Stephen Arnold Music Debuts “Ready” – Multi-Themed/Multi-Platform Image Campaign For Local TV Stations

“Morning Ready,” “Weather Ready,” and “Always Ready” Market Exclusive Promo Package Engages and Empowers Audiences Throughout the Day

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DALLAS, TX – Stephen Arnold Music, the World Leader in Sonic Branding, has announced the launch of “Ready.” Featuring multiple themes of “Morning Ready,” “Weather Ready” and “Always Ready,” the campaign is the latest in a series of comprehensive audio and video offerings from Stephen Arnold Music, providing local TV stations with a cost-effective marketing toolkit.

“Ready” provides stations with full 360-degree coverage of a station’s strongest brand silos – morning, weather and news. It engages viewers across multiple platforms, empowering them to be prepared throughout their day. Optimized for broadcast, mobile, online, and social media, “Ready” pairs three versions each (Always, Morning, Weather) of two memorable original songs combined with relevant video, reflecting the confidence viewers feel by being 100% ready for whatever comes their way. 

“Audiences today interact with their favorite local station in so many ways – via their phone, online, and across multiple social media channels,” Chad Cook, Vice President, Creative for Stephen Arnold Music, says. “The diverse messaging of ‘Ready’ creates a comprehensive connection between stations and their audiences, anytime and anywhere.”

Featuring different verse/chorus/bridge lyrics within addictive pop songs, the multiple themes of “Ready” allow stations to evolve their campaign, with staged rollouts of “Morning,” “Weather” and “Always” over months or years. All versions of the song packages include Full Song/60s/30s/15s/10s/IDs, along with full sing, donut, tag and instrumental mixes, plus an instrumental “Severe Weather” theme. Stations can also collaborate with Stephen Arnold Music on custom lyrics for their market. 

    

Following the success of previous integrated campaigns such as “Everywhere I Go” and “Waking Up My Day” from Stephen Arnold Music, “Ready” is oriented from the viewer perspective. The lyrics and imagery focus on feeling fully prepared by their local station for the fast-changing developments of each day. From “Always Ready:” Whatever's making headlines/Whatever's going on in the world outside/Yeah ya keep it coming on time/Ya keep me in the know anywhere I gotta go/And as long as you're within my reach/Yeah ya give me everything I need.../I'm always ready/Anytime anywhere/I’m always ready.”

As the World Leader in Sonic Branding, Stephen Arnold Music has helped define the brand identity for such clients as CNN, Fox, ESPN, AXS TV, CCTV, and local stations in 75% of all US TV markets. 

About Stephen Arnold Music:

Often referred to as the most-heard, least-known composers in America, Stephen Arnold Music’s creativity is experienced every day in more than 100 million homes throughout the U.S. Based in Dallas with offices in San Diego and New York, with additional recording studios in Santa Fe, “The World Leader In Sonic Branding™ has more than 20 years of success delivering impactful, brand-defining music that makes a difference for today’s top broadcast networks, cable channels, television stations, film production studios and advertising agencies. With multiple Emmys, Addys and Promax Golds to their credit, Stephen Arnold Music’s specialized approach and commitment to the power of sonic branding, state-of-the-art production and unparalleled customer service is at the core of its promise. Stephen Arnold Music continues to set the creative bar in a highly competitive content landscape.

Web Resources:

Click here for more info about Stephen Arnold Music’s new “Ready campaign:

http://stephenarnoldmusic.com/ready/

“Always”:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/229198990

“Weather”:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/229200626

“Morning":

https://player.vimeo.com/video/229201476 

Click here for more info about Stephen Arnold Music:

http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com

Spears & Arrows Welcomes Directors Robert Logevall And Josh Miller

 Directors Robert Logevall (left) and Josh Miller (right) have joined Spears & Arrows, Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Looking to add to their burgeoning roster of talented directors, Spears & Arrows, the three-year-old production company founded by Executive Producer Jason Wolk, has added directors Robert Logevall and Josh Miller. They join an impressive roster headlined by Arni Thor Jonsson, Ago Panini, John Grammatico and Don Broida.

For Wolk, the additions of Logevall and Miller represent a continuation of the values that he founded the company on, which are succinctly summed up in their corporate philosophy: “Defend The Story.”

“’Defend the story’ simply means putting the creative ahead of everything else – ahead of money, profits, margins,” Wolk says. “As one creative director told me, Spears & Arrows combines new school thinking with old school values. For me, that was a huge compliment. That’s exactly what I set out to do when I launched the company 2014, and it’s why we wanted to work with both Robert and Josh.”

Robert Logevall:
Logevall brings his singular sense of design and film composition to Spears & Arrows, following stints at production companies Supply & Demand and Anonymous Content. Originally from Sweden, Logevall began his creative career in Canada working as both an art director and production designer in film and television.

