Helmed by OUTSIDER USA's Jorn Threlfall, this new spot for the BMW 7 Series uses a "House of Mirrors" to literally shatter any illusions about duplicating the style and substance of the venerable automaker. 

Client: BMW 7 Series
Spots Title(s): "House of Mirrors"
First Air Date: 5/5/08

Agency: GSD&M Idea City
Group Creative Director: David Crawford
Creative Director(s): Mike Ferrer, Jeff Maki
Art Director(s): Mike Ferrer
Copywriter(s): Jeff Maki, Claire Jordan
Agency Producer: Sybil McCarthy Hadfield

Production Company: Outsider USA
Director: Jorn Threlfall
DP: Paul Cameron
EP: Don Block, Rich Carter, Elaine Behnken
Producer: Bridgitte Pugh

Editorial: Beast Austin
Editor: Sam Selis

Post/Effects: Brewster Parsons
Creative Director/VFX Supervisor(s): Ben Gibbs
Exec. Prod: Darcie Leslie Parsons

Music: Ten Music
Executive Producer: Rachel Dunn
Composer: Ben Mullins

Shoot Location: Los Angeles, CA

Imagine a giant warehouse not stocked with food, plasma screen TV's, or steel belted radials, but, rather, with boxes of a million little earth-changing ideas. As depicted in a new PSA directed by James Gartner, this image serves as your welcome to globalgiving.org, the ultimate activist "Marketplace" of global causes and good deeds for caring consumers everywhere.

Client: Global Giving
Spots Title(s): "Marketplace"
First Air Date: May 25, 2008

Agency: Leo Burnett
Creative Director(s): Sarah Block, Eric Routenberg
Art Director(s): Sarah Block
Copywriter(s): Eric Routenberg
Agency Producer: Vincent Geraghty

Production Company: GARTNER
Director: James Gartner
DP: Tom Olgeirsson
EP(s): Rich Carter, Don Block
Producer: Roger Petrusson

Editorial: Optimus
Editor: Deb Schimmel
Telecine: Company 3
Shoot Location: Los Angeles, CA

MIAMI BEACH, FL, May 19, 2008 - Corona "Finishing Touch", edited by Einar of bi-coastal Union, captured a Bronze Clio Award in the Editing category at this years 49th Annual Clio Festival, held on Miami's South Beach this past weekend.

The evolutionary spot, which depicts the formation of an island from an underwater volcano topped off with a Corona, has received acclaim not only in the commercial world, but in the academic community as well. The creativity and accuracy of the portrayal have inspired Professors at the University level to begin using the piece as a lecture tool to demonstrate the geological event.

The Clio Awards is revered as one of the world's top global awards competition for advertising, design, and interactive work. Clio's statue has become an icon and one of the most coveted symbols of the industry's creative accomplishments.

MIAMI BEACH, FL, May 19, 2008 - Director Bart Timmer took home a Gold Clio Award in the Automotive Catagory for Volkswagen "Keep It Clean," directed through production company, CZAR, NL. Timmer is represented by Outsider in the UK and US.

In the spot, a proud VW Touareg owner touts the off-road abilities of the car, but opts not to demonstrate and get the car dirty - like most, he bought the Touareg for its looks.

The 49th Annual Clio Awards, one of the world’s most recognized global awards competitions for advertising, design, and interactive, was held on Miami's South Beach May 16-19.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 19, 2008 - Savant Film director Nelson Cabrera and agency MARCA have introduced Kingsley Philmore to the world. Philmore is the new spokesperson for VisualTour, and his coming-out party has taken place in the form of a three-spot national campaign, airing now.

A distinguished expert in his own mind, Philmore dispenses off-beat advice about showing homes for sale. In fact, each spot offers yet another reason sellers should turn to VisualTour when putting a house on the market. 

"Every job is different, but this one was wall-to-wall dialogue," notes Cabrera. "I see casting, especially comedy as a huge undertaking. Casting is where the character starts coming alive, where you begin to find the nuances of the performance. I love the moment on-set when you have the actor just where you want him and the scripts start coming to life. It's magical." From a technical standpoint, Cabrera chose to shoot in HD instead of on film. "Given the nature of the project, I wanted to keep it organic and simulate web base content," says the director, who used the Red Camera on the shoot. 

Regarding the scripts, Cabrera says the VirtualTour project offered him a degree of latitude to venture into the bizarre. "If you look at my reel, there's always something odd, someone with super-natural powers, getting their first tattoo, having a human satellite zapped, even being dragged to the bottom of a pool by jewelry." In the last instance, Cabrera is referring to "Pool", his comedy spot for Cyloop.com via La Comunidad, Miami, which recently won an Andy Award for Television Media Campaign.

