Archive for February 6th, 2012

Wedemark, Germany, February 6, 2012: Four years ago, audio specialist Sennheiser teamed up with the House of Blues – creator of a celebrated collection of intimate music venues. Sennheiser supplied a comprehensive set of its evolution series wired and wireless microphones and personal monitors, as well as Sennheiser headphones and Neumann microphones, to each of the House of Blues’ thirteen locations in the United States. The gear allowed House of Blues’ engineers to optimize sound reinforcement and provide robust RF solutions for the diverse performers that nightly take its stages. In addition, each company benefited from the cross-marketing exposure generated by the relationship. With such an obvious win for Sennheiser, the House of Blues, the musicians, and the concertgoers, both parties gladly renewed the marketing alliance.

Live music powerhouse Live Nation owns the House of Blues, which, in the two decades since opening its doors, has risen to become the USA’s preeminent live music venue for intimate shows. Each location is distinctively decorated with the world’s largest collection of folk art and serves top-drawer food and beverages. The fact that the House of Blues provides state-of-the-art sound reinforcement and lighting makes the venue a top choice of both local and national acts. Sennheiser’s Global Relations Manager for the Americas and Canada, Kristy Jo Winkler, worked with House of Blues to facilitate the renewal. “Our relationship with the House of Blues strengthens Sennheiser’s marketing at the MI and corporate levels,” she said. “Every night, musicians and engineers from around the globe experience the musicality and reliability of our microphones and RF equipment. We’re happy to continue such fantastic exposure.”

Matthew Scoggins, FOH Engineer at the House of Blues Los Angeles, commented, “No matter what the application, when clarity is of the utmost importance, I reach for a Sennheiser mic.” The House of Blues is set up with a full complement of gear, suitable for any of the diverse flavors of contemporary music that the House of Blues hosts. The kits include multiple models of evolution mics for backline and vocals, a couple of Neumann vocal mics and Sennheiser headphones. “The House of Blues prides itself on providing an ideal venue for both our artists and our guests,” said Dan Schartoff, VP Club and Theatre Productions for Live Nation. “Everyone loves the sound we’re getting with the Sennheiser gear, and we’re glad it will continue.”

Brian Fiegelman, A1 tech at House of Blues Dallas, agreed: “The Sennheiser e 900 Series mics are always my first choice. Their tailored frequency responses make it easy to mix everything from gospel to metal. In addition, the durability of their metal casings makes them almost indestructi¬ble… an essential asset that has allowed them to stand up to years of abuse on our Dallas stage!”

House of Blues Dallas production manager Thomas DeBeaudry said that Sennheiser’s robust performance often solves problems and makes Sennheiser devotees of touring engineers and bands. “We sit in a heavily saturated wireless environment,” he said. “On more than a few occasions, we have used our Sennheiser EM 2050 wireless package in place of a touring wireless package because of its ability to continuously scan and eliminate RF interference. We often find that the engineers and musicians prefer our rig due to its ease of use and its bulletproof performance. In addition, the smooth frequency response of the Sennheiser MMK 965-1 capsule generates a lot favorable comments.”

Burbank, CA… Mojave Audio, a company founded by David Royer (known for his work with ribbon microphones) is pleased to announce the introduction of the Mojave Audio MA-101SP. Evolving from David’s 20-plus years as a designer of custom microphones, the MA-101SP is a matched pair of Mojave Audio’s highly acclaimed MA-101fet cardioid condenser microphones. The perfect solution to a myriad of stereo recording and live sound reinforcement tasks, the new MA-101SP is an ideal choice for acoustic instruments such as drums, guitar amplifiers, capturing room ambience, and general stereo recording. more

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Credits
Client: Bridgestone
Spot Title: Performance Football, Performance Basketball
Air Date: Super Bowl 2012

Agency: The Richards Group
Producer: JR Dixon
CD/AD: Shane Altman
CD/CW: Mike Bales

Production Company: Tool
Director: Erich Joiner
Executive Producer: Brian Latt, Dustin Callif, Oliver Fuselier

Editorial: Rock, Paper, Scissors
Editor: Damion Clayton

VO: John Rubinow

VFX Co: The Mission

Music: Beacon Street Studios

Sound Design: Lime
About Tool
Bicoastal Tool is an award-winning production company, representing top live-action directors and interactive directors for advertising projects. From funny… visually engaging… and/or interactive, Tool’s diverse roster of unique talent creates unforgettable commercial and digital content across all platforms.

