RELEASES

.COMPLETE CREDITS HERE.
 

Scene 1 from "John From Cincinnati"
main title sequence.
Image courtesy of a52.
Click on thumbnail for 72dpi image. 
300 dpi version here.


Scene 2 from "John From Cincinnati"
main title sequence.
Image courtesy of a52.
Click on thumbnail for 72dpi image. 
300 dpi version here.


Scene 3 from "John From Cincinnati"
main title sequence.
Image courtesy of a52.
Click on thumbnail for 72dpi image. 
300 dpi version here.


Scene 4 from "John From Cincinnati"
main title sequence.
Image courtesy of a52.
Click on thumbnail for 72dpi image. 
300 dpi version here.


Scene 5 from "John From Cincinnati"
main title sequence.
Image courtesy of a52.
Click on thumbnail for 72dpi image. 
300 dpi version here.

Contacts:
Roger Darnell
DWA for a52
1.828.264.8898

For Immediate Release

Created by "Deadwood" creator David Milch and surf-noir novelist Kem Nunn, "John from Cincinnati" focuses on a dysfunctional family of surfers spanning three generations:  the legendary Mitch Yost and matriarch Cissy, their pro-surfer-turned-junkie son Butchie, and Butchie's son, Shaun, a new shining star in the surfing world.  The story also involves many other unique individuals in the Yost's Imperial Beach, California community, among them, a mysterious stranger named John who says he's from Cincinnati.  In media interviews, the show's producers and stars have described the show as being about redemption, spiritual transformation, healing, second chances... and surfing.

Wall's past collaborations with HBO and the network's series producers on main title sequences have been very successful.  The most recent project for "Big Love" was nominated for the 2006 EMMY Award for Outstanding Main Title Design.  Wall is also the founder of LA visual effects company a52, whose artists have also made major contributions to Wall's main title projects for HBO, most notably on "Carnivale," winner of the 2004 EMMY Award, and "Rome," a 2006 EMMY and British Academy Television Craft Best Titles award nominee.

Asked about the storytelling goals for the new show’s main titles, series executive producer Gregg D. Fienberg shared these thoughts.  “Essentially, the key was to carry off some sort of a sense of exuberance without trying to explain in any way what the essence of the show was about.  A David Milch show shifts and grows along the way and any attempt in a main title to convey more than a feeling (i.e. anything too specific) would most likely go off the rails sometime during the life of the series.  Ultimately, even though our show seems very dark and dreary at first, at its core is a celebration of the exuberance of life.  Angus and his team captured that.”

“Milch smuggles a lot of meaning into what he writes without being too obvious, so the titles needn't be too explicit either,” Wall added.  “They needed an internal logic (which is there), but you don't need to know that to enjoy them.  At Fienberg's suggestion, we went with the idea of just trying to set a tone... pulling tons of surfing stock footage and just cutting it together.  Production shot lots of Super 8 that was used in the piece.  a52’s Andy Hall spent a few days in San Diego shooting a surfer on 35mm, which rounded out the palette.” 

Wall also explained that RPS editor David Brodie, the lead editor on U2’s acclaimed “Window in the Sky” music video, did much of the culling and cutting.  “He grabbed on and didn’t let go,” Wall said.  As the sequence came together, David Milch’s suggestion of the music track “Johnny Appleseed” from Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros formed the backbone uniting the new footage with stock images and surf footage licensed from epic surfing films, including Bruce Brown's world-famous 1966 documentary, "Endless Summer."  a52 Inferno artist Raul Ortego treated the finished edit to give it a vintage look, and also added the text titles.

“Within a couple weeks of our original briefing, they showed us an edit that had the feel of the finished product,” Fienberg said.  “Embedded in the cut is a very meaningful structure that is boldly subtle – this is the magic of the way Angus edits.   After watching several of our episodes in rough cut form, he was able to interpolate what was at the heart of the show and he built it into the edit.  A journey of mankind.” 

Fienberg also confided information on a licensing bump the project hit along the way.  “An interesting thing happened along the way during the edit,” he explained.  “We got all of the shots that are in the final cut edited just the way it is now, but a few of them we were having trouble getting the rights to.  So we tried new cuts with various different shots.  The edit changed completely.  Nothing worked anywhere near as well as what we had.  Eventually we managed to get the rights to all of the original shots, so we didn't have to make a change.  We were quite happy because we knew that what we had was just working perfectly.  Sometimes even one small change can ruin a good thing.   Fortunately we didn't have to make that change.”

Continuing, Fienberg said, “When we bring Angus onto a project we have extremely high expectations, and of course, they were met.  People consistently say (me included) that they can watch the main title over and over.  I think that is true not just because of the stunning imagery and way it is edited, but because of the subliminal journey it takes you on.”

“With Milch, Fienberg, and Carolyn Strauss from HBO, there was great collaboration and lots of back and forth,” Wall concluded.  “I cannot imagine a better group of people to work with.”

“John from Cincinnati” is a co-production of HBO, Red Board Productions and Saticoy Production; executive producers, David Milch, Gregg D. Fienberg, Mark Tinker and Zvi Howard Rosenman; co-executive producers, Scott Stephens, Kem Nunn and Peter Spears; producer, Ted Mann.

a52's project team was overseen by executive producer Mark Tobin and producer Sarah Haynes, and Carol Lynn Weaver is the executive producer for RPS.  Telecine was handled at R!OT in Santa Monica.  “Johnny Appleseed” originally appeared on Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros’ 2001 Hellcat Records release Global A Go-Go.

For more information on Rock Paper Scissors, please call 310.586.0600 or visit www.RockPaperScissors.com.

About a52
Established in 1997 as a home for the very latest high-end photo-real visual effects technologies and the industry’s most innovative and talented graphic design artists, visual effects company a52 creates award-winning imagery for the world’s most visually ambitious commercial and television projects.  Having relocated to Santa Monica in 2007, the company’s work has earned AICP Show recognition for 11 consecutive years along with recent “Outstanding Commercial” Emmy, Andy, BDA, Belding, Clio, British Design and Art Direction, International Monitor, International Automotive Advertising, London International Advertising, One Show and PROMAX awards.  For more information, please call 1.310.586.0650 or visit www.a52.com.

QuickTime for 
"John From Cincinnati” 
Main Title Sequence :60

Problems? Email