Client News

Pick up a copy of the November issue of Practical Web Design and turn to page 90 to see an article featuring PGM's interactive web company--Inovat

Posted by PGM at 06:24 PM | Permalink

PGM Artists clients Bridge Street Films and Dreams Factory have launched new websites.

Bridge Street Films' Executive Producer John Ficalora hosts a roster of three directors-Christopher Yurkow, Liz Hinlein, and Sash Andranikian. Their new website boasts colorful images of their work as well as an organized layout and individual pages for each live action director.

Dream Factory, based out of Richmond, consists of Director Sunny Zhao and Producer Tim Dowdle. Their website renovations include a brighter homepage and news updates about recent work, including work done for Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection "Millions" campaign and a short film called Light and Darkness.

Posted by PGM at 12:50 PM | Permalink

The Virtual Humans Forum, is curated for the third year by Christophe Héry, (Lead Research & Development Engineer, Industrial Light & Magic), with the help of Peter Plantec. The forum offers presentations and lectures revealing the state of research and current projects involving realistic digital performances.

Jeff Kleiser will be presenting "Synthespian Stories: A behind-the-scenes history of computer generated characters from TRON to the present" on:
Wednesday May 07
16:00 - 17:00
König-Karl-Halle

Computer-generated characters have provided computer graphics programmers with some of the most challenging problems they have faced, including the portrayal of convincing hair, skin and facial animation. This lecture traces the development of capabilities related creating these "Synthespians" over the years, beginning with TRON and ending with current state of the art techniques. Behind-the-scenes process footage will be screened in addition to final versions of various projects.

Jeff Kleiser’s has contributed to films with groundbreaking visual effects including “Tron,” “Stargate,” “Judge Dredd,” “Clear and Present Danger,”and many others. More recently, Kleiser has supervised visual effects for “Son of the Mask,” “Fantastic Four” and “Scary Movie 4.” In addition to supervising VFX projects, Kleiser has directed numerous commercials.With partner Diana Walczak, Kleiser has directed CG-animated stereoscopic films for projects such as the “Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man” thrill ride (for Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida) and “Corkscrew Hill” an original ride attraction.Jeff Kleiser has presented papers at many international events and has served as an industry expert in interviews with The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and The ABC Evening News. Kleiser serves on the board of directors of the Visual Effects Society and the board of trustees of The Norman Rockwell Museum.

Synthespian Studios is a design firm/production company that specializes in computer generated characters for feature films, theme-park attractions, commercials and web applications. With studios in Hollywood and Western Massachusetts, the company has won acclaim for its ground-breaking work in Universal's The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, the X-Men films, Fantastic Four, and the avant garde opera, Monsters of Grace, designed by Robert Wilson and composed by Philip Glass.

Posted by PGM at 01:17 PM | Permalink

"Celebrating 75 Years of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular"
New Stereoscopic Film Debuts at Radio City

Williamstown, MA - November 14th, 2007 - This year Synthespian Studios produced a new version of the 70mm stereoscopic 3-D film that has opened “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular” since 2001.

For this year's show, Synthespian Studios directors Jeff Kleiser and Diana Walczak worked closely with the show's director/choreographer Linda Haberman to plan an extension of the film. While previous editions of the film started with Santa arriving in New York (just over the Statue of Liberty to be exact), this year Haberman wanted Santa's journey to start at the North Pole.

Approximately 47 seconds of new material was created for this year's film. The film opens on a screen filled with clouds and then suddenly Santa and his reindeer burst out of the clouds and take us on a thrilling journey through a canyon of ice, past a Polar Bear with two cubs who throw snowballs at us (creating a startling a 3D effect); over the Canadian tundra and woods where we pass a gaggle of geese (in another 3D effect); and up and over Niagara Falls before we swoop down the Hudson river and under the George Washington Bridge to seamlessly hook-up with the old film at the Statue of Liberty.