"Nelson is one of the best humor directors out there," says MARCA Chief Creative Officer Armando Hernandez. "His ability to find the subtleties is amazing. He was part of the creative team from the beginning, pushing to make it better throughout the entire process."

In addition to directing the spots, Cabrera photographed Kingsley Philmore for the agency's national print campaign.  

Client: VisualTour
Air Date: May 15, 2008
Title(s): "Photos-Oh My" and "Candle"

Agency: MARCA
Chief Creative Officer: Armando Hernandez
Copywriters: Armando Hernandez, Jose Reyes
Art Directors: Armando Hernandez, David Cabestany
Agency Producer: Patty Rodriguez
Account Directors: Guy White, Alan Campbell

CHICACO, IL, May 19, 2008 - Cutters, Inc. has hired Will Kneip as Business Development Director. He replaces Charissa Ruess, who has relocated to Australia. Kneip comes over from Butler, Shine, Stern, and Partners in Sausalito, California, where he was Post Production Supervisor. The Cutters, Inc., group is comprised of Cutters Editorial (Chicago/LA), SOLdesignfx, and Another Country.

Kneip began his advertising career at the agency as an account planner. Rather quickly, however,  his interest in editorial manifested itself and he moved into production. Kneip spent a number of years as a Junior Producer, handling TV, radio and brand films on the agency's many accounts.

After augmenting his editing skills by learning Final Cut, Kneip decided to make another move and began the arduous process of starting the internal editing facility for the agency, allowing Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners to handle post on new business, brand films, and more, in-house. The years flew by and before Kneip knew it, he had a full service post facility built and his team was cutting national & international campaigns for brands like MINI, LucasArts and Epson.

Kneip successfully ran this facility for a few more years, until the Cutters opportunity presented itself. "Will comes to us with an ideal set of credentials," said Cutters, Inc., owner Tim McGuire. "He will be much more than a representative of our three brands; with a background in advertising and post-production, he also will be a valuable resource to our clients regarding the execution of the work. Will understands the needs of agency producers and creatives, spanning projects in traditional and emerging media."

"I am excited to join Cutters, Inc., as Director of New Business Development," Kneip said. "I am impressed by the creativity and passion they bring to each of the disciplines in which they work, at Cutters, SOL and Another Country. I look forward to working with them to continue and build upon their strengths as well as help position the company for future growth."

Recent work from Cutters, Inc., includes spot projects for Edge, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Wrigley's, KFC, Allstate, and AID Still Required (featuring the LA Lakers' Kobe Bryant). The company also recently completed two Web/New Media projects: Pontiac "Spy Hunter," one of the most popular viral ads for an automotive client, and an interactive promotional campaign for Microsoft Virtual Studio created via McCann SF.

Created via Element 79 Partners and directed by James Gartner, a new spot for Fritos has a tender, down-home feel: After putting his daughter to bed, Tim McGraw heads outside with his guitar to snack on chips and gaze at the "Country Stars".

Client: Fritos
Spots Title(s): "Country Stars"

First Air Date: 5/9/08

Agency: Element 79 Partners
SVP / Group Creative Director: Susan Bertocchi
Art Director(s): Monica Klasa
Copywriter(s): Greg Oreskovich
Agency Producer: Kara Pierce

Production Company: GARTNER
Director: James Gartner
DP: James Whitaker
EP(s): Rich Carter, Don Block, Elaine Behnken
Producer: Roger Petrusson

Editorial: Jump
Editor: Michael Saia
Telecine: Complete Post
Exec. Prod: Elizabeth Krajewski
Shoot Location: Nashville, TN

The announcement of Looking Glass Films' alliance with Bikini Films is covered in the world of commercials production... Also covered in the trades: news about the signing of director Chad Einbinder and the San Francisco screening of Love and Other Disasters...

Shoot - LOOKING GLASS - Bikini Films Alliance - March 2008

Shoot - LOOKING GLASS - Chad Einbinder Signing - March 2008

Creativity - LOOKING GLASS - Chad Einbinder Signing - March 2008

Boards - LOOKING GLASS - Chad Einbinder Signing - April 2008

Boards - LOOKING GLASS - Bikini Films Alliance - March 2008

SourceEcreative - LOOKING GLASS - Love and Other Disasters - February 2008

Shots - LOOKING GLASS - Love and Other Disasters - February 2008

Shots - LOOKING GLASS - Bikini Films Alliance - March 2008

digitalcontent - LOOKING GLASS - Bikini Films Alliance - March 2008

Zibb - LOOKING GLASS - Bikini Films Alliance - March 2008

A woman is enjoying a drive out on the open road...as she rolls to stop, the music in her car likewise comes to a halt. She gets back in gear and realizes that the hard-driving rock soundtrack is coming from her "Musical Tires", courtesy of Firestone - and PrimalScream Music. 

