SANTA MONICA, CA, March 14, 2007 - Jigsaw handled editorial chores on the expansive and innovative Bud.TV, which has earned industry-wide attention for its bold approach to branded entertainment, and dominated conferences on the subject. Featuring eight original series (starring, among others, SNL's Chris Parnell, Tim Meadows, and Kevin Farley), the Internet entertainment channel will roll out a total of 56 four-minute episodes over the next two months.

"This is probably the most successful post-production challenge I've ever been involved in," said DDB Sr. VP/Head of Production David Rolfe. "The DDB-provided content for Bud.tv was a huge undertaking. I felt very fortunate to work with Jigsaw - for the first time, I'll add - and it was a great experience in that the project engaged the whole culture there. It all stems from Jon Hopp, their founder and the sort of 'original' great editor...we worked for weeks, day and night with his whole producer and editorial staff. It was technically (all HD-to-QT output), narratively (we cut three-plus hours of content in two weeks), and logistically very challenging, and it came out beautifully. They did exceptional creative editorial and I had a helluva blast along the way." 

"I've always believed that any project is only as good as the editing," added Executive Producer Matt Piedmont. "We took all seven shows of eight episodes each to Jigsaw and basically took over the place to get this done by the deadline. The experience could not have been better, and Sybil McCarthy-Hadfield kept all this stuff scheduled and moving along with finesse and a smile. If this sounds like a love letter to Jigsaw, that's because I guess it is."

CLICK to view the work, and read on for some insights from the team at Jigsaw:

Justin Trovato, Editor, "Arrogant Fake British Rich Guy"

When cutting a commercial or a campaign, I rarely get the opportunity to develop a character over more than 30 seconds. With the Arrogant Brit, we had 8 episodes to round out our character. The Brit brought a new mannerism or a performance or some physical comedy to each evolution. Every performance was an improvisation so the challenge was to find the comedic arc for each episode. The ebb and flow of the performance was going to make or break us.

Don, John, Matt, David Rolfe and I amorously labored together for many hours to find that balance. The key was to exercise restraint...when we gave just a little away out of the gate, we found the payoff we were looking for at the end.

DDB has really embraced the idea of Web advertising with this project. It was a challenging, creative and rewarding collaboration.

Kelly Dunnagan, Editor, "Puppet New Break"

On Puppet News Break, we didn't receive scripts; like Arrogant Fake British Rich Guy and Billy Lama the structure was very loose. Episodes did not have to be a specific length, and each editor brought their style of editing and humor to the show they cut. Editorially, I think it took all of us a little while to rethink how to cut the shows, they are very different structurally than a :30. You have to forget all the 'rules' of commercial editing and think longer comedic format. For example, edits that happen mid-sentence, finding the correct pacing with the comedy, and giving the audience the bone at just the right time.

It was really great to have the entire Jigsaw staff work really hard as a team. Everyone put there heart and soul into this project from the tech support in the vault to our producers working with us all day and night, to Seema in client service feeding us with great food and some stiff (much needed) cocktails. It also goes without saying that DDB Chicago and HSI were amazing to work with. David, Todd, Ellen from DDB, Matt, Don and John were there with us every step of the way, and very encouraging. Not to mention that this "web television" idea rocks and we were a part of something new and exciting. As things start to develop virally more and more we will be riding the wave with the best of them.

"Kelly Dunagan," Piedmont marveled, "made tiny pieces of felt and wool come to life hilariously." 

Bud.TV was about letting go, having fun, looking for the details and then exploiting them - zeroing in on the character. In fact, with Donnie Briggs, the mantra was "ride the outrage." Our goal was to put the person who came to Donnie for help right in his sights and let him do his thing all over them.

Matt was great to collaborate with. He gave full doses of inspiration and guidance and most of all appreciation. It went beyond liking what you did. He made it a non-stop creative session. Also David needs to be appreciated for his astute comic eye and strong sense of when to dig in and when to let go.

"Working with the mad genius Stuart Waks on Donnie Briggs: Life Coach was almost like jazz improv," according to Piedmont, who wrote and directed the series. "He would explore far-out avenues and push the material to be truly unique and expressive. It came out insanely amazing." 