The imagery for this year’s film was produced by a small team of exceptional artists working from studios in Hollywood, Western Massachusetts. Blocking; layout; character animation; research and design for the clouds; and compositing were handled by four artists in Hollywood. Artists in Massachusetts took on the task of changing the color of Santa's sleigh in the older material from blue green to red. They also created a 3D gold 75 logo that was placed on the Radio City marquee that appears at the end of the film.

“We were thrilled to be able to update our film, which has now been running for six years at Radio City, and we hope the new footage will be as well received as the rest of the film has been in the past,” says the film’s co-director Jeff Kleiser.

A 2-D version of this film will be included in "Celebrating 75 Years of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular," a one-hour high definition broadcast of the Christmas show to be shown on NBC on Dec. 1st. Don Hewitt is the special’s executive producer which will be hosted by Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira.

The telecast, according to a press release, will "bring the show's unique holiday celebration into homes across America, featuring new scenes, state-of-the-art special effects, glamorous costumes, and eye-popping numbers performed by the world-famous Radio City Rockettes, as well as traditional classics including the famed 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers.'"

Credits for the Stereoscopic 3-D Film Produced for
The 75th Celebration of “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular"

Directors
Jeff Kleiser and Diana Walczak

Producer
Amanda Roth

Executive Producer
Michael van Himbergen

Lead Artists
Caleb Owens
Kenny Jackson
Edward Quirk

CG Artists
Travis Pinsonnault
Eric Wilson
Benjamin Fiske
Ron Hui
Stephen Sen

Systems Administrators
Joel Feder
Steve Hagenkord

Large Format Film Editors
Kent Hayward
David Bartholomew

Negative Cutter
James Sheridan

Production Coordinator
Marie Trudeau

Production Accountant
Laurie St. Cyr

Film Recording and Large Format Lab Services
FotoKem

Special Thanks to
21st Century 3D

About Synthespian Studios
Synthespian Studios is a boutique story development, design and character animation studio launched by creative directors Diana Walczak and Jeff Kleiser who, as partners, helmed the bicoastal animation and effects house Kleiser-Walczak Construction Company.

Founded to create original projects for animated characters, in 2005 Synthespian Studios was commissioned to develop, design and produce two pilot commercials for the Sun-Maid Raisin Growers of California and their iconic Sun-Maid girl. The success of these spots lead to the development of more commercials and print ads for Sun-Maid as well as projects for entertainment clients.

In addition to their spot and print work, Synthespian Studios designed and produced an all-CG animated dance sequence spoofing "War of the Worlds" for "Scary Movie 4." Kleiser and Walczak's visual effects work may be seen in shots created for "X3" and "Fantastic Four."

Jeff Kleiser teaches computer animation at Williams College and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of the Visual Effects Society and on the board of the Williamstown Film Festival. Jeff Kleiser and Diana Walczak both serve on the board of trustees of the Norman Rockwell Museum.

###

Images available on request.

CONTACT:
Marie Trudeau
413 458 0202
marie@synthespians.net

Posted by PGM at 04:47 PM | Permalink

Working Pictures has just launched a new website devoted to the photographic work of director/cameraman Bobby Sheehan.

www.bobbysheehanphoto.com is a comprehensive site of Sheehan’s fine art photography much of which has been shown in galleries in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The site demos Sheehan’s eclectic sensibilities with bodies of work that covers; portraiture, verite, abstract, landscape and still life. In addition, there is fashion and rock and roll photography from Sheehan’s early years in New York’s punk rock scene.
The on-line gallery is a way of sharing Sheehan’s images with a wider audience than available in a traditional gallery setting. Many of the pieces are part of private photographic collections, and corporate collections such as The Dreyfus Foundation.

