Buenos Aires/L.A.-based production company Nunchaku director Nicolas “Nico” Kasakoff conducts a secret midnight KRAFT Mac & Cheese expedition in the comedic new :30 “Secret Purchase” for KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese out of Crispin Porter + Bogusky.  The campaign features the two additional :15s “Realization” and “Forbidden Love” and combats the square image of stereotypical KRAFT Mac & Cheese devotees with the finesse of latin charm.

Bringing a wealth of experience in working in both the Latin and American markets, native Argentinean Nico Kasakoff was able to deliver a straightforward viewpoint of the nuances of Latin culture in the United States. With his personal background, he was able not only to uncover the humor in the campaign, but also authentically deliver the high level of cultural pride felt by Latinos searching for a delicate balance between infusing themselves in American traditions, while still maintaining their own. He notes, “Latino people strive to be part of the American culture, but at the same time resist from losing their Latino identity. They almost feel as if they want to be equal parts of both cultures, but often times struggle to find a balance.”

About Nunchaku

Nunchaku has infused global creativity and production expertise into a diverse range of advertising projects since 2002.  With a knack for absurd, witty and character-driven storytelling, the Buenos Aires-based production and production services company breathes a unique brand of energy and enthusiasm into every project they take on.  Led by former agency creative and director Nicolas “Nico” Kasakoff and producer/partner Claudio Pastorino, Nunchaku has the swift production prowess and visionary eye to bring refreshing creativity to media across any platform.

Credits:

Client: KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese

Titles: “Secret Purchase” :30; “Realization” :15; “Forbidden Love” :15

Agency: Crispin Porter + Bogusky

VP/Executive Creative Director: Adam Chasnow

Associate Creative Director: Alvaro Ramos

Copywriter: James Beikmohamadi

Senior Art Director: Pedro Saldarriaga

Senior Integrated Producer: Ramon Nuñez

Production Company: Nunchaku

Director: Nico Kasakoff

Executive Producer: Leda Nasio

Producer: Angela Diaz

Director of Photography: Gonzalo Amat

Art Director: Chopy Casariego

Editorial: Wild Child NY

Editor: Diego Panich

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Join us on Wednesday, May 22nd at The Hammer Museum for this month’s installment of the Flux Screening Series,  celebrating innovative film work and the people that create them. The evening will feature an exciting array of new work including the L.A. premiere of David Shane’s hilarious new short film, “Playdate” and new music videos for David Bowie, Passion Pit, Gaslamp Killer, Benjamin Biolay, among others. Special guest filmmakers in attendance include Brian Billow, Ethan Clarke, DANIELS, Hyperballad, Ian and Cooper, Kirsten Lepore, The Lover and David Shane.

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BRW USA, Los Angeles directing duo The Salto Brothers pave roads with a simple joyride in the stylishly visual new :30 “Bad Roads” for Nissan out of TBWA\G1, TBWA\Moscow.  Produced by Standard Films for the European markets, the spot features a perfectly smooth forest road being paved instantly as a man accelerates through in a Nissan Almera.

“Bad Roads” opens on a flock of pigeons and a man driving an Almera taking off.  Onlookers stand awestruck as a perfectly smooth road literally falls from the sky to make his drive through cities and mountains exceptionally smooth.  Guardrails, streetlights, a wildlife-caution sign and even a bridge drop into place as he navigates snow-covered woodlands.  A voiceover concludes, “Forget about bad roads.  The all-new Nissan Almera.”  The super “Innovation That Excites” and the Nissan logo close out the spot.

BRW USA represents The Salto Brothers for U.S. commercial projects.

