Archive of the Hot Spots Category

Chicago— Sonixphere, a globally-connected resource for music and sound, invites friends and colleagues in the advertising, post and post production industry to join them this Sunday, August 28, for their inaugural “Sons of Advertising Motorcycle Run” in support of the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization which offers assistance to the brave men and women who become injured while protecting our country.
The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at Sonixphere’s offices at 445 East Ohio, Chicago. The group will ride to New Lenox, IL and join other riders at the Municipal Center for a hearty hog-riders’ pancake breakfast, then take a scenic and police-escorted ride to Elwood for a music and beer event featuring three local bands. For a donation of $15, participants get to groove together on their “hogs,” enjoy a few flapjacks, then have a brew and hear more

Culver City, CA— Kevin Ward of bi-coastal Original has directed a new, action-driven campaign for CASIO in which extreme athletes test the ultimate toughness of the company’s new G’zOne Commando™ wireless phone. Conceived by The Richards Group, the campaign comprises six spots and features elite athletes from surfing, BMX racing, adventure running and other sports.

In one spot, a boxer pounds a phone strapped to a heavy bag. It survives. In another, three phones are strapped to the hood and undercarriage of a rally car that then proceeds to roar through a rugged, dirt course. The phones continue to work flawlessly. The spots end with the tagline, “Shock resistant…water resistant…life resistant.”
Ward, who began his career as a stuntman and stunt driver, is an expert at staging and recording extreme action. more

Derin Seale has joined the growing roster of directors at Mothership, the hybrid production company of Digital Domain. Originating from a family of filmmakers, the self-confessed escapist has extensive experience in Hollywood and in directing high profile, international ad campaigns.

Seale joins Mothership from Radical Media where he directed campaigns for BMW, Pepsi, Playstation, LG, Nissan, Honda and other top brands. His short film, Static, was featured on Shots’ New Directors Showcase and set the ball rolling for Seale in the commercial realm. An industry veteran who directed second unit on Anthony Minghella’s feature film Cold Mountain, Seale’s Hollywood experience includes both development and production.

“Derin has a fresh, optimistic approach to making commercials; he’s enthusiastic and is definitely at a tipping point in his career,” said Ed Ulbrich, President of Mothership and EVP of Digital Domain. “He’s more

Culver City, CA— Mikael Salomon of bi-coastal Original has directed a new, national advertising campaign for the Army National Guard and Washington D.C. agency LM&O highlighting the Guard’s role in aiding victims of natural disasters. A continuance of LM&O’s groundbreaking “Citizen Soldier” campaign, the three spots feature spectacular reenactments depicting Guardsmen (played by actual members of the Guard) saving lives in the aftermaths of a hurricane, a tornado and a forest fire. more

Artist owned and operated bi-coastal effects boutique Brickyard VFX recently completed a four-spot package for Bright House Networks, via agency Fry Hammond Barr and director Benji Weinstein of GO FILM. The campaign, featuring spots “Robot”, “Custodian,” “Bedtime”, and “Paper Towel,” began airing in select U.S. markets in August.

Brickyard designed and animated a photo-real CG robot that transforms from a small child’s toy into an iron giant in “Robot.” Inspired from blockbuster films such as “Iron Man” and “Transformers”, Brickyard’s CG team was challenged to design this quick metamorphosis within the :30 spot that featured sheet metal outer layers as well as the detailed inner working mechanics.

In “Custodian,” Brickyard animated multiple robotic arms in CG that were seamlessly composited onto a zamboni-like cleaning machine in an office hallway.

Brickyard VFX Lead Artist Patrick Poulatian explains, “We matched more

CRASH+SUES colorist SUE demonstrated her expertise in the company’s new color suite with a rugged outdoors spot for Polaris Industries, the number one maker of ATVs and side-by-sides.

The vignette-style commercial showcases the “Breadth of Product” Polaris offers and highlights several models in the environments they were designed for. The spot opens with the company’s trail-dominating legend, the Sportsman XP 850, cutting through a path in the woods to join other Polaris off-road vehicles in a high-country clearing. Next, the voiceover spotlights the new Ranger 500 EFI, driving into a barn, busy with farm chores, that launches a new group of value-minded Polaris workhorses. It closes with hunters in camouflage driving a Ranger XP 800, the vehicle that heads up a new team of hard-working hunting machines. The tag line, “Polaris: Hardest working, smoothest riding,” brings home the commercial’s message.

“Breadth more

Portland-based collective, Kamp Grizzly, which specializes in production, animation, branding, web design and humor, has joined Wild Plum for representation. Recent directorial credits include TV and web projects for Adidas, Target, Nike, Starbucks, and Oregon Lottery. Kamp Grizzly joins a slate of directing talent that includes Kieran Walsh, Ericson Core, Shane Drake, Mike Goubeaux, and Jan De Bont.

Kamp Grizzly

“When I saw Kamp Grizzly’s work, I instantly knew they had a real gift for creating amazing stories, whether they’re visual and epic or quirky and comedic,” says Shelby Sexton, Wild Plum Executive Producer/Partner. “I love their culture – and how they wholeheartedly throw themselves into everything they do. They’re a great mesh with Wild Plum.”

“Wild Plum is such an honest group, and they’re genuinely interested in our capabilities,” adds Dan Portrait, Kamp more

David Wild’s unique comedic direction shines like conditioned hair in this new campaign for Pert Plus via the Sigma Group. The spots, cautionary tales about men behaving like animals, show that little things, like attention to hair care, add up to a successful outcome.

The spots feature situations where men interact with their less evolved brethren who, with neglectful actions, end up in unbearable spots such as the proverbial doghouse. Meanwhile, the everyman turned hero comes out ahead by paying attention to “the little things” like keeping their hair clean. To view: http://bit.ly/pertdavidwild

Wild’s pitch-perfect casting and nuanced moments of ironic comedy come together seamlessly in the commercials. In each, the director collaborated with the agency, building on concepts with performance and delivery. Taking cues from the actors’ performances, the effects team from Technicolor Montreal, who were on set during more

Hybrid production company Mothership has named Scott Gemmell Head of Production. A veteran producer with a varied background in live action, motion graphics, animation, VFX, online media, and creative branding, Gemmell will oversee day-to-day production of commercial projects flowing through Mothership.

Gemmell was formerly Head of Production at Motion Theory and has spent over 12 years in commercial production on projects for AT&T, Audi, Budweiser, EA Sports, Guinness, Hewlett Packard, Lexus, Nike, Sony and more. His experience at nearly every level of the creative process has equipped him with a deep understanding of technology, software applications, pipelines and workflows, expertise in budgeting and scheduling, and proficiency with industry unions and labor laws.

“Scott is an excellent leader with experience in shaping and developing directors’ careers to help take them to the next level. His skills will greatly benefit our more

LOS ANGELES—Sonzero Films has signed with New York boutique talent management agency House of Cards for East Coast representation. Global beauty director Jim Sonzero, renowned in the world of fashion and beauty, has worked for many New York-based beauty brands including L’Oreal, Garnier, Revlon and Maybelline. He recently directed a series of spots for Neutrogena and New York agency Roberts + Langer DDB starring Hayden Panettiere and Emma Roberts.
Headed by co-founders Anya Zander and Emilia Ferreira, House of Cards represents some of the top talent in the advertising industry including Tool, Nomad and Bully Pictures. “Anya and Emilia are fresh, vibrant and enthusiastic. They are the future of our business,” said Sonzero. “I am over the moon to be represented by them.”

“Jim is one of the top beauty directors in the more