Posted by PGM at 08:57 PM | Permalink

BOSTON, MA - March 01, 2007 - The Grid Institute has appointed visual effects pioneer Jeff Kleiser a fellowship to participate in the design and development of Media Grid rendering and digital cinema standards

Kleiser, whose career spans nearly three decades, is widely recognized as a leader in animation and visual effects. He has produced and directed visual effects for numerous award-winning television commercials, and has created unique location-based entertainment projects such as the 3D stereoscopic films Corkscrew Hill (for Bush Gardens), Santa Lights up New York (for Radio City Music Hall), and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (for Universal Studios). Kleiser's film credits range from Walt Disney's Tron, the ground-breaking CGI movie released to critical acclaim in 1982, to recent Hollywood releases such as X-Men (including X-Men 2 and X-Men: The Last Stand), Fantastic Four, Scary Movie (3 and 4), Slither, Son of the Mask, Exorcist: The Beginning, and many more. In 1987 Kleiser and partner Diana Walczak founded the visual effects studio Kleiser-Walczak and together coined the term "synthespian" to describe digital actors (synthetic thespians). In 2005 Kleiser and Walczak founded Synthespian Studios (synthespians.net) to create original projects for animated characters. In 2006 Kleiser was a keynote speaker at Boston's first annual digital media summit (mediagrid.org/summit/). He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and serves on the board of directors of the Visual Effects Society, Williamstown Film Festival, and Norman Rockwell Museum.

As a Fellow of the Grid Institute, Mr. Kleiser will participate in the design and development of Media Grid standards for rendering and content delivery. Media Grid reference implementations will be developed and tested in cooperation with Synthespian Studios using the firm's recent Sun-Maid and Santa Lights Up New York projects:

Sun-Maid "Grapes and Sunshine" Campaign - The Sun-Maid Girl, famous for her red bonnet and for holding a tray of freshly picked grapes, received a digital make-over for her 90th anniversary. Working closely with Sun-Maid, directors Kleiser and Walczak carefully guided the character's make-over as Synthespian Studios designed, developed, and produced an ad campaign comprised of two pilot commercials, several print ads and visual imagery that today appear in a variety of marketing and public relations applications including Sun-Maid's website (www.sunmaid.com).

Santa Lights Up New York - For America's most beloved holiday theatrical, "The Radio City Christmas Spectacular," starring the world-famous Radio City Rockettes, Kleiser and Walczak directed a 3D stereoscopic film that takes audiences on a thrilling sleigh ride with Santa through New York City. The film plays at Radio City Music Hall for more than 200 performances each Christmas season. Liz Smith, writing in the New York Post said, "It is simply magnificent! When they hand you the program, stapled to it is a pair of 3D glasses which you don for Santa's sleigh ride through the canyons and over the buildings of NYC. This is the best short movie of the year!" After screening this film and Corkscrew Hill, Lenny Lipton, author of "Foundations of the Stereoscopic Cinema" and one of the world's leading experts on 3D imagery, said these films "show a complete mastery of the medium. I have never seen anything better."

X-Men: The Last Stand image Copyright 2003-2006 20th Century Fox and its related entities. All rights reserved.
Sun-Maid Girl image Copyright 2006 Sun-Maid Growers of California. All rights reserved.
Santa Lights Up New York image Copyright 2001-2006 MSG Entertainment, a division of Madison Square Garden LP. All rights reserved.

About Synthespian Studios
Synthespian Studios is a story development, design and character animation studio launched by creative directors Diana Walczak and Jeff Kleiser who, as partners, helmed the bicoastal animation and effects house Kleiser-Walczak Construction Company. Founded to create original projects for animated characters, in 2005 Synthespian Studios was commissioned to develop, design and produce two pilot commercials for the Sun-Maid Raisin Growers of California and their iconic Sun-Maid girl. The success of these spots lead to the development of more commercials and print ads for Sun-Maid as well as projects for entertainment clients. In addition to their spot and print work, Synthespian Studios recently designed and produced an all-CG animated dance sequence spoofing War of the Worlds for Scary Movie 4. Kleiser and Walczak's latest visual effects work may be seen in shots created for X3 (X-Men: The Last Stand) and Fantastic Four.