About BRW USA

BRW USA is a creative content and commercial production company in Los Angeles, California.  The West-Coast based shop boosts a roster of A-List international and domestic directors and offers integrated creative solutions for agencies, brands and the entertainment industry.  Along with award winning sister companies, Independent in London and BRW FILMLAND Milano, BRW USA has a reach that extends to Europe as well as strategic production centers across the globe. Founding Partners/Executive Producers Gianfilippo Pedrotti and Michele Nocchi can be contacted through  www.brwusa.com

Credits:

Client: Nissan

Title: “Bad Roads” :30

Airdate: Currently airing in Europe

Nissan Europe: Gareth Dunsmore, Arnaud Charpentier, Elena Karpenko

Nissan Russia: Alexander Kisulenko, Viktor Kobzev

Agency: TBWA\G1, TBWA\Moscow

Account management TBWA\G1: Ewan Veitch, Nicolas Rocca Serra, Tiny Pham

Account management TBWA\Moscow: Philippe Cassia, Maria Lebetskaya, Ekaterina Pokormyak

Creative directors TBWA\G1: Alasdhair MacGregor-Hastie, Rudi Anggono

Creative director TBWA\Moscow: Andrey Ivanov

Creatives TBWA\Moscow: Alexander Kovalenok & Dmitry Arakelov

Strategic planning: Filippo Dell-Osso, Elizabeth Camacho, Anton Shukaylo

TV producer \Else: Ghislaine Byramjee

Production: Standard Films

Directors: The Salto Brothers

Producer: Jean Duhamel

Line producer: Alexia Levy

Executive production: Unit Sofa

Director of photography: Jacques Ballard

Post-production: Nightshift

Post-producer: Philippe Joubert

Editor: Jérôme Lozano

Special effects: One More Production

Visuel FX Supervisor and SFX: Jonathan Bennabed

3D supervisor: Mitchel Pecqueur

3D artists: Olivier Junquet, Francois-Xavier Gonnet, Romain Joly

SFX: Romain Leclerc

Matte painting: Benjamin Bardou

Flame Artist: Hervé Thouement

Post-production coordinator: Chloé Juillard

Artistic Director: Johnny Alves

Executive producer: Benjamin Darras

Soundtrack: \Else

Sound director: Valery Pellegrini

Sound coordinator: Fanny Mithois

Music: “Run Boy Run” by Woodkid, Green United Music

Copyrights manager: Marie Roche

Print producer: Marcus Philipp Sauer

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Backyard director Xander™ is going to make you feel out of shape in his stylish and kinetic new :60/:30/:15 “What’s Next” for ASICS out of Vitro, San Diego, CA.  The spot, featuring top ASICS-sponsored athletes including Olympians Lolo Jones, Bryan Clay and April Steiner Bennett, visualizes the physical and mental tenacity required of champions.

Says Xander™, “I wanted to capture raw athleticism in the most authentic way possible, matching the energy they feel in training.  That meant keeping our energy up and urging them to train as they do for competition.  The locations we found also helped put them in that state of mind.”

“What’s Next” opens on Lolo Jones engaged in rigorous parachute speed training.  Then we see other athletes dragging weights, slamming hammers down, kicking bags and hurling Kettlebells.  The action is driven by a lively, custom-made tune from Black Iris, with lyrics by VITRO’s KT Thayer.  Once they’ve completed one training type, they call out with self-assurance, “Next!”  They’re not through they are always trying to Better their Best.  The backdrop ranges from Los Angeles parking lots and gyms to Colorado and British Columbia forests and hillsides.  As the ASICS logo closes out the spot, it’s clear that these competitors never, ever quit pushing themselves.

Adds Xander™, “The music works well with the rawness of the visuals.  It’s up-tempo, but in an unexpected way.  It helps make you feel like you’re getting to know these people and their process up close.”

Xander™ filmed the spot with an artful combination of Super 16 mm, RED, Canon 5D and GoPro cameras.

Who is BACKYARD?

We are Backyard: a trusted production company, defined by genuine talent and driven by a commitment to deliver inspired creativity beyond expectations.