As a commercial director he brings that same sense of graphic design, detail and filmic composition to his work, which at times recalls such filmmakers as Wes Anderson and Spike Jones. His visual style is perhaps best exemplified in his Fiat spot “Immigrant,” a whimsical montage of various Fiat’s driving into the waters around Italy and arriving on American shores to highlight the brand’s reemergence in the U.S. market; and Chrysler’s “Life Evolves,” which effectively uses a split-screen to highlight two distinct stages in a man’s life and the car’s that bridges them.

“Robert is famous for his unique twist on the auto spot,” Wolk notes, “but he is much more than your typical “car guy.” His spots are always very composed and graphic thanks to his production design background. His eye for detail and sly wit have made him a favorite not only in Detroit, but agencies worldwide.”

In addition to his commercial work, Logevall recently wrapped shooting his second feature film, “American Pets”, as well as a short film, “Kim and I.”
  
Josh Miller:
Miller began his career as an agency copywriter working at such top creative shops as Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners and Hampel Stefanides. He worked as a creative director at Cliff Freeman & Partners and Team One Advertising, before launching his own directing career that included stints at RSA Films, B-Reel Films and most recently Humongous Production.

With a sharp wit, coupled with an innate ability to craft memorable stories and characters, Miller’s best work highlights his singular abilities to mine comedy through performance, as in his Klondike spot “Good Listener” and Target ad “Neighbors,” which expertly captures a cringe-worthy awkward exchange of holiday presents between two young couples.

“Josh’s agency creative background is a huge plus, he understands the pressures agency producers and creatives are under with their client relationships, and what the team is up against in general,” Wolk says. “He’s able to offer creative solutions that work for everybody, and always without ego.”

Beyond commercials, Miller currently has two series’ in development at Comedy Central; one based on his award-winning short film, "Hand Job: Portrait of a Professional Male Hand Model."

Busy Roster:
In addition to the new director additions, Spears & Arrows other directorial talent has had a busy start to 2017.

• Arni Thor-Jonsson just wrapped a seven-day shoot on a global Hilton Hotels image campaign, and is currently shooting his fourth Walgreens spot for GSD&M.

• John Grammatico recently finished two new campaigns featuring classic brand icons for Cream of Wheat and Ortega taco meal kits. In the new spots, Grammatico masterfully brings the mythological Cream of Wheat chef to life, and introduces Mama Ortega to audiences.

• Don Broida just completed work on the launch of the Spectrum brand, formerly known as Time Warner Cable via agency Wilson RMS, and just completed a spot for eBay with Digitas.

“My directors are my partners and we have to be able to work together in today’s creative economy,” Wolk notes about the changing relationships between brands, agencies and creative production company’s like Spears & Arrows. “That means working with our clients to provide solutions that crush it creatively, but are fiscally responsible. We prioritize the interpersonal relationship because it is not a numbers game for us, and anything we can do to stand out from the competition we will do, which is why I am very deliberative when it comes to who we work with.”

Wolk adds, “The whole business has changed -- there’s less work, for less money that needs to be done quicker, but with even greater expectations. The days of an agency producer simply handing a board and a budget to a director are long gone. For us, every job is precious and a chance to do something great, which is why we treat every job as if it’s our last.”

Spears & Arrows is represented on East Coast by Mary Eiff and Michelle Stuart of Hello Tomorrow (www.hellotomorrow.tv); Brad Grubaugh and Sophie Moore of Goodrebel (www.goodrebel.tv) on the West Coast and Texas; and in the Midwest by Nikki Weiss-Goldstein of Nikki Weiss & Co (www.nikkiweissandco.com).


About Spears & Arrows:
Like, Honor & Passion, Excellence & Inspiration, we are a team that values the balance and blend of best practices with the best talent in commercial production. http://www.spearsandarrows.tv/


Web Resources:
http://www.spearsandarrows.tv/
http://www.spearsandarrows.tv/#RobertLogevall
http://www.spearsandarrows.tv/#JoshMiller

Animation Studio Calabash And Director Steve “Spaz” Williams Reteam For New StarKist Campaign

CHICAGO, IL – Reuniting with acclaimed live action director Steve “Spaz” Williams and food and beverage branding specialist quench, Harrisburg, PA, award-winning animation studio Calabash once again took a creative deep-dive, with the latest ad campaign from StarKist. The new spots spotlight the brand’s new line of Tuna & Salmon Creations® single-serve pouches and feature legendary brand icon Charlie the Tuna, alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure, perhaps best known as D.J. Tanner on the classic family sit-com “Full House.” Phasmatrope Studios, West Conshohocken PA, produced the spots.

“For the compositing effect to work they needed to appear to be speaking to each other and lit by the same light in the scenes,” Wayne Brejcha, Calabash Creative Director says. “Additionally, we needed to make Charlie his usual charming self, and create a photorealistic StarKist product that Candace grabs from his nimble little fins. To make all those elements come together was an exciting creative challenge for the studio.”

