BlueRock Adds Editor Bruce Ashkinos -- Veteran Cutter Joins Creative Editorial House

NEW YORK, NY – Further bolstering their already impressive roster of creative talent, BlueRock (http://www.bluerockny.com), has added award-winning editor Bruce Ashkinos. Ashkinos comes to BlueRock following five years at Chemistry, the editorial house he co-founded in 2004, formerly known as Slingshot.

"For me, it was just the right time to make a change," Ashkinos said. "At BlueRock I can focus only on creative issues and what I need to do I make whatever I’m working on better."

"Bruce’s passion for the art of film editing and storytelling is inspiring," Roe Bressan, BlueRock’s President/COO said. "We’re excited to add his energy and focus to our creative roster."

Known for his sure-hand in an array commercial genres, particularly comedy, dialogue/storytelling and real people, Ashkinos’ current show reel includes spots for Champs Sports, Optimum/Cablevision, I Am.com, Wendy’s, as well as a European spot for Chipita baked snacks directed by Tony Kaye. Since joining BlueRock he has completed a new package of Optimum/Cablevision for agency Gardner Nelson + Partners, New York; and an effective PSA for Diabetes via McCann-Erickson, New York.

Looking at the big picture of the commercial production/post industry today, Ashkinos noted how well BlueRock is positioned to meet the demands of an ever-changing media industry.

"Editors In today’s marketplace need to look ahead for their clients more than ever before and offer creative options across multiple media platforms," Ashkinos explained. "Thanks to BlueRock’s unique relationship with their partner companies -- Spontaneous for design/visual effects/3D; Blast for full service audio post production; Contagious for digital marketing services; and Ballistic, for compositing, scene enhancement -- there literally isn’t any aspect of the filmmaking process we can’t creatively wrap our arms around. I’m looking forward to contributing to their already impressive reputation."

About BlueRock:
BlueRock (www.bluerockny.com) was founded on a simple but compelling editing philosophy -- that the talents of the editor and his or her vision, judgment and skills should be allowed to influence, inform and improve every aspect of the production process. Serving the needs of the advertising, television programming, music video, feature film and interactive media industries, BlueRock is known for its hallmark combination of creative talent and technical prowess. Its ad agency client list includes such shops as BBDO, JWT, McCann Erickson, Publicis Groupe, Young & Rubicam, and many others. Its editors possess a broad range of talents and styles, and their work has been recognized with AICP Awards, AICE Awards, Emmy® Awards, ANDY Awards and Clios.

Web Resources:
Click here for more info about BlueRock and to view Bruce Ashkinos current show reel:
http://www.bluerockny.com

Mind Guerilla: BDA|Promax Design Awards Coverage

Mind Guerilla: BDA|Promax Design Awards Coverage

BDA|Promax Design Awards Coverage

At the PROMAX|BDA Design Awards, host and 30 Rock co-star Judah Friedlander got off many hilarious jibes at the design industry -- "I guess you guys are going to go home and blog tonight. Probably spell out 'boob' on your calculator." And while that maybe true, there's no denying the great work on display in the Grand Ballroom of the New York hotel.

Between bits of bruchetta and sips of acceptable red wine, the design community turned the spotlight on itself. Some of the standouts included the Comedy Central 'Indecision 08' promo campaign from my friends at Royale, the FX 'Dirt' image spot produced by all-around-cool-chick Michele Maples and her company Aresenal; and my personal favorite Spike TV's Star Wars promo campaign. Darth Vader on a golf course = always funny.

The complete list of winners is here: http://www.promaxbda.org/awards.asp?n=09bdadesign

Loyalkaspar Creates Organically For MTV and A&E

Design/Production Studio Hits The ''Tattoo Highway'' With A&E Network Image Spot; And Soaks Up The Sun For MTV's Spring Break '09 Package

NEW YORK, NY -- Two recent projects for A&E Network and MTV effectively highlight both the diverse creative skills and love of blending organic and digital art found at Loyalkaspar, the creative design/production company led by directors David Herbruck and Beat Baudenbacher, part of the transmedia branding and design group LORI PATE+.

For A&E Network's "Tattoo Highway," a new reality series, Loyalkaspar used hand-drawn illustrations to create the tattoo art seen in the image spot; while for the MTV "Spring Break '09" package they referenced an analog photographic technique known as "Lomography."