Backyard is led by President/Partner Blair Stribley, Managing Director/Partner Chris Zander, Executive Producer Kris Mathur and Partner Tom Duff and his Partners at Optimus.  Backyard takes pride in its down to earth team, and a collaborative approach that encourages loyalty and long-term relationships with clients.

For more information, please visit: www.backyard.com

Credits:

Client: ASICS America

Titles: “What’s Next” :60/:30/:15

Airdate: 5/10/2013

Where shot: Vancouver, B.C.; Colorado Springs, Colorado; L.A.

Agency: Vitro, San Diego, CA

Creative Chairman: John Vitro

Creative Director: KT Thayer

Assoc. Creative Director: Simone Nobili

Assoc. Creative Director: Tim O’Malley

Art Director: Will Roth

Copy Writer: Schuyler Vanden Bergh

Producer: Mickey Strider

Production Company: Backyard Productions

Director: Xander™

DP: Phil Lanyon

Producer: Kevin Sharpton

Executive Producers: Blair Stribley, Kris Mathur

Editorial Company: Optimus, Santa Monica

Editors: Nathan Cali, Will Znidaric

Editorial Producer: Therese Hunsberger

Talent: Lolo Jones, April Steiner Bennett, Bryan Clay, Russ Winger, Kara Patterson, Alysia Montaño, Kaitlin Sather Nielsen, Rosario Rios-Aguilar, Selanee Henderson, Steve Johnson, Andy Potts, Michael Johnston, Omar Jiwa, Ray Boulay, Caroline Bourgoin, Dickson Lee, Harold Duncan-Williams, Ray Krumme, Stewart Inguidez, Avery Taylor, Diana Todd, Fatina Leite Kusche, Darci Lee,

Anastasia Pierce, Liza Whitehead, Marcus Auntello, Matt Chamber, Jeff Craigen, Jarid Vaughan, Jay Singh, Nolan Spalek, Keegan Lensink, Oliver Lanyon, Stewart Iguidez, Avery Taylor, Lily Low, Darsen, Vadivelu, Michael Maguire

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Park Pictures director Terri Timely captures a fresh vignette of organic farming and fresh cuisine to a homegrown rendition of Halle Petro’s “The Green Grows All Around” in a :34 spot titled “Food from a Happy Place” for Whole Foods.

Credits:

Production Company: Park Pictures

EPs: Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Mary Ann Marino

Director(s): Terri Timely

Agency: Olson 88

CCO: Dennis Ryan

ECD: Mike Fetrow

Creative Director: Nina Orezzoli

Copywriter: Monique Thomas

Group Creative Head: Jeff Berg

Senior Designer: Lindsey Wright

Designer: Jesse Mitchell

Head of Broadcasr: Joel Dodson

Producer: Henni Iwarsson

Line Producer:David Lambert

Editorial: Butcher Edit

Music: Nylon Studios

Color: Company 3

Online: Drive Thru

Final Mix: Pixel Farm

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Culver City/Vancouver-based visual effects house Zoic Studios delivers a dose of spine-tingling transformations from human to beast in the new Netflix original murder mystery series “Hemlock Grove” produced by Gaumont International TV. The series, from executive producers Eli Roth, Brian McGreevy, Lee Shipman, Mark Verheiden, Deran Sarafian, Eric Newman, and Michael Connolly, centers on the mysterious and brutal murder of a young woman in a Pennsylvania steel town. Zoic tapped into their experience in creating jaw-dropping gore and photorealistic wolves on shows like “True Blood” and “Once Upon a Time” in their work on “Hemlock Grove.” The 13 hour-long episodes are currently available exclusively on Netflix.

Over the course of the series, the Zoic team used CG to develop the gut-churning transformation sequences, coming up with scenes that are simultaneously fascinating and horrifying. Artists constructed shots of claws sprouting through the skin of a character’s hands, created menacing wolves entirely digitally (as well as adding CG enhancements to practical wolves), and developed a truly stomach-turning mid-transformation shot of a wolf’s muzzle bursting through the flesh of a human face.