About the Media Grid
The Media Grid is a public utility for digital media. Based on new and emerging distributed computational grid technologies, the Media Grid builds upon existing Internet and Web standards to create a unique network optimized for digital media delivery, storage, and processing. As an on-demand public computing utility, a range of software programs and Web sites can use the Media Grid for delivery and storage of rich media content, media processing, and computing power. The Media Grid is an open and extensible platform that enables a wide range of applications not possible with the traditional Internet alone, including: Massive Media on Demand (MMoD); Interactive digital cinema on demand; Immersive education and distance learning; Truly immersive multiplayer games and Virtual Reality (VR); Hollywood movie and film rendering, special effects, and composition; Real-time rendering of high resolution graphics; Real-time visualization of complex weather patterns; Real-time protein modeling and drug design; Telepresence, telemedicine, and telesurgery; Vehicle and aircraft design and simulation; Visualization of scientific and medical data.
The Grid Institute leads the design and development of the global Media Grid through the MediaGrid.org open standards organization in collaboration with industry, academia, and governments from around the world.
To learn more about the Media Grid and Synthespian Studios visit http://MediaGrid.org and http://Synthespians.net

Posted by PGM at 11:12 AM | Permalink

As we rumble into 2007 the media marketplace finds itself on the verge of drastic change. In 2006 we saw more and more crossover from TV to Internet based platforms such as iTunes, broadband networks, and video sharing communities like YouTube.

This dichotomy in the world of online video that leaves us with three types of platforms: Off-Air broadband networks (FearNet, Blip.tv), On-Air broadband networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, iTunes), Video communities (YouTube, LiveVideo).

Show Who The Money?

At this very moment the online video marketplace is though to be $300-$400 million business. Industry executives predict that this could grow to $2 billion by 2010, but this will not happen until a more-structured business model is developed. For now, 15 second interstitial spots are wearing a price tag that is far less than that of spots showing on-air. Meanwhile, the on-air content is being re-purposed to network homepages.

While the market could realistically grow to $2 billion, it is likely that those advertising dollars will be migrating from the on-air space. As AC Nielsen ratings become more accurate and show that fewer and fewer people are watching shows like “The Office” on-air, advertising strategy will begin to consistently reach across all platforms.

The Man With All The (Non)Answers Is…

John Lansing, president of Scripps Networks, says that “Nobody knows for sure what the best model is right now until they get out there and experiment with something.” In other words, nobody has the magic potion that is going to grow this market five fold over the next three years. It’s time to start throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what sticks. Who will sink, who will swim?

It is likely to be the content provider that is able to develop programming that deploys an effective brand message while remaining exclusive and authentic.

While ABC, NBC, and CBS all have full episode viewing capabilities for some or all of their shows, it is the exclusive web content from their hit shows like “The Office,” “LOST,” and “CSI” that gives the consumer a multi-platform experience.

These broadcast networks will be the model for success moving forward in the immediate future, but the door is also open for premium and niche cable networks to make a real splash in the marketplace by providing exclusive, value-added content via their websites.

Convergence In Screen Media

While the online space remains a bit of a puzzle that doesn’t have all the pieces in place, Apple Inc.’s launch of the iPhone at the Macworld Conference is the beginning of solidifying the direction of mobile content. Set to launch in June of 2007, the iPhone looks to finally turn the mobile video content market into something that is not only a sustainable, but growing; finally allowing users to carry online and on-air video in their pants pocket.

Posted by PGM at 04:10 PM | Permalink

Sports Network OLN Changes Name to “Versus”

On September 25, 2006, OLN re-launched with a new name: Versus. The
Comcast-owned sports network unveiled a comprehensive on-air re-branding
Package this Fall with the help of New York City based Brand Strategy & Design Firm, The Brand Gallery.

Iain Greenway, The Brand Gallery’s Chief Creative Officer, oversaw design of
the re-brand, which includes all on-air presentation, promotion, and in-program graphics as well as the off-air property of OLN’s new website: www.VERSUS.com.

