconic look of Camden Yards and Nationals Park -- the home stadiums for Orioles and Nationals respectively. The 20-spot branding campaign was created by the Washington, DC-based agency Rosenthal Partners, and directed by Peter Churchman of Churchman Productions, Ardmore, PA.

"This campaign has its origins in fandom, starting with blog entries that asked fans to write their favorite Orioles or Nationals moment," Dick Goggin, MASN's Consultant for Creative and Marketing, said. "The original idea for the TV campaign was to shoot in a big studio and build replicas of the stadium scoreboards, but Shooters convinced me they had the resources in production, 3D animation design and graphics, as well as post to handle it all digitally. I was skeptical at first, but they were right."

Instead of building physical sets, the Shooters creative team, led by Ed Mendez, Visual Effects Supervisor from Shooters' film division DIVE, proposed to shoot the fans on a smaller greenscreen stage and create a virtual sets in 3D for creative and budget reasons.

"The virtual set allowed us to composite the fans into the scene, and because we shot digitally we were also able to take all the camera data and use that to make the scenes perfect in terms of lighting, shadows and perspective," Mendez said. "The other advantage was the control we had on these complicated VFX driven spots. Partnering with Churchman Productions ensured that the client got want they wanted and the budget was not blown because something was shot incorrectly."

The challenges in production were technical and practical -- namely how to make certain everything worked seamlessly in post, and how to shoot some 20 fans, not actors, in three days. The schedule meant they would need to film about eight fans each day, with about an hour for each. Shooters tapped Director Peter Churchman, who is known for his network work with real people, for the project.

"Peter had a great way with the fans and got them to open up, be natural and tell their stories in a compelling way," Carolyn Jefferson, Executive Producer -- Production said. "Between the casting, shooting, the logistics, the shoot and post there was a lot of moving parts on this project, but because of the fully-integrated production and post workflow at Shooters everything came together seamlessly."

Adds Goggin, "MASN has a long history with Shooters, and this is the biggest project to date. It was a unique project and they excelled greatly. The campaign has been well received by both our fans and from everyone at MASN, and Shooters deserves a lot of credit for it turning out as well as it did."

About Shooters Post & Transfer:
Shooters Post & Transfer (www.shootersinc.com) blends talent, technology and customer service to provide a superior level of quality and creativity. Shooters' client base consists of ad agencies, production companies, filmmakers, television and cable networks, political consultants, PR firms, and corporations. Capabilities include Spirit 2K film transfer w/ Bones data, da Vinci 2k Plus w/Colorist Toolbox; Resolve Digital Cinema Suite, six Inferno/Smoke2k suites, nine Avid non-linear edit, four final cut suites, CGI and graphic design, Flame, three surround sound audio suites, audio recording studio, film, HD and video crews and studio. Shooters offer these services in SD, HD, 2K, 4k, RED and Viper. The company also has a content division that produces Food Network's "Dinner: Impossible."

About DIVE:
Based in Philadelphia, DIVE (www.the-dive.net), is a visual effects and film finishing house led by veteran Visual Effects Supervisor Mark Forker - most recently Visual Effects Supervisor at Digital Domain, Los Angeles. The new company will focus on providing the film community with visual effects, digital intermediates, and titles.

Web Resources:
Click here to view the MASN 'Defining Moments' branding campaign:
http://shooters.wiredrive.com/l/p/?presentation=2cf583c23113e8cbf2c61dd9f77fbf50

Click here for more info about Shooters Post & Transfer:
http://www.shootersinc.com

Click here for more info about MASN:
http://masnsports.com

Click here for more info about Rosenthal Partners:
http://www.rosenthalpartners.com

Creative Credits:
Client: MASN, Baltimore, MD
Project: "Defining Moments" branding campaign (20 x :30)

Agency: Rosenthal Partners, Washington, DC

Production: Churchman Productions, Ardmore, PA (in association with Shooters Post & Transfer):
Director: Peter Churchman

Visual Effects/Post Production: Shooters Post & Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
Visual Effects Supervisor: Ed Mendez
Executive Producer: Carolyn Jefferson
VFX Artists: Jeremy Fernsler & Kevin Fanning
Sound Design: Mike Taylor
Post Producer: Mark Reidenauer

CBS WAKES UP AUDIENCES TO 'THE EARLY SHOW' WITH NEW NATIONAL PROMO CAMPAIGN THEME FROM STEPHEN ARNOLD MUSIC

noreply@blogger.com (Ray Ecke) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:19:00 +0000

Leaders in Broadcast Network Music Composition Create Vibrant Song, 'A Lot Happens Early' for Wide-Reaching Campaign

DALLAS: America is waking up to the catchiest promotional campaign of 2009, driven by the sharp sonic sensibilities of Stephen Arnold Music (www.stephenarnoldmusic.com). CBS chose Stephen Arnold Music, the leaders in network music composition, to create the unforgettable new song "A Lot Happens Early" for their latest "The Early Show" national ad package.

Stephen Arnold Music built on its history of creating catchy hooks that build brands with "A Lot Happens Early", a pop song that comes on like fresh brewed coffee. Stephen Arnold Music founder Stephen Arnold collaborated with hit songwriter Greg Barnhill, making music and lyrics that exactly matched CBS' mission for "The Early Show" promos: communicate a strong and positive message that would draw viewers to the colorful "Early Show" on-air team.

"The song for this campaign needed to stick in your head, driving viewership by exciting people about the show and its personalities," says Stephen Arnold. "Accomplishing that means putting the right song together with the right singer and a great group of musicians. That's the art of making something that's truly memorable."

"A Lot Happens Early" springs out of the speakers with the energy that only a full live band can provide. Stephen Arnold Music assembled a group of top Nashville players, fronted by a contemporary female vocalist singing lyrics that deliver on the promise of each daybreak: "It's a new morning for America's family/Sun's coming up so make it all that it can be/You know a lot happens early..."

"CBS wanted a sound with broad appeal bridging pop and urban elements, that could sound like it was a hit song straight off a top artist's album," Arnold explains. "We started with an incredibly strong hook written on a simple acoustic guitar. The lyrics we wrote reflected images that CBS could easily edit powerful images to, clearly showing the magic that happens in some way every day on 'The Early Show'."

Also on the Stephen Arnold Music team were Producer Chad Cook, Sound Recording Engineering Supervisor Paul West, and Editor Wheeler Sparks, who cut audio for the :60, :20, :15, :10 and :05 versions of the campaign. They collaborated closely with CBS' Julie Haaland, Director of On-Air Promotions, and Dave McCoy, Vice President of Promotions.

"At Stephen Arnold Music, we've seen time and again that an authentic original song is crucial to a successful campaign," Stephen Arnold says. "We made sure that 'A Lot Happens Early' would demonstrate the distinctive brand that CBS has on its hands. When viewers hear it, they know immediately that this song is the sound of 'The Early Show'."

About Stephen Arnold Music:
As a multiple Emmy, Addy and Promax Gold award-winning music production company, Stephen Arnold Music has over 15 years of success in delivering the sounds that make a difference to networks, television stations, advertising agencies, film studios and video game companies the world over. The company's Commanding Sonic Branding approach to music production and commitment to industry-leading service is at the core of its promise. For more information, please visit http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com

Web Resources:
http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt6CHGo76OE
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml

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