On The Road With "Tattoo Highway"
"Tattoo Highway" takes tattoo reality television on a road trip with master tattoo artist Thomas Pendelton. Pendelton and his business partner and wife Monica have transformed a 1970s tour bus into a tattoo parlor on wheels, featuring a swanky interior and top-of-the-line tattooing equipment. It's a tattoo shop that can tattoo anyone, anywhere.

For the image spot, Herbruck and Baudenbacher traveled to picturesque Lancaster, CA to film Pendelton, using the state-of-the-art digital RED camera system, standing in the middle of a desert road and talking directly to the camera about his life as a tattoo artist and his motivation for taking his work on the road. Swirling around him as he talks are a series of highly-detailed tattoo art that was first hand-drawn on paper and later scanned and animated using Flash.

"The goal for this project was to introduce the show and Pendelton to viewers," Baudenbacher says. "We wanted to capture his intense personality and get a sense of who he is and how passionate he is about tattoos and their meaning to people. For the tattoo art, it was crucial that we use illustration to capture all of the subtle imperfections that make them so powerful. Digital is too perfect to create realistic-looking tattoo art."

Low Tech Look Rings True For MTV's Spring Break '09
For the show package to its "Spring Break '09" coverage, MTV's annual paean to bikini-clad fun, Loyalkaspar referenced a decidedly retro photographic technique known as "Lomography," which takes its name from the LOMO, a compact 35mm camera popular in the 1980s, known for producing oversaturated colors, off-kilter exposures, blurring and other whimsical photographic images.

"It's a short, but definitely effective piece," says Elliott Chaffer, Creative Director at Loyalkaspar. "We wanted to give the look a personal touch, almost like a quick documentation of the spring break experience."


Set to a driving electronic beat, the screen is separated into four vertical blocks, each displaying a closely related, yet slightly different series of images (featuring shots from noted fashion photographer Neil Stewart), all backed by a brilliant blue sky. One series of stills shows a blonde beauty in reflecting sunglasses tilting her head back toward the sun. Another shows a young man grinning happily while overlooking the ocean. In the last one, a woman and a smiling couple all glow with anticipation, which quickly gives way to a rowdy beach crowd waving their arms in the air. At center screen, and bridging the four vertical blocks, is the MTV "Spring Break '09" logo.

"In assembling the imagery in four parts, we actually removed some frames to give the scenes a jerkier look," Daniel Dornemann, Loyalkaspar's Art Director/Designer, explains. "The low-tech feel accentuating these beautiful color burns gives the entire piece a vibrant, fashionable party look."


While everyone liked the idea of the handmade, four-part look, selecting the appropriate imagery was another story.

"We provided a number of possibilities to MTV, and to their credit they went for the most stylized concept," he says. "Selecting just the right images to open the spot took a good deal of collaboration. In the end, everyone was pleased with how it turned out."


About Loyalkaspar:
Recognizing that the process is often more rewarding than the end result is just one of the ways design house Loyalkaspar (http://www.loyalkaspar.com) distinguishes itself from the creative herd. Founded by directors David Herbruck and Beat Baudenbacher, Loyalkaspar has quickly earned a reputation among advertising creatives and network producers as a creative hub where daring creative and innovative execution intersect.


About LORI PATE+:
LORI PATE+ represents top branding, promotion, design, interactive and production professionals serving the broadcast, cable and evolving media industries. Experienced and innovative, LORI PATE+ connects clients to its members to produce effective media branding solutions.



Web Resources:
Click here to check out the image spot for A&E's Tattoo Highway
http://www.loyalkaspar.com/work/63/


Click here to watch the MTV Spring Break Open
http://www.loyalkaspar.com/work/58/


Click here for more info about Loyalkaspar:
http://www.loyalkaspar.com/home/


Click here for more info about LORI PATE+:
http://www.loripateplus.com


Creative Credits:


Tattoo Highway:
Client: A&E
Project: 'Tattoo Highway' image spot
Creative Director: Maria Pecoraro
Producer : Jonathan Davis


Production/Design: Loyalkaspar, New York
Director/Creative Director: Beat Baudenbacher
Executive Producer: David Herbruck
Senior Producer: Melissa August-Levin
Design Director: Geoff Bailey
Illustrators: Ann Kruetzkamp, Serge Kirsanov
Animator: Sebastien Larreur, Anthony Serraino
Editor: Eli Mavros
Director of Photography: Rhet Bear
Line Producer: Carmen Bosley