Each of the two new :15s feature a different side to Bure’s busy life and how StarKist’s Tuna & Salmon Creations® single-serve pouches fit into it, whether at work as in the spot “Action Candace” or at home as in “Making Lunches.” Both feature Charlie dropping in (quite literally) on a hook to chat with Bure and offer some tasty lunch options.

For Calabash Executive Producer Sean Henry one of the key animation challenges the new work presented was the CG model rigging that required a considerable amount of thought to give the animators enough control to match the poses conceived by agency creatives.

“The animation required a lot of corrective blend shapes in the final polishing stage,” Henry notes. “Our team of 2D and 3D animators did a great job merging the styles to come up with something that manages to bridge the gap between 2D and 3D while staying true to the character.”

Henry adds, “Acting with animated characters can be a challenge for some actors, but Candace was fantastic. The old shtick was always that Charlie wanted to be a star, so I guess he's coming up in the world. Spaz is a dream director for animation because he knows both animation and filmmaking, and how to get every shot to connect with viewers.”

For Williams, who in addition to directing numerous ads played an instrumental role at acclaimed visual effect house Industrial Light & Magic, working on such early groundbreaking feature films such as “The Abyss,” “Jurassic Park” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” notes that while Charlie has evolved over the years, the key with this project, as well as the previous StarKist spot he directed, was the role of Calabash.

“These guys are one of the best animation houses in the country,” Williams says. “Their animation skill in both classical and computer graphics is fantastic. They are character and performance guys first. They’re not a huge, bloated shop – rather a small family of artists who understand attention to performance and look.”

Calabash’s technological arsenal included 3D animation software Maya, with rendering done with V-Ray, and Nuke for compositing.


About Calabash Animation:
Led by Creative Director Wayne Brejcha and Executive Producer Sean Henry, Calabash Animation is the Chicago, IL-based animation production studio known for its award-winning animation for the advertising and entertainment industries. Calabash Animation is perhaps best known for their creative character animation and development of some of America’s most beloved brand icons. In addition to it advertising working, the company has also produced several acclaimed short films, including ‘’Stubble Trouble,’’ which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002.

About quench:
A boutique agency made up of more than 70 food & beverage zealots, operating out of three offices in Harrsburg, Philadelphia and Chicago.  We have big-agency capability combined with boutique agility. http://www.quenchagency.com


Web Resources:
Click here to watch the StarKist spot “Making Lunches”:
https://youtu.be/J1fUVkILuEo

Click here to watch the StarKist spot “Action Candace”:
https://youtu.be/hNo_EWqE4LA

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

Click here for more info about Phasmatrope Studios:
http://www.phasmatrope.com/

Click here for more info about Quench:
http://www.quenchagency.com


Creative Credits:
Client: StarKist
Project: “Action Candace,” “Making Lunches” (both :15s)

Agency: quench, Harrisburg, PA
Chief Creative & Content Officer: Jeff Odiorne
Group Creative Director: John Gilbert
Creative Director: Dave Spink
Agency Producer: Matt Campbell
Group Brand Manager: Ami Lawson
Brand Manager: Laura Osmolinski

Production Company: Phasmatrope Studios, West Conshohocken PA
Director: Steve “Spaz” Williams
Executive Producer: Jon Isen

Animation/VFX: Calabash, Chicago, IL
Creative Director: Wayne Brejcha
Executive Producer: Sean Henry

Stephen Arnold Music Launches “Everywhere I Go” – Multi-Platform Image Campaign For Local TV Stations

DALLAS, TX – Stephen Arnold Music, the World Leader in Sonic Branding, has announced the release of “Everywhere I Go.” The audio + video image campaign is the latest in a series of comprehensive offerings from Stephen Arnold Music, providing local stations with a cost-effective marketing toolkit that focuses audiences on their multi-platform delivery of information.

The “Everywhere I Go” package includes Full Song/60s/30s/15s/10s/IDs along with full sing, donut, tag and instrumental mixes.

Built around a fun, high-energy Americana-tinged pop song that instantly inspires listeners to chant along, “Everywhere I Go” emphasizes local stations’ digital presence spanning online, mobile and social media – as well as a station’s involvement in their community and covering the important stories in their town. In addition, stations can even work with Stephen Arnold Music on custom lyrics specific for their market.
Viewers expect to get news, weather, and traffic updates from stations wherever they are, at any time via their computers, mobile phones, and tablets. The catchy lyrics of “Everywhere I Go” reflect that expectation. “Tell me how the day unfolds/Traffic fast or traffic slow/It’s good to know you’re never far away/You’re just a touch away/Got you…Everywhere/Everywhere I go.”

Like Stephen Arnold Music’s well-received “Waking Up My Day” campaign, which has aired in over 100 markets, “Everywhere I Go” was created to help local stations grow viewership and generate additional revenue. Rather than a typical promo that just lists a stations’ digital offerings, “Everywhere I Go” instead focuses on the audience perspective and the positive feelings that a station stirs by demonstrating that it’s ready with the latest essential information on any device.