More info: TRUST 646 452 3388 (NY) 310 451 5153 (LA) trustcollective.com

Ah, the sticky note – that pre-digital-age holdover that is as failsafe a reminder as any to take care of the myriad chores consuming our days. Charlex neatly appropriates this old-school idea in a new :30 promoting Verizon’s not-so-low-tech high-speed Internet and phone bundle.

Notes features a colorful series of the old stickies, displaying Sharpie-drawn pictures and key words associated with the Verizon services. A hand occasionally flashes across the screen, switching the notes to match the content of the narrator’s message. The spot closes with a slick merger of the old and new, as the camera zooms out to reveal the “sticky note” mural framed inside a laptop screen.

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Credits
Client: Verizon HSI
Spot Title: Notes
Air Date: December 2011

Agency: McCann Erickson
EVP, Executive Creative Director: Sean Bryan
EVP, Executive Creative Director: Tom Murphy
SVP, Group Creative Director: Chris Quillen
SVP, Group Creative Director: Jeff Taylor
Art Director: Ferdinand Daniele
Senior Copywriter: Tom Weingard
SVP, Director of Production: Michele Ferone
Senior Producer: Jessica Coccaro

Production Company: Charlex
Director, Editor: Ryan Dunn
Stop-Motion Animators: Adam Pierce, Chris Gilligan, Esther Casas
VFX Supervisor: Steve Chiarello
Live-Action Producer: Lori Fechter
Senior Producer: Alex Jarman
Lead Designer: John Bermingham
Lead Compositor: Kyle Derleth
Compositors: Ryan Gotilla, Adam Miller
Director’s Assistant: Drew Weigel
Executive Creative Director: Alex Weil
Executive Producer: Meredith Machial

Music: Antfood

Hand Talent: Jimmy Aquino
About Charlex
Charlex is a full-service creative studio based in New York City. We specialize in visual effects, animation, design and live-action. We’ve thrown fancy mission statements out the window and simply embrace versatility. Our motto is design and build. We can take any seed of an idea and bring it to life.

Making great work is the product of forging great relationships. Our team prides itself on fast, efficient work at the highest level of excellence. Our reputation is founded on a commitment to creating compelling imagery, regardless of the assignment. We are experts at building a seamless experience from concept to completion, from client brief to end result.

More info: TRUST 646 452 3388 (NY) 310 451 5153 (LA) trustcollective.com

2012 NAB Show
Bridge Technologies Co AS
Booth SU 9819
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CRASH+SUES, the hybrid VFX, animation, color correction and creative editing company, has signed executive producer Sven Shelgren. With over 20-years of experience, the industry veteran has executive produced spots for such iconic directors as Jim Johnston, John Pytka, Peter Kagan, and Paul Dektor, and worked for a prestigious list of production companies, including Dektor Film, Jon Francis Films, and Stiefel & Co. Shelgren, whose work has garnered numerous Clios, as well as awards at Cannes and MOMA, is skilled at helming productions with budgets that run the gamut from modest to millions of dollars. He brings this broad range of experience to his new position heading the Minneapolis-based company’s multi-disciplined collective of talent, and working with C+S president/owner, Heidi Habben to provide advertising, film, broadcast and emerging media clients with expanded creative resources.

 

Shelgren’s career has traversed the commercial, film and television arenas. He began working in the industry in 1978 as a repair technician and teamster dispatcher for a grip and lighting company in NYC, and then made the leap to high volume commercial producing for Jim Johnston, John Pytka, Ed Barnett and Andrzej Karpinski. In 1985, he helped launch Stiefel & Company in NYC, and as executive producer for Richard McCarthy, Steve Tobin, Peter Kagan, and Jon
Francis, he expanded Stiefel to LA and produced a long roster of memorable spots, including the multi-million dollar

 

Merrill Lynch “Bull Across America” campaign. In 1988 Sven began a six-year stint working exclusively with director
Jon Francis as executive and line producer. Their prolific partnership generated numerous award-winning spots, including multiple Little Caesar’s campaigns for Cliff Freeman Partners, SF Examiner spots for Goodby Berlin, and many others.

 

Shelgren opened his own production house, RCR Inc. in 1994, which debuted with the highly acclaimed Saturn campaign, “Mt Rushmore” and “Yellowstone” for Hal Riney/SF. That same year Sven was offered an executive and line producer position with Paul Dektor at Dektor Film, which continued for the next 13 years, where he supervised dozens of major national accounts including Michelob, Nike, AT&T, Wachovia, Huggies, and Dove. Throughout this period, Sven also produced RCR Inc. projects, working with public service agencies such as Amnesty International, as well as corporate clients like Epson, Clarion Hospitals, and the Indiana and Illinois Lotteries.