Music & Sound Design: Kick Music & Sound Design, Santa Monica, CA
Composer: Greg Smith


MTV Spring Break '09
Client: MTV
Project: Spring Break '09 - show open
Creative Director: David McElwaine
Producer: Tina Corrado


Design/Production: Loyalkaspar, New York
Creative Director: Elliott Chaffer
Designer/Art Director: Daniel Drnemann
Photographer: Neil Stewart
Animator: Sebastien Larreur
Producer: Scott Lakso


Music & Sound Design: Kick Music & Sound Design, Santa Monica, CA
Composer: Greg Smith

Grey Worldwide Turns To Expansion Team For Pure Inventions Ad

Licensed Track From Songwriter Nyles Lannon Sets Perfect Organic Tone For Nutritional, Liquid Supplements Company

NEW YORK, NY - Quiet and introspective, Nyles Lannon's song "Turn Time Around" perfectly captures the ethereal mood of the new ad "Green" (:30) for the nutritional, liquid supplements company Pure Inventions and agency Grey Worldwide. The song was placed by New York-based music house Expansion Team, who represents Lannon's catalog alongside many critically acclaimed independent musicians and bands. Well-known for his stint in San Francisco-based indie band Film School, Lannon has also composed original music for Expansion Team. "Turn Time Around" is taken from Lannon's solo release Chemical Friends (Badman Recording Co).

Pure Inventions is a unique line of all-natural fruit and tea extracts that is added to water with a dropper. The simple-yet-elegant spot visually depicts in lush, languid slow motion, a droplet of green liquid entering water and forming into lava lamp-like shapes that are perfectly choreographed to Lannon's song. The on-screen typography reads "Mother Nature: 1. Father Time: 0"

According to Alex Moulton, Creative Director and Partner at Expansion Team, Grey wanted the campaign to be as "pure" as the products themselves by finding songs that felt fresh and contemporary.

"They wanted a certain feeling of 'green-ness' in the music, but it was also important to find a lyric that fit but wasn't forced," Moulton says. "We went through a lot of tracks but kept coming back to this song, It just felt right from the first moment we played it against the rough cut. 'Turn Time Around' ended up being a perfect fit for the brand and the campaign."

About Expansion Team:
Expansion Team redefines how music can be created for today's media by building a bridge between the recording, TV, film and advertising industries. They know the importance of a successful brand message and focus on creating impassioned brand aficionados. Led by founder and creative director Alex Moulton and executive producer April Jaffe, Expansion Team is supported by an exceptional roster of talent; an international collective of award-winning producers, songwriters, DJs and remixers. Because they work in studios around the world, an additional network of top session players and vocalists have become part of their growing family. For more information check out: http://www.expansionteam.org.

Web Resources:
Click here to watch the spot:
http://www.expansionteam.org/website.php?id=p86


Click here for more info about Expansion Team:
http://www.expansionteam.org


Click here to hear 'Turn Time Around':
http://www.nlannon.com/music/NLannon-Turn_Time_Around_sample.mp3


Click here for more info about Pure Inventions:
http://www.pureinventions.com


Creative Credits:
Client Pure Inventions
Project: "Green" (:30)

Agency: Grey Worldwide, New York, NY
Agency Producer: Amy Rosen
Agency CD: Shawn Couzens


Production Company: Iron Claw, Los Angeles, CA


Music Licensing: Expansion Team, New York
Creative Director: Alex Moulton
Composer: Nyles Lannon
Executive Producer: April Jaffe
Production Manager: Jean Kouremetis
Track: "Turn Time Around" (from Chemical Friends, 2004 Badman Records)

BOND Edits Touching New Sprint Ad With Timely Economic Message

Full-Service Post House Teams With Ad Agency The Vidal Partnership for New U.S. Hispanic Market Spot

NEW YORK, NY -- Money may be tight nowadays, but a new ad for Sprint called "Learnings" (:30) from agency The Vidal Partnership, New York, featuring editorial/post work from BOND (http://www.bondedit.com) editor Sebastian Wainstein, elegantly highlights how people are changing their behavior and saving money in creative ways, including taking advantage of Sprint's money-saving Family Data Plan.

"Subtly was key to this project," Wainstein says. "My focus editorially was to keep things simple and highlight the before-and-after scenarios in these three gentle vignettes."