The network’s program roster has been greatly expanded and now includes signature events such as NHL Hockey, the America’s Cup, the Dakar Rally, the Professional Bull Riders, the Arena Football League, AMA Motocross, the Davis Cup, USSA Skiing, the Boston Marathon, and the Tour de France.

The Brand Gallery specializes in the development of brand identity, design & promotion for screen media. For more information on The Brand Gallery and its rebrand of OLN, please contact Chief Executive Officer, Phil McIntyre at 212.524.4860 or philm@thebrandgallery.com.

Versus is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events like The Tour de France, the America's Cup, the Dakar Rally, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), the Arena Football League (AFL), the Boston Marathon, AMA Motocross, Davis Cup and USSA Skiing. Now in more than 69 million homes, the network features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can't find elsewhere. The network offers unique, competition-themed original programming and is the exclusive home of Survivor in syndication. OLN, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. The network changed its name to Versus on September 25, 2006.

Posted by PGM at 01:43 PM | Permalink

Recently classic brand mascots, such as Mr. Peanut and the Sun-Maid Raisin Girl, have been undergoing a modernized makeover. Even Fabio has been replaced by a younger soap star for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.

In March the 100-year old frozen portrait of the Sun-Maid Raisin Girl was animated for a TV commercial. In June, Greg Vaughan a 33-year old soap opera actor replaced Fabio. Even Mr. Peanut’s outfit might get an addition for the centennial celebration of Planter’s Peanuts. The reinvention of old ad characters like these allow brands to receive publicity while capitalizing on nostalgia. Companies are using their advertising icons more than ever because the characters grab the attention of busy consumers.

The raisin girl –created in 1916- is helping Sun-Maid attract customers and promote its expanded line of dried fruit, including dried apricots and prunes. The animated spot, created by Synthespian Studios in North Adams, Mass., and based on research by McCann-Erickson, Los Angeles, a unit of the Companies Interpublic Group, has already been translated into Japanese and French for international markets.

The updates of the iconic mascots aspire to help increase sales volume and public interest for all these brands.

Summarized from the New York Times article by:
PATRICIA WINTERS LAURO
Published: July 11, 2006
Mr. Peanut, You're Perfect. Now Change

Posted by PGM at 04:50 PM | Permalink

*Camera Creates New Opportunities for Kagan on the Shoot and in the Future*

According to director/DP Peter Kagan, “When great technology comes along it doesn’t just inform how you shoot something, it affects what you shoot. It creates new opportunities.” Kagan, who heads New York-based Streamline Content, believes his new Panasonic AG-HVX200 DVCPRO HD solid-state camcorder has done just that.

Kagan recently used the HVX200 to shoot “Get Inside the Five,” a 30-second
national spot for the Subway sandwich chain starring Heisman Trophy winner
Reggie Bush, who is expected to be the NFL’s top draft pick. The commercial, from
Source Communications (Hackensack, NJ), finds Bush sitting on a bench waiting
for his assignment. With his colors yet to be determined, he’s dressed in a
white uniform, bearing his white number 5, and wearing white shoes. Poised on
the verge of what everyone expects to be a great career, Bush is “ready to
burst onto the scene,” Kagan explains. In the meantime, Kagan captures Bush’s
kinetic energy as he encourages viewers to check out Subway’s new http://www.subwayfreshbuzz.com/default.aspx Web site where they can find his blog...and more.

“Even though this was a national Subway spot starring Reggie Bush that
promised to be cool, the minute the NFL draft happens, that’s it,” Kagan notes.
“The commercial has a very limited shelf life and, therefore, had a limited
budget. So I thought it would be a great opportunity to use HD instead of film.
And there was definitely a fresh buzz about the HVX200!”

The HVX200 uniquely combines multiple high definition and standard definition
formats, multiple recording modes and variable frames rates, and the vast
benefits of P2 solid state memory recording in a rugged, compact design. The
DVCPRO HD P2 camcorder offers production-quality HD with independent intra-frame
encoding, 4:2:2 color sampling, and less compression, making HD content easier
and faster to edit and more able to stand up to image compositing versus long
GOP MPEG-2 systems.

