Shooters Post & Transfer Creates 'Defining Moments' For MASN

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

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

Explosion Robinson Scores Show Open for VH1's New Reality Series 'The T.O. Show'

Music/Sound Design Highlight Two Sides of NFL Star Terrell Owens' Personality

NEW YORK, NY -- NFL star receiver Terrell Owens has two sides: good-natured, happy-go-lucky Terrell and the cocky, brash superstar who prefers to go simply by his initials T.O. Both personalities are on view in VH1's new reality series The T.O. Show, and thanks to Explosion Robinson, the custom music and sound design shop founded by Stephen Hermann, you hear them equally well in the show's open.

The series chronicles Owens' public and private life, and the obstacles he encounters as he attempts to reconcile his two sides and find success in both arenas. Explosion Robinson embraced this dualistic concept and created a seamless blend of music and sound design as considered and powerful as the athlete himself. Crafted by composer/engineer Eddie Cooper, the composition and sound design cue one another and synchronize to develop a narrative that parallels the visuals and script. "The sound design is complementary to the music cues -- both build to tell the story," says Hermann. Though these elements are strictly tied to picture, the piece still sounds authentic as a stand-alone hip-hop track.

The show opens with the dramatic sound of stadium applause as Owens introduces himself. From there we see Terrell playing chess against himself, as a bell echoes and strings begin to swell. Sweeping camera moves reveal the dichotomy between ëTerrell' and ëT.O.' and are punctuated by a deliberate beat and a collage of sound design. Each visual -- the scrape of a chess piece, the frenzied snapping of paparazzi cameras, T.O.'s fists pounding in frustration -- are all synchronized with musical elements, merging with the downbeat or a stroke of a violin.

"Our goal for the sound design was to cue the visual shifts and transitions between Owens' two sides," Cooper says. "The client really wanted the audio to tell the story as much as the visuals do, which opened the door to a lot of creative musical ideas."

In addition to the series open, VH1 also requested a separate original track for the show's promo campaign. While the visuals remain near identical to those of the open, this second track is a real departure from the first. Although still scored to picture, the new music is less dramatic and more uplifting and captures Owens' aspiration and focus. "It's interesting how much music can affect video," says Hermann, "The visuals and script were almost exactly the same, but they feel so different from one another because of the music."

About Explosion Robinson
Take his obsession with music, add an intuitive grasp of sound and picture combined, and you begin to see what makes Stephen Hermann and his custom music, sound design and audio post house Explosion Robinson so successful. Clients as diverse as MTV, Spike, and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners have long recognized the company's talents, with collaborators, such as Periscope and VH1, recently joining the fan base. They're attracted to Hermann's credentials as a former member of recording artists Sukpatch (listed on the label Slabco), as well as his talent as a producer of indie outfits, such as Australian sensation The Cannanes. That background helps Explosion Robinson craft original music and sound design that's a rare mix of fearless experimentation, bold thinking, and sensitive fidelity to the client's ultimate goals and creative objectives. To find out more, please visit http://www.explosionrobinson.com/ or email info@exrob.com.

Web Resources:
Click here to watch The T.O. Show" open and promo:
http://exrob.com/New_Work_2/TO_Show_Open.mov
http://exrob.com/New_Work_2/Vh1_TO_promo.mov

Click here for more info about Explosion Robinson:
http://www.explosionrobinson.com/

BOND Audio Sounds Good With New Heineken Beer Campaign

Campaign Created By The Vidal Partnership Features Nestor Carbonell of Lost and The Dark Knight Fame

NEW YORK, NY - Building on the general market campaign for Heineken featuring actor John Turturro, BOND Audio's Sound Designer/Engineer Joe Casalino teamed with agency The Vidal Partnership to create a similar eight-spot featuring actor Nestor Carbonell, known to many for his role on the TV show Lost and in the hit movie The Dark Knight.

The "Give Yourself a Good Name" campaign, feature Carbonell in various settings talking directly to viewers about the value of Heineken, not just as a great tasting beer, but what it says about you and your lifestyle.


In "Trovador," Carbonell weaves his way through a busy jazz club while explaining how "you are a troubadour and this (Heineken beer) is your instrument"; while "Representante" takes a more philosophical approach with Carbonell looking into a mirror inside a crowded nightclub opining how "what you see there is more than a reflection. How you are, where you come from and what you drink, they see the ambassador of your origins, a representative of your people."


The six other spots feature a similar vibe with Carbonell in similarly sophisticated settings.


For Casalino, the challenge turned out to be the timing, which required completion of all eight spots in less than a month. "This project featured an unusually fast turnaround because of the agency's scheduled client presentation," Casalino said. "We also needed to find the right music to set the mood of the campaign and create the balance between music, sound design and dialogue without any one aspect dominating the sound. We have a great relationship with The Vidal Partnership and together we worked to make the mix perfect."


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 Creative Director 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 for more info about BOND Audio:http://www.bondaudio.com/


Creative Credits:

Client: Heineken BeerProject: "Give Yourself a Good Name" -- eight spot campaign


Agency: The Vidal Partnership, New York

Director Broadcast Production: Meiling Macias ToroManaging Partner/EVP/Creative Director: Mauricio GalvanAssociate Creative Director: Aaron Alamo


Sound Design/Audio Post: BOND Audio, New York

Sound Designer/Engineer: Joe CasalinoProducer, Amy Kommatas