Rendered in cinematic black and white by director Reynal Gresset of production company Caviar, Venice, CA, "Learnings" depicts two versions of three distinct scenarios - each version has same emotional impact but slightly different. For example, the first vignette shows a large family hanging out in their brightly-lit living room. The next scene is similar except for one noticeable difference -- only one light is on. The second vignette depicts a couple dinning in a chic restaurant. In the next scene shows the same couple enjoy dinner, only this time from their home patio. The last scene turns the conceit on its head by showing the exact same scene in both - a family playing in a tree-filled park -- each with their own Sprint mobile device. The voiceover explains that you don't have to change anything to save money thanks to Sprint Family Data Plan.

"It was most important that viewers recognize the difference between each set-up, to get the message that people don't have to drastically change their behavior to still enjoy the things they love," Wainstein says.

"This was also an exciting project for me to work on because of the involvement of legendary cinematographers in my home country of Argentina, Felix "Chango" Monti. "He's extremely well-respected in Argentina and Brazil and I'm proud to have worked with him."

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 Sprint 'Learnings' spot:
www.bondedit.com/bondshow/SW_Sprint_Learnings


Sprint 'Learnings' -- Editor's Cut
www.bondedit.com/bondshow/SW_Sprint_Learnings_EC


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


Creative Credits:
Client: Sprint
Project: Sprint 'Learnings' (:30)


Agency: The Vidal Partnership, New York
Creative Director: Mauricio Galvan


Production Company:
Director: Reynal Gresset
DP: Chongo Monti


Post: BOND, New York
Creative Director: Jeff Beckerman
Editor: Sebastian Wainstein
Producer: Stephanie Shayne

Garson Yu of yU+co Speaks at Flux/Watch the Titles Event at the Hammer Museum in L.A.

Really wish I could have been to this one... Two weeks ago Garson Yu of yU+co, along with Kyle Cooper (Prologue), Danny Yount (Prologue), Jamie Caliri (Duck) and Karin Fong (Imaginary Forces) spoke at the Flux/Forget the Film, Watch the Titles event at the Hammer Museum in L.A. More than 500 people attended – apparently that's 200 too many to fit in the Billy Wilder theater. The overflow crowd had to make due watch on a big screen in Hammer's outdoor courtyard. Not too shabs.

You can read the details here and here and check out some photos here. Plus my good friend Remco at Watch The Titles hopes to have video interviews with all five on his site soon. So be sure to look for it. We'll link to 'em here when we see them.

Promax|BDA Announces Design Awards FInalists

Promax|BDA has announced the finalists for the Design Awards. And not surprising it contains some brilliant work from best and brightest the industry has to offer. Definitely looking forward to seeing who takes home Gold.

FYI...Mind Guerilla will be bloging live from Promax|BDA June 16-18.

Thwak! Music Helps LG Mobile Phones And Agency Brandbuzz 'Save The Music'

Deceptively Simple :30 and :60 Spot Calls for Comprehensive Scoring and Video Skills of Multitalented Music & Sound Design House

NEW YORK, NY -- For Thwak! Music (http://www.thwak.com/), scoring the newest :30 and :60 spots for LG Mobile Phones was anything but child's play. An upbeat campaign from BrandBuzz (a division of Young & Rubicam Brands) that announces LG's partnership with the VH1 "Save the Music" Foundation, the highly musical "Drum Routine" spots are helping to raise funding for the music education programs of over 1 million children nationwide.

In the spots, an enthusiastic young music student makes his way to school drumming on anything he can find: glasses, banisters, garden tools, car parts, boxes, bikes, and plenty of thin air. When he finally lands behind his school's new drumset, made possible by LG, the jamming really starts, followed by a glorious burst of guitar-driven music to cap it off.

Thwak! Takes it On:
"This was a complex equation for us to solve," says Thwak! founder Tony Verderosa. "A kid is playing drums on mufflers and railings, and somehow we had to create a piece of music from that. Our first step was making sure that all the musical phrases he played on camera were sitting perfectly on the grid, and that the audience would be able to tap their foot to a nice groove all the way through. Next, we incorporated some of the audio they recorded on the shoot, enhancing that with sound design.

"So we scored this journey, which constantly builds to a climactic finish with a very uplifting spirit. I'm a drummer myself, and I can remember being four years old and playing on anything that my hands could hit. I think it's a beautiful story about an innate desire to play music, and how 'Save the Music' is nurturing that desire in kids."