Led by Executive Creative Officer Chris Jones and using their robust in-house pipeline, Zoic was able to deliver photoreal, high-quality shots on an accelerated schedule. Notes Jones, “Though we’ve worked on a number of similar sequences in the past, we wanted to be unique with our approach and create a signature look. It was great to work with such a collaborative team and re-imagine the werewolf transformation. It’s incredibly satisfying when you can be a part of creating something that is inventive and different from what audiences may be expecting.”

Credits:

VFX Creative Director: Chris Jones

VFX Supervisor: Jon Massey

VFX Producer: Sean Tompkins

CG Supervisor: Michael Kirylo

CG Supervisor: Sallyanne Massimini

Comp Supervisor: Colin Feist

About Zoic Studios

Zoic Studios is a visual effects company based in Culver City, California and Vancouver, B.C., which creates computer-generated special effects for film, television, commercials and video games.

“Visual Evolution” is their mission: to evolve the story, art, and technology of the moving image, and through this evolution, broaden the audience for everything they work on.

Zoic’s accomplished artists and producers understand story, process, technique and relationships.  Their team has a proven track record of success in a range of media including episodic, film, commercials and gaming.  Masters in the fields of 3D, Compositing, and Production Management, their elite reputation attracts additional talent and encourages a strong work ethic. Zoic’s relationships with its clients are deep and long lasting. The company is known for results-driven excellence in all endeavors.

 About Gaumont International Television

Gaumont International Television is the newly launched production and distribution studio based in Los Angeles and part of Gaumont, the legendary European-based motion picture studio. Gaumont, formed in 1895, is one of the main European production companies with a film library holding over 900 titles. As an independent studio, Gaumont International Television is producing high-quality drama and comedy television programming for the U.S. and international markets with a number of projects currently in the works, including “Hannibal” for NBC, “Hemlock Grove” for Netflix and “Barbarella” for Canal Plus.

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Culver City/Vancouver-based visual effects house Zoic Studios continue to bolster their burgeoning game division with the addition of Dutch game industry veteran Paulus Bannink as Creative & Technical Director.  He comes to Zoic from Sony Computer Entertainment and Guerrilla Games where he worked on the Killzone game series since its inception in 2004. His diverse experience in game development encompasses both technical development and artist roles, working to develop pipelines and also remaining nimble to adapt his creative work to already existing pipelines. Through the years, Bannink has shared his technical prowess at top industry events including Siggraph, CEDEC and GDC.

Bannink immersed himself in computer graphics at a very early age, freelancing at various studios in the Netherlands immediately upon high school graduation, then joining Harlequins Interactive in Amsterdam in 1998. After spending a few years honing his technical skills to complement a wide range of project requirements, he moved on to Guerrilla Games in 2004 to work on “Shellshock Nam 67” and “Killzone 1” as a VFX Artist. As he continued working on both the in-game and cinematic content for the “Killzone” series, he amassed a myriad of roles including art and pipeline development, Senior Technical Artist and Lead Technical Artist.

Says Bannink, “After a decade of developing successful game titles for Sony Computer Entertainment, I’m very excited to bring my experience to Zoic’s game division. I have always had incredible respect for the talent at Zoic Studios and having the opportunity to work with them to deliver new and cutting-edge game content is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Says Zoic’s Executive Creative Director/Co-Founder Chris Jones, “Zoic is incredibly lucky to have landed such a remarkable talent as Paulus. He brings both an incredible acumen and diverse accomplishments that we plan to leverage as we continue to expand our presence in the games market.” Adds Zoic Executive Producer of Games Cindy Airey, “We are very excited to welcome Paulus to our growing games team here at Zoic. Paulus’ technical and creative leadership will be an integral part of our strategy here at Zoic to service our clients at the highest level both in engine and working with game assets for prerendered trailers, cinematics and other fringe content surrounding video game IP.”