With a career spanning thousands of spots and music videos, Kagan has “always
been an early adopter of all things video and digital,” he says. “But in my
world ‘video’ has been a curse word. People really don’t want to look at 60
interlaced frames. So the 24p format really speaks to me.”

Although he owns 35mm and 16mm film gear, Kagan “fell in love” with
Panasonic’s DVX100 camera when he borrowed one from Warner Records for one night on a
quick turnaround Michael Buble music video. Impressed with the results, he
bought a DVX100 for himself and proceeded to use it for another Warner Records
project for Lenny Kravitz in Miami.

“I was so comfortable with the camera after using it only once that I bought
it for that Lenny Kravitz shoot,” Kagan recalls. “I remember reading the
instruction manual with the camera in my lap while on the plane to the shoot. I
thought, is this craziness or confidence? As it turned out, the camera was
perfect. Not only did it look great but I recorded a spontaneous acoustic audio
performance on the roof of Lenny’s house straight into the camera by myself,
very intimate, no boom operators or mixers. I’m no audio tech, but everyone
was happy with the sound!”

Kagan later made the DVX100 the A camera for a multi-city, concert-style
video for Michael Buble which he shot in London and South Africa. “For me, 24p
answered the question, ‘How do you bridge the gap between film and video?’”
Kagan says. “The DVX100 and 100A have created opportunities, enabling me to
shoot projects I otherwise couldn’t have shot on film.”

Kagan was understandably excited when he heard about the HVX200 and went to
audition the camera at Abel Cine Tech. He was bidding on the Subway spot and
wondered if the HVX200 would fill the bill.

“Since I was comfortable with the DVX100, the learning curve was pretty
quick: The HVX200 is like a steroidal version of the DVX100,” Kagan declares. “It
was very easy for me to not only get a sense of what the camera could do out
of the box, but also to drill down immediately into the menu files and fool
around with the shutter capabilities. Right there in the showroom I could see
the opportunities the camera offered.”

He teamed with HVX200 owner Evin Grant, a director/DP in his own right, who
served as HD technician on the Subway shoot and the production workflow
designer. “Evin was indispensable,” says Kagan. “He added a great comfort level
for me and showed me how I could squeeze the camera hard.”

Kagan intended to shoot 720pN at multiple frame rates and shutter angles. He
needed to output both HD and Digital Betacam versions of his footage, the
latter required for post production. Grant’s set-up allowed Kagan to shoot with
one HVX200 camera while a second acted as a record/playback head for a Digital
Betacam deck. “As soon as Peter was done with a P2 card, we’d download to a
RAID array through a laptop, then go into the other HVX200 and play it out
with the SD downconverting option on the camera recording into the Digital
Betacam deck,” Grant explains.

Kagan used two 8GB and one 4GB P2 cards for the shoot. “When we downloaded
the cards we got scratch disks for Evin and myself and downconverted Digital
Betacam tapes for the Avid editor just like the tapes he would have gotten from a
film-to-tape transfer,” he notes. “The editor began cutting away the next
morning, and I was delighted to keep my disk which was essentially a digital
clone of the dailies. Every director wants to do a director’s cut, and I’m
always trying to get negative back from the ad agency.”

Kagan kitted the HVX200 out with his ARRI 4x5 matte box and Chrosziel follow
focus. “I was pleased to be able to take gear from my Aaton package and apply
it to the HVX200,” he says. “With these accessories, the camera looks and
feels formidable. It’s truly the digital equivalent of a film camera.”

One of the biggest differences on set concerned what Kagan calls “Video
Village” where clients view the video playback. Once again he teamed with Howard
Van Emdon, but he told the veteran video playback tech to leave his cart of
equipment at home and just supply a 42-inch Panasonic HD plasma display.