The Thwak! Technique:
With its considerable video remix expertise also on tap, Thwak! took the extra step of collaborating closely with Beast Editorial editor Adam Schwartz to make the music and video a perfect fit. "Beast did an amazing job cutting these spots," says Verderosa. "In a few sequences, we needed a few frames added or subtracted to make the groove sit tighter. We tweaked the footage using Final Cut Pro since Adam and the agency were cool enough to give us the footage with 'handles.' Adam was then able to copy exactly what we did and apply this to the master back at Beast. In a spot like this, you would be surprised at what a huge difference just a few frames here and there can make to the overall groove. It was a true team effort."

The multimedia toolbox that is Thwak! made them the ideal partner to help "Save the Music." "For a spot and story this complex, we had to come up with new solutions," Verderosa says. "Our experience handling picture as well as sound allowed us to put a fresh spin on everything, solve this puzzle and support the message 100 percent."

About Thwak!
Founded in 2001 by international recording artist Tony Verderosa, Thwak! has built a loyal following in the Film, TV and Advertising Industry by creating custom music, original songs and re-records of classic songs with it's roster of award winning songwriters and film composers. It also is the home of music supervision/music licensing division, ThwakIT.com. For more information, please visit www.thwak.com, email info@Thwak.com or call 212-937-5177.

Web Resources:
View "Drum Routine" :60 @ Thwak!
http://www.thwakit.com/News/THWAK!%20HELPS%20LG%20and%20VH1/

View "Drum Routine" @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j6unJp0jbA

For more info about Thwak! click here:
http://www.thwakit.com/

For more info about LG and Save The Music click here:
http://www.lgformusic.com/


Credits:
Client: LG/VH1 "Save the Music"
Project: "Drum Routine" (:60, :30)
Airdate: April 2009

Production Company: Biscuit, Los Angeles, CA
Director: Russ Lamoureux

Agency Creative: BrandBuzz, New York, NY
Copywriter: Liz Harrison
Art Director: Renee Anderson
Creative Director: Phil Jungmann
Creative Director: Jill Applebaum
Global Executive Creative Director: Darren Moran
Executive Producer: Craig Sloane

Editorial: BEAST, New York, NY & Los Angeles, CA
Editor: Adam Schwartz
Executive Producer: Joanne Ferraro

Music/ Sound Design: Thwak! Music, New York, NY
Executive Music Producer: Tony Verderosa

Original Film Adds Director Yann Secouet

Company Forms Creative Alliance With

London-based Prod. Co. 76 Ltd

LOS ANGELES, CA - Original Film (http://www.originalfilm.com), the award-winning commercial/entertainment production company led by Executive Producers Bruce Mellon, Jeff Devlin and Joe Piccirllo, has added director Yann Secouet to its impressive talent roster, and formed a strategic creative alliance with London-based 76 Ltd, which represents Secouet throughout Europe.

Secouet, whose talents include a deft hand with animation and visual effects-heavy projects, as well as an expert car shooter, joins a directorial roster that includes feature filmmakers Simon West, Dennis Dugan, Hugh Hudson; and commercial directors Michael Mieke, Ben Orisich, Brendan Williams, Tim Gibbs, Dick Buckley, Anibal Suarez and Doug Finelli. Original also represents branded content specialist Geoffrey Madeja.

"Our relationship with Yann and 76 Ltd reflects the kind of growth my partner Bruce and I were looking for," Joe Piccirillo partner/executive producer Original Film, said "Yann's work is so strong and 76 Ltd. is a tremendous production resource."

Educated in England and France, Secouet began his career at the London production company MKD before moving on to the branding and communications agency Kemistry. It was there he developed the extensive knowledge of design, animation and visual effects that informs much of his work. It's Secouet's mastery of both live action filmmaking and post techniques that makes his work so compelling. For evidence look no further than his extensive work for Saab, Electrolux, Toyota, Lowes, BBC and Channel 4 (London).

"Original Film has a strong heritage as a production company," Secouet said. "I see Original as a company that facilitates the opportunity for creative people to do great work across all areas of the commercial process and that's my philosophy exactly."
Regarding his style, Secout noted that his expertise in post is often most important in the early stages of a project.

"I regularly draw upon my background in graphics and animation," Secouet explained. "But it's in the early stages of a project that I use it to great affect by creating animatics that explore camera moves for tricky narratives and visualize complex effects. It allows the whole team to get a clear idea of how we're going to get the shots we need, and thus I can spend more time on the 'whys' rather than the 'hows.'"