About Zoic Studios

Zoic Studios is a visual effects company based in Culver City, California and Vancouver, B.C., which creates computer-generated visual effects for film, television, commercials and video games.

“Visual Evolution” is their mission: to evolve the story, art, and technology of the moving image. Zoic’s accomplished artists and producers understand story, process, technique and relationships.  Their team has a proven track record of success in a range of media including episodic, film, commercials and gaming.  Masters in the fields of 3D, Compositing, and Production Management, their elite reputation attracts additional talent and encourages a strong work ethic. Zoic’s relationships with its clients are deep and long lasting. The company is known for results-driven excellence in all endeavors.

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Cutting Room, NY editor Brian Sanford teams up with Light of Day Productions director Charles Nordeen to engage a fresh batch of celebrities urging kids to get active with dancing in the 2:27 music video “Move Your Body 2013″ for Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign.  The web video features singer Carly Rae Jepsen, UK hit boy band The Wanted, “American Idol” winner Jessica Sanchez, Eve, Bella Thorne, Blake Michael, Coco Jones, Jacob Latimore, Mindless Behavior, Perez Hilton and Madison Beer delivering an expert “flash workout” guide to Beyonce’s “Move Your Body.” The video features the celebrities demonstrating the workout with the crafty aid of colorfully animated notebook-style instructions.

The PSA video was produced by WAT-AAH! Foundation, an organization founded by “functional” bottled water company WAT-AAH!. The video was created to kickoff the nationwide “Move Your Body” dance event scheduled for Wednesday, May 1^st, 2013. 600 schools across the nation will take part in simultaneously doing the choreography of the “flash workout” with appearances by some of the video’s celebrities at select events in New York City and Los Angeles. You can find out more about the nationwide initiative on their Facebook page and can share your experiences via Twitter hashtag #MYB13.

About Cutting Room 

Cutting Room, New York, is an artist-owned and operated editorial and post-production powerhouse, led by Managing Partner Susan Willis, EP Melissa Lubin, and Partners/Editors Chuck Willis and Mike Douglas. Extreme attention to every detail of the post process is the working credo at this full-service shop, along with an uncompromised effort to deliver highly personalized, unique client experiences. Cutting Room’s talent, location, infrastructure, and approach have generated a multitude of awards for their work; the shop has lent its expertise to nearly every major brand.

Cutting Room proudly apprentices a large team of skilled assistants, who support the company with unwavering dedication.  Helping to maintain a family-like creative environment, their editors’ passion and mastery of the craft are happily passed on to these young men and women.

Cutting Room handles projects across all formats including broadcast, features, documentaries, virals and webisodes as well as VFX, sound design, and online services.  Both ideas and careers come here to grow.

Credits:

Client: WAT-AAH!

Founder/CEO: Rose Cameron

Producer: Christine Widga

Title: “Move Your Body 2013,” 2:27

Production Company: Light of Day Productions, NY

Director: Charles Nordeen

Executive Producer: Garrett Fennelly

Producer: Allison Carter

Producer: Brad Payne

Editorial: Cutting Room, NY

Editor: Brian Sanford

Managing Partner: Susan Wilis

Executive Producer: Melissa Lubin

Sound Mixing: Walter Bianco

Visual Effects: Light of Day

Managing Director: Amy Taylor

Creative Director: Colin Stackpole

Motion Graphics: Light of Day

Finishing: Meggen Burdick

Color Grade: Ted Chin

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Panelists: Video Innovation – Content for the New Hollywood – Cross Platform