As the Leaders in Sonic Branding, “Everywhere I Go” builds on what Stephen Arnold Music does best, helping define the brand identity for such clients as CNN, Fox, ESPN, AXS TV, CCTV, and a full 35% of all US local TV markets.

“A station’s digital offerings have rapidly become a key component of its brand,” says Chad Cook, Vice President, Creative for Stephen Arnold Music. “’Everywhere I Go’ gives immediate credibility to this critical revenue stream, delivering audiences to advertisers on all station platforms, and placing it in a leadership position.  More than anything, the song makes an emotional connection by celebrating the relationship between the viewer and their local news station.”

Cook adds, “Stephen Arnold Music has seen an extremely enthusiastic response to our previous bundled campaigns. ‘Everywhere I Go’ builds further on these cost-effective solutions by providing stations with memorable creative that’s easy to implement, engages with audiences and fills a real need. When it all comes together, the result is a very powerful promotional tool.”


About Stephen Arnold Music:
Often referred to as the most-heard, least-known composers in America, Stephen Arnold Music’s creativity is experienced every day in more than 100 million homes throughout the U.S. Based in Dallas with offices in San Diego and New York, with additional recording studios in Santa Fe, “The World Leader In Sonic Branding™ has more than 20 years of success delivering impactful, brand-defining music that makes a difference for today’s top broadcast networks, cable channels, television stations, film production studios and advertising agencies. With multiple Emmys, Addys and Promax Golds to their credit, Stephen Arnold Music’s specialized approach and commitment to the power of sonic branding, state-of-the-art production and unparalleled customer service is at the core of its promise. Stephen Arnold Music continues to set the creative bar in a highly competitive content landscape.

For more information, please visit http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com



Web Resources:
Click here to experience “Everywhere I Go”:
http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com/everywhereigo/

Click here for a behind the scenes look at the making of “Everywhere I Go”:
http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com/everywhereigo/?video=181697597

HOBO Partners With Gigantic Post On Audio For Sundance Winning Doc “Weiner”

Audio Team Helps Cut The Noise And Create City Life Ambiences For Revealing New Film Currently In Theaters, VOD And Premium Cable Showtime In Fall

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NEW YORK, NY -- One of the surprise hits on the film festival circuit this year has been the documentary “Weiner,” the all-too-revealing inside look behind the failed New York City mayoral campaign of former Congressman Anthony Weiner that took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.  Enhancing the aural impact was HOBO engineers Chris Stangroom, Stephen Davies and Julian Angel, who each played a key role in the film’s audio postproduction.

Directed by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, “Weiner” is currently playing in theaters and on VOD, and will premiere on Showtime in October.

Working alongside Supervising Sound Editor and Re-recording Mixer Tom Paul of Gigantic Post, New York, the HOBO team was focused on the film’s dialogue and sound effects, preparing each component for the final mix by Paul. As with most documentaries, the verite style of the film and the varied audio sources used, proved challenging for dialogue editor Stangroom.

“A lot of the audio sources we were dealing with came from old news footage, cell phone cameras and the filmmakers themselves were shooting in guerilla style,” Stangroom says. “We needed to clean all that up – the harsh drones, crackles and blaring sounds of city life. More so than other film genres, nobody pays attention to the audio in docs unless something sounds wrong.  Making sure all of the source audio was as clean as possible was paramount.”

HOBO has worked on numerous other indie documentaries including “Documented,” “The Education Of Mohammad Hussein” and “Breaking A Monster,” as well as several reality TV series, including Discovery’s popular series “Gold Rush” and AMC’s “Making of the Mob.” They most recently teamed with Paul and Gigantic Studios on the indie films “The Seventh Fire” and “Tomorrow We Disappear.”

Layering Ambience:
While Stangroom was immersed in the dialogue, HOBO’s Davies and Angel worked on the overall sound effects, which meant confronting a wide range of extraneous noises and layering subtle, yet crucial, ambiences of city life soundscapes to create a natural mood that allows viewers to focus in on the story.

“Julian and I concentrated on finding the right city ambiences to use, and layering them so they sounded natural and believable,” Davies says. “The challenge sonically was to make it all feel like one cohesive world.”

The Sounds of Brooklyn:
Never was that more key than in the scene involving Weiner yelling into a bullhorn while marching in New York’s Caribbean Festival, a particularly noisy and crowded event held every summer in Brooklyn.

“The parade scene was complex because of the extreme noise level,” Angel notes. “Weiner is yelling into the megaphone, the crowds are almost louder than he is, and booming music from the floats are everywhere, and yet somehow we had to clear out all of that noise and focus on what Weiner was actually saying, and more importantly what the scene represents in the context of the film.”

Adds HOBO President Howard Bowler, ”Filmmaking is a collaborative job with every company contributing creatively to make it work,” he says. “Through sound, we help to pull audiences into the story and keep them entertained and engaged.”


