Fluid Wins Clio Silver, AICP Award

Fluid, the New York-based original music, sound design and visualeffects studio, scored the :30 Coffee Shop, developed through MerkleyNewman Harty & Partners (New York, NY) for Mercedes-Benz Tri-StateDealers, earning both a silver Clio at the 43rd annual awards ceremonyon May 21st in the category of Original Music and an Association ofIndependent Commercial Producers (AICP) Award for Original Music lastJune 11, 2001 in the process.

There are "two things you can still get for free: Refills on coffee.And scheduled maintenance on your Mercedes." In a coffee shop, a patrontakes advantage of the free flowing brew each time the waitress passesby. Fluid's award-winning track, composed by David Shapiro, AndrewSherman and Steve Walsh, mirrors the neurotic caffeine high that is atthe core of this seriously funny black and white spot. Java isoverflowing in the guy's cup, but his increasing jitteriness does notdetract from the lure of more, even if the waitress has to hold his mugsteady as it shakes in his twitching grasp. As he stands up to leave,he nearly knocks over the cup and saucer and makes a hasty, wired exit,waving to the waitress as he walks down the street, passing aMercedes-Benz along the way.

Fluid's far from standard instrumentation, coupled with a uniquevocal sample provided by Sherman by "making weird, distorted soundsinto a cheap mic," form the basis of the prized score. The result,according to Shapiro, is a "bizarre, hybrid track. What stands out, arethe distorted vocals that evoke the nervous, twitchy mannerisms of themain character. They are woven within the music every time he jitterson camera. When he exits the coffee shop, the score breaks out into afuller track with greater instrumentation. We created odd percussivesamples and used them as a drum kit, adding a synth bass and vocal. Themix of weird samples create the rhythmic track that propel the spot,"explained Shapiro.

Fluid Executive Music Producer/Composer David Shapiro andComposer/Arranger Andrew Sherman and Composer Steve Walsh created themusical underscore utilizing ProTools.

Representing Merkley Newman Harty & Partners were Art DirectorTom Sullivan, Copywriter Scott Zacaroli and Producer Sara Eolin. Thefootage was shot on location in New York City by Morton Jankel Zander(Los Angeles, CA) and Director Jonathan David, and Executive ProducerJeff Scruton.

Fluid is headquartered at 532 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY10012; phone (212) 431-4342; fax (212) 431-6525. For more informationor to see a reel, contact David Shapiro or Marc Schwartz.