Panelists highlighted that with a billion phones on the planet each taking an average of 8 video clips a month, users are created 97,000 years of video on their smart phones each year… and YouTube content is less than 1% of that content. In terms of monetization, advertisers are now forced to focus on the most effective platforms for engagement. Since users always have access to their smart phones, so they serve as a more effective platform for engagement. Tyler Malin, Co-Founder and CMO at GRAVIDI, noted that tablets show longer engagement and longer viewing time, making it more appropriate for a longer-form content experience. In 2011, Deloitte found that 10% of Americans had dropped their TV subscriptions because they were able to get the content online. With this increasingly competitive market, advertisers and content creators are struggling with the most effective way to monetize. Though they currently use pop-ups, pre rolls, banner ads and subscriptions, the ever-changing landscape is certainly challenging the need for creative ideas about how to make money while not ostracizing the users who are constantly media-infused and bombarded with branded messaging. Reid Genauer, CMO at Magisto, suggests that he feels that the most effective trend is towards creating light branding on the back of personal video such as a branded filter to a photo app that embeds the brand into content that users are already sharing with their social graph.

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Judd Apatow, Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks kick off #ComedyFest, Twitter’s week-long comedy festival in association with Comedy Central

Comedy legends Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, along with MC Judd Apatow, headlined a rollicking live stream yesterday at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills produced by LA-based Boxer Films. The event kicked off #ComedyFest, Comedy Central’s week long comedy event currently taking place on Twitter, and the occasion for Mel Brooks’ first tweet @MelBrooks.

Boxer Films/Random Content Executive Producer Lawrence O’Flahavan crafted the idea for the event, selling the concept of a live kickoff featuring Brooks and Reiner to Twitter’s Creative Director of Media Partnerships Fred Graver as a means to promote Reiner’s  “I Remember Me” iBook produced by Boxer Films’ Random Content division. Comedy Central President of Original Programming Kent Alterman soon came on board, and Judd Apatow signed on as a presenter.

Boxer played a multi-faceted role in the event, producing the comedy legends’ live stream, editing the promo for the show and providing a twitter feed component which enabled the three comedians to field a Q & A using tweeted questions from notables including Ron Howard as well as audience members and Twitter users. Boxer Films/Random Content produced the I Remember Me iBook promo showcasing the features of the unique rich media release.

During the live stream, Reiner often served as straight man to Brooks’ comedic jabs. For instance, when Reiner called the humor in Blazing Saddles “vulgarity in good taste,” Brooks countered “like being a sensitive rapist.” Brooks took the occasion to commemorate late beloved collaborators Richard Prior (“the funniest comic that ever lived”), Madeline Kahn (“I didn’t have to direct her in Blazing Saddles – she directed herself”) and Anne Bancroft (“I got lucky. Very lucky.”) The two legends discussed what makes something funny, and whether that had changed over their decades-long careers, in response to a tweet. “Making fun of the things around us,” was Reiner’s ageless formula for laughs, whereas Brooks chided him, “Carl was always political. And always bald.”

#ComedyFest’s star-studded lineup whereby Brooks and Reiner will tweet alongside popular young comics like Amy Schumer and the director Paul Feig, many providing brief videos via Twitter’s new video sharing service Vine which, like Twitter, has a length limit (six seconds.) Noted Twitter’s Graver during his introduction of the comedy greats, “With comedians, there’s a new golden age on Twitter.”

“Entering the business of producing iBooks, live events and promos, through Boxer’s new Random Content division, is exciting,” says Film Director/Executive Producer Lawrence O’Flahavan. “We’ll announce many more such projects in the near future.”

About Random Content

Random Content is the digital content arm of Boxer, a Los Angeles production company comprised of filmmakers, editors, and development minds. LA-based Boxer Films is an ideas machine where collaboration has produced award-winning results since 1999. Through its Random Content division, Boxer breaks new ground in iBook production, branded content, interactive and broadcast.  Founder/EP John Clark and Executive Producer/Director Lawrence O’Flahavan have assembled a team whose experience in strategy, marketing, design and technology creates engaging new ways to tell stories in every possible medium. From digital initiatives to groundbreaking apps, we work with our partners to conceive, produce and distribute memorable entertainment.

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