Beyond simply adding a top director to its roster, the creative alliance between Original Film and 76 Ltd is equally crucial to both companies as global reach becomes more imperative to success in today's commercial production industry. Last year Original forged a similar alliance with Australia production house 8 Commercials, Sydney.

"As the commercial business expands outside individual markets now more than ever before it's essential to form alliances to service an ever-increasing range of productions," Mark Murrell, Executive Producer of 76 Ltd, said. "Agencies benefit from having a global perspective and production companies need to tap into that. Original has a fantastic reputation and an amazing roster of directors that complements ours. It gives us a foothold in the States and allows us to work together on co-productions whether that be UK jobs shooting in the US or Original work that may need servicing in the UK."


About Original Film:
Founded in 1992 by Bruce Mellon and Neal Moritz, Original Film has built a well-earned reputation for creating some of the most memorable advertising in the last two decades. The company is led by Executive Producers/Partners Mellon, Jeff Devlin and Joe Piccirillo and represented by Robin Pickett in the Midwest and Finn/Saxon in the West. For more information go to http://www.originalfilm.com


Web Resources:
Click below for more info about Original Film:
http://www.originalfilm.com


Click below for more info about 76 Ltd:
http://www.76ltd.com

BOND Teams Up With Leo Burnett To Promote The World Wildlife Foundation's Earth Hour Big Turn Off

Hilarious Two-Spot Campaign Featuring Janeane Garofalo and Alanis Morissette Promotes Worldwide Green Initiative

NEW YORK, NY -- The Big Turn Off was the World Wildlife Foundation's Earth Hour campaign to get every one in the world to turn off their lights for one hour. Promoting this worthy cause are two funny spots featuring comedian/activist Janeane Garofalo and singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette, created by agency Leo Burnett, Chicago, with creative editorial and audio post work from BOND (http://www.bondedit.com), the full-service post house led by Creative Director Jeff Beckerman. The spots were directed by Jim Tozzi of production company THEM, New York.

"Being a part of a great creative campaign that also happens to be attached to a worthy cause doesn't happen all the time," Beckerman says. "We're proud of our role in this year's project and the fact that the event proved to be a huge success with millions around the world taking part."


BOND's Claudia Reda-Walker edited the spot "Personal Grooming" (:30), which features Garofalo talking directly to the camera about the Big Turn Off event as she sits before a canvas painting with her freakishly long arm pit hair. Stas Lipovetskiy cut "Airplane," which depicts Morissette, seated in the first-class section of an airplane, clipping her toenails (one of which lands in a glass of water belonging to the guy seated next to her), and talking about the importance of the Big Turn Off. The spot ends with the guy holding his glass of water in disgust and ringing for the flight attendant.


"Janeane's performance guided the edit, every cut was done subtly to allow the attention to focus on her delivery and the comedy," Reda-Walker says. "The biggest challenge was selecting one take versus another -- they were all hysterical."


For Lipovetskiy, the project offered him yet another opportunity to further his knowledge of the RED Camera system, one of the newest digital camera formats used in production. BOND has worked on numerous projects featuring the RED camera system and has quickly earned a reputation as the go-to post house on the East Coast for RED Camera post-production, particularly with the Avid editing system.


"Even now there are still some kinks in the RED post-production workflow," Lipovetskiy says, "but because of our experience with RED we are quickly able to resolve any issues that might arise on any given project. Our expertise definitely saves the client time and money."


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 WWF Earth Hour spots:
www.bondedit.com/bondshow/WWF_Earth_Hour_Spots

Click here to check out BOND's website:
http://www.bondedit.com


Creative Credits:
Client: WWF Earth Hour
Project: "The Big Turnoff" (2 :30s)
Airdate: March 2009


Agency: Leo Burnett, Chicago, IL
SVP Creative Director: Avery Gross
SVP Creative Director: Brian Shembeda
VP Content Architect: Vincent Geraghty
SVP Account Director: David Brot
Account Executive: Lisa Akey


Production Company: THEM, New York
Director: Jim Tozzi
Executive Producer: Tony Harding


Editorial: BOND Edit, New York
Editors: Claudia Reda Walker (Janeane Garofalo)
Stas Lipovetskiy (Alanis Morissette)
Producer: Amy Kommatas
Creative Director: Jeff Beckerman


Sound Design/Audio Post: BOND Audio, New York
Sound Designer/Engineer: Mark Cobrin

yU+co. Creates Main Titles Sequence for Disney’s Race To Witch Mountain

Award-Winning Design/Visual Effects Studio Incorporates

Archival Footage of UFOs to Haunting Effect

HOLLYWOOD, CA - How do you distill the world’s collective understanding and evidence of UFOs into three-and-a-half minutes? That was the challenge facing visual design and motion graphics studio yU+co. (http://www.yuco.com), led by Creative Director Garson Yu, for the main title sequence to Disney’s Race To Witch Mountain, opening in theatres on March 13.