 

“I first met Sven when CRASH + SUES hired Dektor Films to produce an innovative spot for WE Energies and Laughlin Constable/Milwaukee. That was over a decade ago, and we’ve been friends ever since,” notes Habben. “I think it’s Sven’s love of the industry and passion for his craft that consistently propels his work to the next level. He brings the full breadth of his experience to every job and knows how to elevate a collaboration into a creative partnership that pushes a project farther than expected or imagined. I’ve always said he could spin more plates than anyone I know. He’s an extraordinarily talented executive producer, and I’m honored that he’s joined the CRASH+SUES team.”

 

“Sven is also a tenacious creative problem-solver who knows how to amp up the production value of a projects – whether the budget is $5K or $5M,” adds Habben. “Working in a mix of major markets – from Los Angeles and New York to Vancouver and the Mid-West – has given him a national and global perspective of the industry, which is invaluable to CRASH+SUES as we expand and diversify,” continues Habben.

Habben also recognizes the value of Shelgren’s keen eye for talent and has tasked the executive producer with recruiting talent and expanding C+S’ diverse team of animators, designs, VFX artists, creative editors, color correctors, digital strategists, illustrators and mixers.

 

Sven Shelgren’s ability to conceptualize and produce inspired media content continues to draw him into long-form work. His recent feature documentary film, A Single Woman, premiered in a session of the US Congress, as well as being recognized with screenings at both the Smithsonian Institution and at the United Nations. It tells the true story of the first US Congresswoman and lifelong pacifist, Jeannette Rankin, and earned Shelgren an Exceptional Merit in Media Award, the highest honor presented by the National Women’s Political Caucus. His short film, My Husband’s Son, was honored as a festival selection in Edinburgh, London, Los Angeles, South by Southwest, and others, also garnering Best Actress for Kathleen Wilhoite at the Festival du Cinema de Paris.

 

“Once I had the delightful experience of working with CRASH+SUES as executive producer for Dektor Films back in 2001, Heidi and I became fast friends,” says Shelgren. “She’s built a high-end multi-disciplined creative resource for providing a blend of all formats of media content – from spots and broadcast to films and emerging media – in a collaborative environment driven by a team of talent that brings a fresh aesthetic and cutting-edge creative solutions to their work. It’s a business model that has no boundaries, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work together with such a talented team to make clients and collaborators all proud of the work we do together.”

 

About CRASH+SUES:
CRASH+SUES (is a seamlessly integrated creative editorial, animation, FX, motion design, color correction, finishing and multi-media company. Its collaborative team of talent is dedicated to providing advertising agencies, brands and filmmakers with fresh, innovate and cost-effective creative content. For additional information about CRASH+SUES, contact executive producer Sven Shelgren at 612.338.7947 or (sven@crash-sues.com) or visit www.crashandsues.com.

Wayne, N.J. – FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Optical Devices Division, has announced that Earl Miller Productions, Inc.—a mobile production and production services company in Austin, Texas—purchased six FUJINON lenses for its upgrades to EMP Unit Two. The 42-foot truck is regularly booked for live entertainment and sports productions nationwide.

The FUJINON lens package, which includes three XA66x9.3BESM box-style HD telephoto lenses and three ZA22x7.6BERD HD ENG lenses, will be used in conjunction with six new Ikegami HDK-79EC HD-native, multi-format camera systems. While Earl Miller Productions has been a long-time FUJINON customer, the company still did comparison shopping and shootouts to determine the best HD lenses for the truck. The final decision came down to a combination of price and service.

“When you make a significant investment in equipment, you want to go with a company that you know will stand behind its products well into the future,” said Mike Miller, vice president of Earl Miller Productions, Inc. “We expect these new lenses to still be in service five to 10 years down the road. As long-time users of FUJINON lenses, we were already happy with their service and the performance of their lenses.”

“But price was a critical factor as well,” Miller added. “When we compared FUJINON lenses to comparable, competing models, we found that FUJINON offered the best prices.”

Miller said that their camera crews were extremely happy with the efficient set-up and operational features offered by the new cameras and lenses, which arrived in mid-December 2011. “Unit 2” is the first of EMP’s three trucks to begin the HD transition. Targeting the medium-sized truck market, this mobile unit has a Grass Valley Kayak HD switcher, Chyron Duet, and EVS for replay.