“The image of the empty set on the big screen was beautiful,” Kagan recalls.
“It was a welcome-to-what’s-about-to-happen moment for the client. And
when Reggie sat on the bench, the heroism of his image on the screen was
awe-inspiring. Everyone in the room just relaxed; they were looking at what was
happening, not an approximation of the shot from the video tape.”

Evin Grant admits to being “blown away” by the large, sharp image, too.
“It’s always an eye-opening moment when you see the shot that big,” he says.
“Even people who do this for a living ask themselves how a camera that size can
produce an amazing image like that.”

Kagan shot mostly at 24pN but shifted to 60fps when Bush “was flying around
the frame, running at the camera and dodging and jumping over the camera and
lens.” In fact, Kagan notes that the HVX200’s “low profile off the floor
looking straight up” offered a safe way to shoot the vaulting Bush whom he
wouldn’t have wanted to hurdle big camera gear. Using a Precision Optics .6 wide
adapter enabled Kagan to give the jump “a warpy look.”

Kagan was especially pleased with the HVX200’s dynamic range. “We had a
white set, a white uniform and an athlete with deep skin tones. But we were able
to expose for Reggie and not blow out detail in the highlights. With Evin I
made very few adjustments to the camera -- noodling the scene files and
adjusting the knee -- and we came up with a really beautiful range of tones.”

Despite a very limited color palette and very controlled lighting, Kagan was
also happy with the HVX200’s color rendition. “The image was gleaming and
very seductive,” he says. “There was never a moment when I thought, ‘If I’d
only shot this on 35mm.”

He also calls the focus assist feature “the camera’s single greatest idea
from the point of view of a camera operator.” Kagan, who also shoots film for
Getty Images, has told the stock-footage giant that it needs to “get ready”
for the HVX200. He will be addressing a conference of the company’s movers and
shakers later this month urging them “to open their minds to taking
submissions in this format in the spirit of moving forward. Shooting stock with the
HVX200 will give us a chance to get glimpses, nuggets and pearls of real-life
moments. A camera like this is liberating!”

In an even broader sense, Kagan sees the HVX200 as an opportunity to maximize
his company’s name: Streamline Content. “It’s exactly the tool I need for the business model I’ve set,” he affirms. “The HVX200 will enable me to streamline the process, minimize the distance between me and the shoot day, and
diminish the obstacles of being in the office and behind the camera shooting cool
pictures -- which is what I ultimately want to do.”

For more information about Peter Kagan and Streamline Content please contact:
Philip G. McIntyre, PGM Artists, 212-524-4868 Phone, 212-929-7090 Fax, philm@pgmartists.com.

The ultra-versatile HVX200 records in 1080i and 720p in production-proven 100
Mbps DVCPRO HD quality, with the ability to capture images in 21 record
modes. The DVCPRO HD format offers users cost-effective, intra-frame compression,
where each frame stands on its own for editing, and its full 4:2:2 color
sampling allows the image to hold up under color correction. The camera records
video on a P2 card as IT-friendly MXF files in 1080/60i, 30p and 24p; in 720/60p,
30p and 24p; in 50Mbps DVCPRO50 and in 25Mbps DVCPRO or DV. The HVX200 can
capture fast or slow action in 720p at various frame rates--the first time this
function is available in a hand-held camera. The shooting frame rate in 720p
native mode can be set for any of 11 steps between 12fps and 60fps including
24fps and 30fps. For more information on the AG-HVX200, visit www.panasonic.com/hvx200.

About Panasonic Broadcast

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of
broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit
company of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the North American headquarters of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC) of Japan, and the hub of its U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, access the company’s web site at www.panasonic.com.

Posted by PGM at 01:35 PM | Permalink

Posted by PGM at 01:49 PM | Permalink

Award-winning commercial director Peter Kagan has launched a new one-director, bicoastal production house as Streamline Content. Kagan’s aim is to promote more direct creative interaction between himself and agency creatives while providing a more efficient model for the production of spots and other forms of advertising. Kagan has already wrapped his first project under the Streamline banner, a campaign for the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services promoting breast cancer awareness.