"Race To Witch Mountain represents the third time we worked with director Andy Fickman," says Yu, who previously worked with Fickman on The Game Plan and She’s the Man. "I’m very proud of the fact that so many top directors like Andy, Zack Snyder, Ang Lee and many others continue to come back to us for titles. It says a lot about both the creativity we bring to each project and the collaborative nature between yU+co. and the director. This project was especially challenging, but we’re proud we could bring Andy’s vision for the titles to life."

Race to Witch Mountain is a sci-fi adventure about two alien visitors and their search for their lost spacecraft. For the main title sequence, yU+co.’s concept was to tell the story of UFO’s from early sightings in the U.S. to present day, using archival newspaper headlines, film footage, photos and eyewitness accounts of UFO sightings. Set to a pulsating orchestral score, the tension-filled sequence immediately pulls viewers into this mysterious world with fast-paced editing of astonishing UFO imagery coupled with a subtle, yet powerful type design that animates on and off as if emanating from an extraterrestrial transmission signal.

"The main title sequence started in the editing room by researching hundreds of pieces of archival UFO footage that would help us tell the story," says Synderela Peng, yU+co.’s Art Director. "We delineated decades of UFO discoveries, beginning with the 1950’s to the present day. We also spent a lot of time on details like treating the headlines and the film footage so they reflect the time period they were supposed to be from."

For example, yU+co treated some of the clips with film scratches and burns to simulate aging film stock from the 50’s. They also added microfiche animations on the sections that covered the1980’s, and overlaid TV scan-lines to many of the clips that belonged in the 1990’s and later.


"The main title went through several transformations," Peng adds. "Andy [Fickman, the director] was very specific about what he wanted in the final. He asked for a title sequence that built the mystique and the history of UFO’s and uses the wealth of footage that have been captured throughout time, mixing it with newspaper and magazine headlines to help inform the viewers on seminal UFO sightings. Typographically, we went with a classic font that was reminiscent of what you would see in 1920’s tabloid newspaper headlines."

While the creative challenges were many, for David Garber, yU+co.’s Executive Producer, the approval process for using the archival footage proved to be extremely complex, requiring a coordinated effort with Disney’s legal team.

"There were some incidents where we had fallen in love with a piece of footage and how it fit into the whole piece only to find out Disney couldn't secure the rights and we had go back and find something different," Garber says. "There was a lot intricate legal footwork happening. In the end everyone was happy with the way it came out and I think audiences are going to be struck by it."

In addition to Race to Witch Mountain, other yU+co. projects include the re-teaming with director Zack Snyder (300) for the main title sequence of Warner Bros.’ Watchmen, and the overall visual design and motion graphics applied as visual effects for Lakeshore Entertainment/Lionsgate’s upcoming futuristic thriller, Game. yU+co. also created the cinematics for Capcom’s new release of the popular video game franchise, Resident Evil 5.

About yU+co:
Recognized as an industry leader in visual design and motion graphics with offices in Hollywood, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, yU+co. (http://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 (feature film and television); or Michael Bennett (gaming/game cinematics and commercials) at 323-606-5050.


Web Resources:
Click here to watch the Race To With Mountain title sequence:
http://yuco.wiredrive.com/l/p/?presentation=0809691e813cd8fe34c27adee9b8fd84


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

Click here for more info about Race To Witch Mountain:
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/racetowitchmountain/


Creative Credits:
Project: "Race To Witch Mountain" main title sequence
Client: Disney


Design/Animation: yU+Co., Hollywood, CA
Creative Director: Garson Yu
Executive Producer: David Garber
Art Director: Synderela Peng
Production Coordinator: Annie Chen
Title Editor: Nikita Kleverov
Editorial Assistant: Brandon Muse
Layout Artist: Edwin Baker
Animator: Gary Garza
Animator: Alex Yoon
Animator: Danielle Leiser
Shake Artist: Alan Boucek
Roto Artist: Merlin Carrol
Roto Artist: Miljohn Ruperto