“This truck was designed and built with HD production in mind, so the infrastructure is already HD-capable,” Miller said. “With this new camera/lens package, we’re beginning to replace elements to realize that transition. Other HD upgrades are also planned or have happened for our fly packs, post-production facilities, and fixed facilities we run throughout Texas.”

The FUJINON XA66x9.3BESM lens is a studio/field, box-type telephoto zoom lens for live HD event production. This XA Series lens offers a focal length of 9.3 to 615mm or 18.6 to 1230mm with a two-times extender. Designed for 2/3-inch cameras, the maximum relative aperture is 1:1.7 (9.3-325mm) or 1:3.2 (615mm). Full remote control via RS-232 serial data port is possible. For its lenses, Earl Miller Productions chose a semi-servo configuration, combining servo zoom control with manual focus.

The cameras can be mounted on studio tripods or jimmy jibs; as well as shoulder-mounted when used with the FUJINON ZA Select Series ENG/EFP lenses. With its 22x zoom range, the FUJINON ZA22x7.6BERD ENG lens offers a focal length of 7.6 to 167mm, or 15.2 to 334mm with the two-times extender. The maximum relative aperture ranges from 1:18 (7.6-120mm) to 1:2.5 (167mm), with features like inner focus, quick zoom, and zoom limit. The six lenses will be dedicated to Unit 2 truck operations.

“We take great care in choosing new equipment, such as cameras and lenses,” Miller added, “because our clients trust us to provide the best products for their shows.”

About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation consists of five operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film, and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. The Optical Devices Division provides binoculars, and optical lenses for closed circuit television, videography, cinematography, broadcast and industrial markets. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information, please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 16 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2010, and in the year ended March 31, 2011, had global revenues of $25.8 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.

* At an exchange rate of 86 yen to the dollar.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

FUJIFILM Optical Devices Division, 10 High Point Drive, Wayne, New Jersey 07470. Phone: 973-633-5600. Fax: 973-633-5216. Web site: http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/optical_devices/index.html

Emmy Award-winning Artist Scott Rader Joins Team
(SANTA MONICA, CA) SPY, a FotoKem company offering creative finishing services for commercials and feature films, has opened a new studio in Santa Monica, Calif. SPY: LA extends the capabilities of its main facility in San Francisco, and will specialize in VFX based commercial productions. SPY: LA began work in December on a number of visually compelling spots for such clients as UPS, Asics, THQ/UFC, Hillshire Farm and Canon. The new West Coast locale is within FotoKem’s award-winning sound studio Margarita Mix.

Visual effects artist Scott Rader also joins SPY: LA as creative director and lead Flame artist. He previously worked at top VFX studios such as Radium, Hydraulx and Digital Domain. Rader’s work on numerous television series, feature films, commercials and music videos as an Inferno artist/VFX supervisor has earned him nine Emmys, three Clio Awards, three PromaxBDA Awards and a VES Award.

“Anchored by Emmy Award-winning talent and industry leading technology, SPY: LA provides the same level of quality services that is offered in our San Francisco facility,” says Co-Founder Eric Hanson. “The two studios are securely connected by a high speed network offering real-time interface capabilities between San Francisco and Santa Monica, and this west side location greatly enhances our ability to interface effectively with our clients.”

FotoKem Senior VP Rand Gladden notes, “There is synergy and scalability for our clients in the aggregation of solutions provided by SPY and Margarita Mix. The flexibility of SPY’s interconnected locations and FotoKem’s Burbank headquarters offers a wide range of artistic and technical support from set to delivery. Our goal is to continue to support the creative community through investments in talent and technology.”
Hanson adds, “The connection and design of the facilities will empower collaboration; when there are tight turnarounds, creative changes, and advancing deliveries, this will be a great value-add for the creative process.”

About SPY
SPY was founded in San Francisco in 1998 by Darren Orr and Hanson, and acquired by FotoKem in 2009. A highly regarded creative studio, SPY has contributed to many projects for some of the industry’s leading advertising agencies, including Goodby Silverstein & Partners, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Leo Burnett, DDB, and more. Over the past several years, SPY: SF has also provided visual effects for a number of features including Fox’s Avatar and Sony Screen Gem’s Priest, as well as effects and color grading for director Francis Ford Coppola on his visually complex self-released feature, Twixt.

For more information, go to www.spypost.com, or follow SPY on Facebook (www.facebook.com/spypost).