About HOBO:
HOBO is an audio post production company dedicated to creating an exceptional listening experience. The company has earned the trust of some of the most iconic brands and companies in the world. Make yourself at HOBO.
 

Web Resources:
Click here for more info about HOBO:
www.hoboaudio.com

Click here to see the “Weiner” trailer:
https://youtu.be/nJ4FIGnJknk

Click here to see the “Weiner” IMDB page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5278596/

Stephen Arnold Music Drives CW33 “Express Yourself” User Generated Content Campaign With Energetic Original Song

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The World Leader In Sonic Branding Creates An “Instant Classic” To Get Dallas-Fort Worth Station’s Viewers Excited About Sharing Video, Images And Music

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DALLAS, TX -- CW33-KDAF TV doesn’t expect their viewers to just tune in -- they also want the Dallas-Fort Worth station to be a part of their daily conversation. The solution for that challenge is their engaging new “Express Yourself” campaign, driven by a catchy original song from Stephen Arnold Music.

With “Express Yourself,” CW33 has a promotional vehicle that encourages viewers to interact with the station -- uploading and sharing fresh user generated content in keeping with the campaign’s motivational theme. The foundation of “Express Yourself” is its song, an instant classic that’s heavy with hooks, written and produced by Stephen Arnold Music to forge an instant connection with viewers. 

A perfect up-tempo mashup of new school funk-pop sensibilities and old-school Motown, Stephen Arnold Music’s “Express Yourself” combines a killer vocal with live organ, guitar, bass, brass and drums – plus plenty of catchy claps and whistles -- to fire audiences up. The lyrics make the motivational message crystal-clear: “Be loud, be big, be true to yourself/You’re one-of-a-kind, there ain’t nobody else/Be hot, be cool – just do what you do/Don’t hide what’s inside cuz it’s time that you/Express yourself.”

The song was designed with modularity in mind. Stephen Arnold Music provided CW33 with a wide assortment of versions including :05, :10, :15 and :30 promos that highlight the station’s shows, news and contests. Each impression is a reminder that viewers should express themselves by sharing video, images and music that may be broadcast by the station or spread via its social media channels.

For CW33, getting the song right was essential to a successful campaign.

“Music is a common language that everybody understands,” Jamie Aitken, VP and General Manager of CW33/KDAF-TV, says. “We’ve had the words and logo ‘Express Yourself’ on air since January, but without a sonic brand behind it, it’s very two-dimensional. Sound is what drives people.”

Adds Roger Vertrees, Director of Creative Services for CW33/KDAF-TV: “We wanted a track that was timeless, so it was critical that we collaborate with Stephen Arnold Music to get it done right. They created an infectious original song that’s getting everyone involved.”

About Stephen Arnold Music:

Often referred to as the most-heard, least-known composers in America, Stephen Arnold Music’s creativity is experienced every day in more than 100 million homes throughout the U.S. Based in Dallas with offices in San Diego and New York, with additional recording studios in Santa Fe, “The World Leader In Sonic Branding™ has more than 20 years of success delivering impactful, brand-defining music that makes a difference for today’s top broadcast networks, cable channels, television stations, film production studios and advertising agencies. With multiple Emmys, Addys and Promax Golds to their credit, Stephen Arnold Music’s specialized approach and commitment to the power of sonic branding, state-of-the-art production and unparalleled customer service is at the core of its promise. Stephen Arnold Music continues to set the creative bar in a highly competitive content landscape.

For more information, please visit http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com

Web Resources:

Click here to watch Stephen Arnold Music’s “Express Yourself” campaign: https://youtu.be/7QWnGFBF2WU

Hear the “Express Yourself” song here:

https://tribcw33.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/01_exyslf_full_fulltheme_01.mp3

Click here for more info about Stephen Arnold Music:

http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com/

Creative Credits:

Client: KDAF-TV CW33, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Project: "Express Yourself" Campaign

VP/General Manager: Jamie Aitken 

Director of Creative Services: Roger Vertrees

Music: Stephen Arnold Music, Dallas, TX

The STUDIO Crafts Elegant Holiday Video Card With Chartable Message

Stunning Tracking Shot Immerses Viewers In Animated Winter Wonderland

NEW YORK, NY – The STUDIO has a present for you, but you won’t find it under any Christmas tree. Rather the creative design/animation studio led by Founder/Creative Director Mary Nittolo, has crafted an elegantly-designed holiday video card that features a meticulously animated tracking shot that pulls viewers into a lush winter wonderland.

However, more than just eye-candy, the STUDIO expresses gratitude for a strong 2016 with a donation in the names of those who receive the holiday card to the Children's Health Fund, the esteemed charity co-founded by musician Paul Simon and Dr. Irwin Redlener that’s committed to providing health care to vulnerable children in the U.S.

“The CHF is such an extraordinary organization and the fact that it was started thanks to the vision and generosity of an artist like Paul Simon is something that isn’t lost on the creative community,” Nittolo says.