Tires that make music as you drive may sound a bit unusual...but not for PrimalScream's Nicole Dionne who is always up for an artistic challenge. To create the right kind of wheel music for this set of tires, she and the ad's editor, Tom Muldoon, listned to myriad "scratching" samples (should the sound be more Run DMC or album-scratch?). Ultimately, they decided to go playful and comedic with the scratching sound.

"It was interesting how it came to us because originally they came to us to help license a famous classic rock song," recalls Dionne about the spot, created via The Richards Group and directed by Kinka Usher. Instead, Dionne took a chance, hand-picking artists for the classic rock collaboration. She chose musicians from five different bands, spanning cities from New York to LA, to create the ideal southern rock band for this project. 

"I knew that process could be long and costly, so without asking I got together some rock musicians and cultivated lyrics and music specific to the piece, the brand, the car, and the energy they were going for," says Dionne. "I came back to the agency with a number of licensing options, as well as the track we created, and they ate it up. I took a chance and they loved it."

Client: Firestone Tires
Spots Title(s): Musical Tires
First Air Date: 5.5.08

Agency: The Richards Group
Creative Director: Glenn Dady
Agency Producer: JR Dixon
Art Director: Shane Altman
Writer: Mike Bales

Production Company: House of Usher
Director: Kinka Usher
DP: Barry Peterson
EP(s): Nancy Hacohen
Producer: Kathy Rhodes

Editorial: Nomad
Editor: Tom Muldoon
Editorial EP: Nicole Steele

Music: PrimalScream Music
Executive Music Producer: Nicole Dionne
Artists/Band/Composer:
Producer: Scott Burton

Telecine: CO3
Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld

Post/Effects: Brickyard VFX
VFX/Inferno Artist(s): Mandy Sorenson
EP(s): Ananda Reavis

Having made its way from TV to the Web, where it has been an unexpected runaway hit, The Discovery Channel "I Love the Whole World," directed by James Rouse of OUTSIDER USA, is finally poised to reach...the whole world.

"Boom De Ya Da," the campfire tune performed in the spot by the stars of The Discovery Channel's biggest shows, is now available as a ring tone. This is a measure of success to which few can lay claim...but you have to admit, it's a catchy tune. 

Download the ring tone here.

"Sometimes to go forward with change, you need to go in reverse," says Director Mark Lyon of Subliminal, regarding his recent PSA for California Center for Sustainable Energy. "Forward" advocates using solar power to reverse the environmental damage caused from dirty coal-fired power plants. To make its point, the ad employs imagery of smoke blowing backward into the stacks.

Lyon, passionate advocate for the environment, donated his services to film the California Center for Sustainable Energy script by Matt Fitzsimons, Creative Director at Lyon & Associates Creative Services. Like the director, Fitsimons and the team at Lyon & Associates Creative Services worked pro bono on the project, along with Director of Photography Tom Seawell. "Living in California, we tend to forget about the consequences of our lifestyle," says Lyon. "It was quite a sobering experience to visit the power plants where a lot of our power is generated. They would not be allowed in our clean air-conscious state, so, instead, people in rural areas of Arizona and New Mexico are breathing the heavy metals that pour out of those stacks. As a commercial director, it's great to have a chance to create something of value to the world."

Client: California Center for Sustainable Energy
Spots Title(s): "Forward"
First Air Date: May 5, 2008

Agency: Lyon & Associates Creative Services
Creative Director: Matt Fitzsimons
Agency Producer: Matt LeBeau

Director: Mark Lyon
DP: Tom Seawell

Editorial: Lyon & Associates Creative Services
Editor: Mark Lyon

Telecine: Spy Post San Francisco
Colorist: Chris Martin

Music: Network Music SLAM library

Shoot Location: Page, Arizona, Farmington, New Mexico, and Escondido, California

In a new spot created via Leo Burnett, James Gartner takes us inside a "Dorm Room", where some college girls try to come up with the best message to place in Hallmark's new Recordable Card; the result is a rocking Mothers Day message. Chris Claeys of Cutters edited the spot, airing now.

Client: Hallmark
Spots Title(s): "Dorm Room"
First Air Date: 5/1/08

Agency: Leo Burnett
Executive Creative Director: Tim Pontarelli
Art Director: Sarah Gleason
Copywriter: Jane Koh
VP, Content Architect: Tom Keramidas

Production Company: GARTNER
Director: James Gartner
DP: Tom Olgeirsson
EP(s): Rich Carter, Don Block, Elaine Behnken
Producer: Roger Petrusson

Editorial: Cutters
Editor: Chris Claeys

Shoot Location: Los Angeles

Raging Artists & Cutters Editorial co-hosted a mixer on April 17, welcoming Artistas Rabiando client, Executive Producer/Director Gregg Koenigsberger from Guatemala's Producciones 921 to share food, drink, and music with RA's U.S. clients...