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Media Contacts:
Chris Purse / Lisa Muldowney
ignite strategic communications
818.303.8088
chris@ignite.bz / lisa@ignite.bz

2012 NAB Show
Calrec Audio Product Preview
Booth C1746
more

BALTIMORE, Maryland – To help the world’s leading broadcasters and advertising agencies fully realize their ideas and visions, Baltimore, Maryland-based Producers Video relies on Fairlight’s XCS Constellation with the Xynergi as a center panel for a professional A/V solution. As Maryland’s premier film, video, audio production and post-production house, Producers Video runs campaigns for nationally known brands such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Under Armour and Toyota, among others.

The addition of Fairlight’s XCS Constellation to Producers Video’s facility has been a catalyst for its continued success and expansion. “We never want to turn away clients or work opportunities as the flexibility and options we receive with Fairlight products is our major strength,” says Bob Bragg, Senior Audio Engineer at Producers Video. “Since the installation, we’ve been able to evolve and learn to incorporate more features that help expand our business and capabilities.”

One of the benefits of Fairlight’s XCS Constellation and Xynergi is their flexibility to work with many file formats. Bragg notes, “Fairlight continues to add new levels of innovation by adding HD video to the timeline as well as the capability to import and export different file formats and VST plug-ins. The ability to work on audio and signal processing on every channel, without a separate program saves a great amount of time and helps to keep workflow constant. There is no need to launch another program or extension, and all the native EQ’s and dynamics are all instantly there.”

On a day-to-day basis, Bragg mentioned some of the challenges of production and how Fairlight consoles help to eliminate issues that can slow down workflow and productivity. The user-friendly footprint of the Constellation provides plenty of inputs and outputs, and the ability to instantly adjust feeds to send to other studios via ISDN with picture lock makes it easy to keep workflow constant.

“It’s great to work with other studios and be able to have both sessions running at the same time, helping to judge the performance and make creative decisions instantly even if you’re not on site. Many of the more compact systems don’t have the versatility and ease of use with parameter adjustments and routing that you get with Fairlight and the Constellation.”

The system comes with very good sounding native EQ and dynamics that are superior to most plug-ins Bragg has used. “The native processing really sounds rich and detailed plus you still have the five plug-ins available to drop in per channel if needed, giving multiple options,” stated Bragg.

“Other features we use often are the AAF import and EDL conform capability. We drag and drop multiple cuts onto a single timeline. When a version is finalized, it’s great to be able to access the original polyphonic broadcast wav files recorded during production. This gives us access to every microphone that was on set or location and can help us sort through the feeds to pick the best audio for the circumstance.”

Working under continuing deadlines makes maintaining constant workflow crucial. For one project, Bragg described that the timeline was extremely short and the project needed to be set up on Friday and mixed for completion by Monday. With no room for leeway, strict deadlines and a tight budget, the quality still needs to be at the highest level. “At Producers, we pride ourselves in being able to do everything in house; production, editing, motion graphics, audio, and color correction. With the Fairlight Constellation and Xynergi,” said Bragg. “We can do audio post for every kind of project. It is a very versatile tool and we use its networking strengths facility wide. We can have different engineers working on different aspects of the project and it’s extremely easy to bring it all together for the final version. We really rely on the gear to perform and push the project through workflow-wise.”

The intuitive layout and ease of use of the Fairlight consoles continue to make the learning process for engineers very easy. “The ongoing support we receive is impeccable. We are constantly reassured of our decision to go with Fairlight and continue to enjoy working with them and the systems,” Bragg continued. “It’s clear Fairlight truly cares about our professional needs.”

For more information on Producers Video, please visit: http://www.producers.tv

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About FairlightUS:
FairlightUS is headquartered in New Jersey USA and is the exclusive distributor for Fairlight products in the North American market. Fairlight has been at the forefront of digital audio development since its inception in 1975. Fairlight designs and manufactures media creation tools including digital audio recording, editing and mixing systems for standard and high definition audio post, broadcast and music production applications. www.fairlightus.com

About Fairlight:
Headquartered in Sydney, Australia Fairlight designs and manufactures media production systems powered by the company’s groundbreaking CC-1 FPGA digital processing engine. The Fairlight product range includes EVO, Xynergi and the new PyxisG2, all of which feature in the world’s leading broadcasters, commercial post facilities, music studios and film production studios. Fairlight has a rich tradition of innovation and development and is at the forefront of green computing technology.