David Trachtenberg, Editor, "Ice Vision and Chef"

Although the episodes were loosely scripted, the creative relied heavily on improv and candid interviews from the actors. The challenge was use the overall rough outline of the script and weave the interviews and improv into strong character based comedy pieces in the editing process (in the style of This is Spinal Tap or Waiting for Guffman). Matt Piedmont was the writer/director and he and I just clicked. Working through the first episode, we knew we had something special. His creative energy and point of view made for an amazing experience. He definitely knew what he wanted, but he also encouraged creative input. Together we were able to really develop strong characters and comedy at the same time.

Time was not a factor, and selling product was not a factor. This opened up the canvas to really digging into and providing a connection with the audience solely based on the entertainment of the piece. It really allowed me to let the creative process flow without the familiar obstacles. I am thrilled with the idea of advertising taking such a unique and groundbreaking approach to connecting with their audiences.

"David had his hands full combing through the footage," Piedmont said, "finding its unique rhythms and shaping its arc, preserving the funniest stuff, but still making it move."

Jon Hopp, Editor, "Guided Meditation with Billy Lama," "Future Man"

I cut a lot of comedy/dialogue, but do not regularly edit for long format. There are things we did for these shows that we'd rarely do in spot. (Writer/Director) Matt Piedmont likened the "Future Man" edit to cutting for live TV; we were removing just enough content and space to sustain its immmediacy, without sacrificing believability. I've been bringing this to my spot work since then, and I find it adds perspective. "Jon came up with great ideas on how to make it cook and come to life, using quite a few bits of magic from his bag of tricks," said Piedmont.

"Guided Meditation" had a formula, but was generally improvised. The directors (H.S.I.'s Don & John) chose to make the audience aware of the camera and the crew, turning them into off-screen characters, which was a stroke of genius. They also made the decision to keep the camera moving, which was a creative gamble editorially, but it really paid off and I loved what they gave me. 

From a company perspective, I'm extremely proud of the bench-strength we brought to the party and that our editors were willing to take this on - in spite of the time constraints and technical complexities...we're talking about not only the shows themselves but the openings, all in 14 days. Bud.TV is consistent with the direction Jigsaw is going, in many ways: our pursuit of non-traditional creative, Internet branded entertainment, and long form work in general. 

A Little Tech

The shows were shot on a Panasonic HVX 200 HD cameras with the footage laying down to a P2 card (Panasonic). The footage was then transferred to a firewire drive. Jigsaw used Avid Xpress HD software to edit. The team exported the edits as Targa sequences to finish. To get the job done in the allotted time, the company had 5 editors and 6 machines running 12-20 hours a day.

Project Credits

Client - Anheuser-Busch, Inc
VP, Global Media and Sports Marketing - Tony Ponturo
VP Digital Marketing - Jim Schumacker
Director of Entertainment Marketing - Michael Gianino
Director of Digital Marketing - Tim Murphy

Agency - DDB Chicago
SVP, Global Business Director - Steve Jackson
SVP Head of Production - David Rolfe
V.P. Executive Producer - Todd Brandes
Executive Producer - Matt Piedmont

ACD, Copywriter - Jason Karley
ACD, Art Director - Galen Graham
Director of Production Operations - Lynn Wittekind
Production Business Manager - Ellen O'Donnell
Production Business Manager - Patty Phassos

Production Company: HSI Productions
President: Stavros Merjos
Directors: Matt Piedmont/Don and John
EP: Kerstin Emhoff
HOP: Michael McQuhae
Producer: Bridgitte Pugh
POP Mixers: Zach Fisher amd Tim West
Riot Flame artists: Kiki Chansamone and Randy Lowder

Editorial: Jigsaw
EP: Sybil McCarthy-Hadfield
Editors: Jon Hopp (Future Man and Billy Lama); Justin Trovato (Arrogant Fake British Rich Guy); Dave Trachtenberg (Ice Vision); Kelly Dunnagan (Puppet News); Stuart Waks (Life Coach)

Sound Design: Beacon Street Studios
Producer: Adrea
Composer John Nau and Andrew Feltenstein