The video card itself is a beautifully crafted festive animation created by Alison Abitbol and Adam Rozanski, with 3D support from Eric Kilanski and Jackie Garbuio; it features a continuous tracking shot that traverses a festive snow-filled winter village. Featuring original music from Bryan Senti of Los Angeles-based music house Hook and Line, the camera passes through various holiday scenes employing a festive color palette and simple geometrical designs, appearing as if the landscape exists in a 2.5D animated world made up of textured card planes.

“I’m delighted with this year’s holiday card,” Nittolo adds. “Our creative team was excited to be able to produce an animation worthy of our relationship with the Children’s Health Fund. Its success reinforces our commitment to the power of ideas to persuade, and this is the time of year where we should remember that this is why most of us ended up in this business."


About the STUDIO:
In business for over 25 years, the STUDIO is a integrated production and animation company that unites the diverse talents of designers, artists, animators, directors and visual effects artisan to interpret projects for pages and screens everywhere. Involved in all aspects of the marketing and communication process from pre-production through production and post, the STUDIO supplies the images that brands need to reach their audiences. the STUDIO client roster includes major Ad Agencies, Fortune 100 companies, non-profits, cultural and educational institutions as well as entertainment and media companies.

For more information, visit www.studionyc.com, or follow the STUDIO on Facebook, Twitter (@TheSTUDIONYC), Instagram and LinkedIn.


Creative Credits:
Client: the STUDIO
Project: Holiday Card

Production/Animation/Design: the STUDIO, New York
Creative Director: Mary Nittolo
Creative Leads: Alison Abitbol,  Adam Rozanski
3D Artists: Eric Kilansky, Jackie Garbuio

Music: Hook & Line, Los Angeles, CA
Composer: Bryan Senti


Web Resources:
Click here to watch the STUDIO Holiday Card:
https://vimeo.com/148397600

Click here for more info about the STUDIO:
http://www.studionyc.com/

Hiccup Media Rocks Music Biz With Featured Video Content For Its Biggest Acts

Working closely with major record labels such as RCA and Epic, a has become an indispensable creative resource for crafting engaging, conceptually driven video content, graphics packages and more for music’s biggest stars.

“There’s such a high demand for content today, not just music videos, but content that takes fans where most can’t go – backstage, into the recording studio or on the set of their latest music video,” Nicholas Robespierre, Vice President, Video Production at RCA Records says. “It’s the kind of content that demands a creative studio that is nimble and able do a lot of things well. Sometimes we need a live action production, sometimes we need an animation or graphics package, sometimes an edit. That’s why we’ve worked with Hiccup for nearly 7 years – they can do it all.”

Recent Hiccup music work includes a 30-minute documentary about the making of Michael Jackson’s latest posthumous release “Xscape” that recently aired on BET; a behind the scenes look at guitarist Santana’s latest music video that ties into World Cup 2014; the iconic music video “Goldie” for hip hop artist A$AP Rocky; and an array 2-3 minute promotional pieces for Gavin DeGraw, Cage The Elephant and Sleeper Agent, to name a few.

Additionally, Hiccup director John Poliquin’s work on Universal Music artist Hedley’s video “Anything” was nominated for 4 MuchMusic Video Awards, including Best Director.

Agency Mindset:
For Hiccup Creative Director Rob Simone, the primary reason for Hiccup’s success in the music industry centers on a creative agency mindset that emphasizes a conceptual approach in sync with the artists’ image, music, website, photos, etc.

“We are first and foremost a creative agency,” Simone says. “While we do amazing production and post work, we don’t come to these projects with a post or production mindset. We think like an agency, and for our music work that means looking closely at the artist as a whole and coming up with a conceptual approach that works for them.”

For Chief Creative Officer Michael Cruz, the challenge for the company’s music projects centers on tight deadlines (sometimes as little as a few days), and volume (as many as 10 different projects in the pipeline in a given month). The secret, Cruz notes, is the Hiccup workflow and a creative team that’s been refined over the years like a finely tuned instrument.

“We’ve really perfected the process,” Cruz says. “It’s not easy to work on as many music projects as we do and give each of them their own unique look and feel, especially given the deadlines and budgets, but we’ve managed to make it work, and in the process become a major player in this competitive arena.”


About Hiccup Media:
In 2006, we believed that brands were developing a need for a different type of agency. With the growing demands for video, mobile and content in general, a secondary more nimble firm was becoming more of a necessity. Hiccup Media was founded to meet that demand. We believe that broadcast work and non-broadcast work are equally important and dually essential pieces of a brand’s strategy. Therefore, we develop creative timing and cost solutions that make sense in today’s industry and we never sacrifice quality. For more info go to http://www.hiccupmedia.com.