 

Left to Right, Top to Bottom:

1.Gregg Koenigsberger (EP/Director Producciones 921) ; Hesh Rephun (Owner Raging Artists/Artistas Rabiando) 2. Steve Schofield (Partner/EP Zoic); Nicole Visram (EP Cutters/LA) 3. Party Goers 4. Susan Bennett (West Coast Sales, Cutters); Nancy Osborne (EP VILLAINS) 5. Kristy Thomley (PR Associate, Raging Artists); Hesh Rephun; Alyson Johnson (Project Mgr, Raging Artists) 6. Jamie Miller (EP Savant); Karen Watts (Shoot Latin America/Partner in Artistas Rabiando); Gregg Koenigsberger 7. Jamie Miller; Isabel Clarke (Freelance Producer); MondoMouth (Director/Blogger) 8. Clare Gilmore (GARTNER); Joey Mercado (GARTNER); Kristy Thomley; Monica Reimold (GARTNER) 9.Gregg Koenigsberger; Justo Diaz (Marketing Director, SLAM); Isack Fadlon (Co-Owner, Sportie LA; CEO, SLAM) 10. Alyson Johnson; Becca Davis (GARTNER); Shlomy Levy (FunGizmo) 11. Steve Schofield; Justo Diaz; Warren Lam (Producer, Best Spectacular); Hesh Rephun 12. Nicole Visram; Mel Gragido (EP, The Joneses)

SANTA MONICA, CA, May 6, 2008 - For those cyclists in the ad biz that have dreamed about riding in the French Alps with the FireFlies (www.thefirefliesride.com), but could not manage to get away, here's your chance to be part of a great cause. This year, a group is heading along the California Coast. Planned by veteran FireFlies Jake Scott and Bryan Farhy, the event will take place June 8-14, riding the 550 miles from San Francisco to LA.

As with its annual event in France, the 2008 FireFlies West ride is in aid of Leuka, providing continued support for the research and treatment unit for leukaemia at the Hammersmith Hospital in London.

If you are interested in riding the whole way - or even joining them for a stage - please contact bryan@restlessfilms.tv. Those who cannot make the ride are encouraged to join the group for the welcoming party at the Kings Head Tavern in Santa Monica, as the FireFlies arrive on Saturday, June 14.

This year's ride from Evian to Cannes will take place June 10-18, culminating with the arrival of the FireFlies at the Cannes International Advertising Festival. 

Shoot - PRIMALSCREAM association with Sugaroo! - April 2008

boards - PRIMALSCREAM association with Sugaroo! - April 2008

shots - PRIMALSCREAM association with Sugaroo! - April 2008

digital content - Starz - PRIMALSCREAM - April 2008

prosound - Starz - PRIMALSCREAM - April 2008

VFXworld - Starz - PRIMALSCREAM - April 2008 

Digital Media - Starz - PRIMALSCREAM - April 2008

Dexigner - Starz - PRIMALSCREAM - April 2008 

CMW - CMW - Nicole Dionne - PRIMALSCREAM - March 2008

Screen - CMW - Nicole Dionne - PRIMALSCREAM  - April 2008

digital content - Shout Out to Girls Girls Girls - PRIMALSCREAM - March 2008     

The launch of PrimalScream Music's association with Sugaroo! is covered in the world of commercial production and post... The rebranding of Starz is also covered in the trades, along with other news about Nicole Dionne and PrimalScream... 

Shoot - Danny T Jeremy Russell Signing - TIGHT - April 2008

boards - Danny T Jeremy Russell Signing - TIGHT - April 2008

Creativity - Danny T Jeremy Russell Signing - TIGHT - April 2008

SourceEcreative - Danny T Jeremy Russell Signing - TIGHT - April 2008

digital content - Danny T Jeremy Russell Signing - TIGHT - April 2008  

Zibb - Danny T Jeremy Russell Signing - TIGHT - April 2008

shots - Danny T Jeremy Russell Signing - TIGHT - April 2008 

The signing of directors Danny T and Jeremy Russell to tight garners coverage in the commercials production community...

Shoot - James Haygood - UNION - March 2008

Film and Video - James Haygood - UNION - April 2008

Shots - James Haygood - UNION - March 2008

SourceEcreative - James Haygood - UNION - March 2008

CreativeCow - James Haygood - UNION - March 2008 

boards - James Haygood - UNION - March 2008 

digital content - James Haygood - UNION - March 2008

Studiodaily - James Haygood - UNION - April 2008 

The signing of James Haygood to Union is featured in trades covering the world of advertising production and post...