“Streamline Content represents my evolution as a commercial director,” said Kagan. “I have the confidence and body of work to move forward without the multiple layers that normally exist between a director and the creative opportunities offered by agencies. I find tremendous openness in this ‘low-fat’ production model.”

Kagan will have a presence in Los Angeles and New York and has secured national sales representation through PGM Artists. He has eliminated most of the other overhead costs typically associated with multi-director production houses and intends to pass on those cost savings to agencies. His main intent, however, is to foster greater collaboration as a means of producing better work.

“Advertising is a collaborative art form and one aspect to being a good director is to surround yourself with talented people and be open to their contributions,” Kagan said. “I’ve had the good fortune to work with very smart agency creative teams and skilled crew people, and I take great pleasure in the collaboration that comes out of those projects.”

As Streamline Content, Kagan will also enjoy the freedom to pursue non-traditional advertising assignments and other projects that he feels personally attracted to. “I’ve worked extensively in interactive advertising,” he said. “I directed the Ford Focus launch, the first spontaneously interactive TV model. That kind of work pushes my creative button, requiring innovative and completely original thinking. It’s that kind of challenge that we need to embrace to address the changes in our industry.”

According to PGM’s McIntyre, Streamline represents a creative solution that ideally suited to the current climate in advertising. “It is an exciting time in the industry, one that requires a great range of creative approaches,” he said. “Peter understands this and has created a new production model engineered to make the client’s interest the central focus.”

Kagan began his career as a still photographer and broke into live action directing through work on fashion accounts such as Karl Lagerfeld. He rose to prominence through his long association with Stiefel & Company, and through it directed commercials for such brands as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, JC Penney, Nike, Chevrolet, Reebok, MTV and Saturn. He also directed music videos for such artists as Steve Winwood and Duran Duran. He was most recently associated with bicoastal Celsius Films.

Kagan feels that he is just now hitting his stride as a director and that the “streamlined” approach of his new venture provides an ideal platform for innovative, out-of-the-box work. “With layers removed, I get great information about the boards we bid on, and as a result we are able to offer technical and creative insights of unusual depth,” he said. “That helps me formulate my creative approach and tactical solution.”

Posted by PGM Artists at 06:20 PM | Permalink

Promising to conduct anything but business as usual, award-winning creative strategist Iain Greenway and marketing exec Phil McIntyre have launched The Brand Gallery in New York (www.thebrandgallery.com).

The new venture is conceived as a “multi-platform creative strategist” focusing on alternative, forward-thinking design and brand development for broadcast and advertising clients. Its scope will include both traditional media and the full panoply of emerging tools in the new media and technology space.

“Clients are hungry for fresh ideas and creative partners willing to work outside the traditional design studio/production company model,” said Greenway. “The Brand Gallery is agnostic in terms of media and production methodology. We work wherever we find brands living, breathing and growing today. Our intent it to give clients direct access to the best creative talent and the provocative, innovative thinking needed to meet the complex marketing challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Greenway and McIntyre were formerly partners in the digital post-production studio Click 3x. Greenway has a broad experience as a brand specialist, creative director and designer for broadcasters such as HBO, INHD, Bravo and BBC America, and advertisers such as Samsung, and Sony. His background includes service as creative director with New York design studio TZ and 12 years as creative director with the BBC in London. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including top D&AD, BAFTA, Royal Television Society, Promax/BDA and New York Festival honors.

McIntyre headed sales and marketing for Click 3x, a company he joined as vice president of sales and marketing in 1998. His background includes national sales posts with R/Greenberg & Associates and Tape House Digital, both in New York. McIntyre currently serves on the Associate Board of Directors of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), East Coast Chapter, and serves on its Perks (as chair) and Membership committees.

The Brand Gallery is located in the historic West Village at 134-A Charles Street, New York, New York 10014. For more information, call (212) 524-4860 or visit www.thebrandgallery.com.

Posted by PGM Artists at 06:37 PM | Permalink