Web Resources:
Click here to view Hiccup Media website:
http://www.hiccupmedia.com
https://www.facebook.com/Hiccup.Media

Click here to check out Hiccup Media’s recent music work:
http://vimeopro.com/hiccupmedia/music-work

HOBO Audio Captures Powerful Sonic Mood For Intense New HISTORY Documentary Lee Harvey Oswald: 48 Hours to Live

NEW YORK, NY – While there is no shortage of media coverage surrounding the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, few look at it from the perspective of Lee Harvey Oswald: 48 Hours To Live, a two-hour special premiering Friday, November 22 at 10 p.m. on HISTORY® featuring audio post/sound design by HOBO Audio.

“This is not a traditional documentary – the film’s dramatic re-creations and cinematography make for very compelling viewing,” says Howard Bowler, President of HOBO. “The challenge for us was to find the best moments to amp up the tension, and conversely, to know when to let other moments breathe. This, like our other work with HISTORY, is very rewarding thanks to the quality of their productions. It’s an honor to be a part of such a finely tuned storytelling process.”

Directed, produced and written by Anthony Giacchino (based on the book by Steven M Gillon), Lee Harvey Oswald: 48 Hours To Live is a minute-by-minute account of the final two days of Oswald’s life – his attempt to flee, his capture by the police, and the grueling interrogation by the Dallas police detectives prior to being shot by Jack Ruby – a chapter of history that raised more questions than it answered.

The production stands out as the first documentary to tell Oswald’s story by filming inside the Dallas Municipal Building, where the old Dallas Police Department was housed.  It’s also the first film to accurately portray Oswald’s interrogation inside Captain Will Fritz’s actual office.

Working with music licensed from the Extreme Music catalog, Chris Stangroom, HOBO’s Senior Audio Engineer, headed the audio mix for the film, which included sound design, audio clean up of archival footage and ADR. For Stangroom, the key to the project was finding ways to match the powerful visuals shot by Giacchino.

“The film is so inspired visually, with moody re-creations of pivotal scenes and dramatic slow-motion footage that heighten the tension,” Stangroom says. “I felt I had to raise my game with the sound.”

For Giacchino, this project represents the fourth consecutive film he’s entrusted to HOBO, and it looks like just the beginning.

“Music and sound is such a big part of any film, and HOBO has great creative sensibilities -- they never push it into cheesy, over-the-top ways,” Giacchino says. “I trust them and their audio judgement immensely.”


About HOBO Audio:
HOBO is an audio post production company dedicated to creating an exceptional listening experience. The company has earned the trust of some of the most iconic brands and companies in the world. Make yourself at HOBO.


Web Resources:
Click here for more info about HOBO Audio:
http://www.hoboaudio.com/

Click here to watch a trailer for "Lee Harvey Oswald: 48 Hours to Live”:
http://vimeo.com/79260194

Click here for more info about "Lee Harvey Oswald: 48 Hours to Live”:
http://www.history.com/shows/jfk-specials/episodes

Music Production Library Endo Music Song “There Were Times” Heard In "Jobs" Film And Soundtrack

Endo Music, the diverse music production library known for its work in feature films, network television and advertising, has placed the song “There Were Times” in the new Steve Jobs bio pic "JOBS" starring Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad opening August 16, 2013.

Co-Written and performed by Endo Music Founder/CEO Freddy Monday, (along with Rick Horvath and Randall H. Light), “There Were Times” perfectly captures the jangly guitars and stacked vocal harmony driven sound of 70s-era California rock. The song is featured early in the film when Jobs is working at Atari and just beginning to develop the ideas that would come to define Apple.

“The 70's vibe was always there from the beginning,” Monday says, “but when the Endo team got together on it we took it even further adding the 12-string guitar riffs and three part chorus harmonies. The mood of the song for me is a yearning for a time passed and a feeling of isolation from choices made, and it works very well in the film.”

In addition to being heard in the film, “There Were Times” is also on the film soundtrack record, which also features classics from Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh, REO Speedwagon and Toad The Wet Sprocket.

Founded by Monday and COO/Composer Phil Cimino, Endo Music boasts a collective of 25 top composers and musicians that specialize in quality customized music in all genres for Film, TV and Advertising. Their work can be heard in shows ranging from CBS’ “The Young and The Restless”, USA Network’s “Burn Notice,” TNT’s “Dark Blue” and TLC’s “Toddlers & Tiaras,” as well as the upcoming film "The Bronx Bull," a prequel to "Raging Bull" opening November 2.

Additionally, Monday is an accomplished solo artist with three albums available via iTunes. His latest single “Me Are You Are Me” will be available on iTunes October 8.

“Our musical approach to JOBS was one of authenticity in the aesthetic of the life of Steve Jobs and story we were telling,” Mason Cooper, Executive in Charge of Music, Five Star Features, Pasadena, CA, says. “Freddy has amazing creative sensibilities as an artist. In addition to his great talent and sound, his music captures the authenticity and spirit of the period that we needed for the film. It worked perfectly.”


About Endo Music:
Endo Music is a diverse music production library creating high quality compositions for Film, TV and Advertising. Their creative team collectively features over 25 composers and musicians that provide original customized music in all genres. Endo also publishes a vast library of songs, cues and Instrumentals for all production media needs. For more information visit http://www.endomusic.com/.

Web Resources:
Click here for more info about Endo Music:
http://www.endomusic.com/

Click here to stream "There Were Times":
http://endomusic.com/jobs

DuArt Names Craig Gordon Senior Editor

Award-Winning Editor Brings Accomplished Capabilities to Renowned New York City Post House

NEW YORK, NY – DuArt (www.duart.com), New York City’s comprehensive video, digital media, and film post facility, announced that it has added Craig Gordon as Senior Editor

A highly experienced video and film editor, Gordon brings 20+ years of post production expertise to his new position at DuArt, with recognition industry-wide for his deep knowledge of HD and award-winning accomplishments as a creative editor. Prior to joining DuArt, Gordon was HD Specialist/Editor for Brass Monkey Post (BMP), where he edited a wide range of projects including commercials, feature films, corporate videos, promo packages, music videos, documentaries, episodic television and museum exhibitions. Before BMP, Gordon was Head of HD development and the HD project manager for Rhinopost in New York.

Gordon’s credits include a number of high-profile projects, including the Academy Award-nominated and Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner film Trouble the Water;  the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or Award-winner Fahrenheit 9/11 directed by Michael Moore; and the acclaimed documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen. His extensive TV portfolio includes series for CBS, A&E, MTV, History Channel, PBS and Discovery.

Craig Gordon will be available to all of DuArt’s clients, from non-fiction television to independent documentaries and more. His addition marks the latest expansion of DuArt’s complete post production offerings.

“DuArt provides all of the services and resources that clients need today,” Gordon says. “You can work here on an extremely wide variety of formats, with an experienced and dedicated in-house support staff at the ready. We make it easy for clients to produce and post produce short-, medium-, and long-term projects, and realize significant cost savings along the way.

“This is a great time to be at DuArt,” Gordon adds. “They’ve successfully transitioned from being one of the largest film labs on the East Coast, to being recognized as a premier provider of digital content services.”

 

About DuArt:

DuArt is a full service post facility in NYC, servicing the broadcast and film industries. Operating out of their 12-story building in midtown Manhattan, DuArt provides video editing, color correct, voice recording, casting, 3D editing, direction for animation, music scoring, sound design, film and audio restoration, production space, and more. Since being established in 1922, DuArt has finished thousands of the world’s most loved feature films, documentaries, festival releases and television shows.      

For more information, please visit www.duart.com.

Calabash Animation Blow-Up The Moon In Latest For Lucky Charms

Award-Winning Studio's Latest Project For General Mills Amps Up The Energy And The Creativity

CHICAGO, IL - Apparently the moon is made of Lucky Charms cereal pieces - at least it is in the fantasy world found in "Paper Moon" -- the new CG animated ad brought to life by Calabash Animation (www.calabashanimation.com) for General Mills. The spot was created by agency Saatchi & Saatchi, New York.

"With each new Lucky Charms spot we try to build on the last one, not only story-wise but technically as well," Sean Henry, Calabash Animation's Executive Producer explains. "We always want to push it creatively and come up new ways of exploring the Lucky Charms world. For "Paper Moon", we really pushed the camera movement because we wanted to keep the energy and pace high. There are few static shots. The spot is alive and dynamic throughout."

"Paper Moon" is set amid an ancient astrological ruin -- complete with Stonehenge type slabs of rock, and marble surface revealing detailed inscriptions of Lucky Charms cereal pieces. It is there we find Lucky the Leprechaun summoning his rainbow powers to create the six new moon-shaped pieces now found in Lucky Charms.

Interrupted by those kids who are "always after his Lucky Charms," the chase is on -- until Lucky stumbles and accidentally focuses his book of magic on the moon, causing it to explode and rain cereal to the delight of the kids. The spot ends with Lucky surfing a rainbow and using the book to recapture the cereal and make his getaway.

"We had a huge challenge in making the moon blow up with all these cereal bits flying out everywhere," Wayne Brejcha, Calabash Creative Director says. "We used new software plug-ins to fragment the moon's sphere and send the pieces tumbling in every direction. The camera move was poetic and dizzying, and it works dramatically."

Brejcha adds, "We painstakingly choreographed the characters to fit this constantly moving perspective and made many revisions to get it working as smoothly as possible. From the character's perspective we wanted to push the performance of the kids and Lucky to a higher level."

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 stopmotion 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.

Web Resources:
Click here to view the Lucky Charms "Paper Moon" spot:
http://calabashanimation.com/dlink.php?preview=91

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

Creative Credits:
Client: General Mills/Lucky Charms
Project: "Paper Moon" (:30)

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, New York

Animation: Calabash Animation, Chicago, IL
Animation Director: Wayne Brejcha
Executive Producer: Sean Henry