Experience media from Spinifex Group

I’m very proud to be working with the phenomenal Sydney-based creative communications company Spinifex Group, which is made up of authentic leaders in creating and delivering experience media.

With recent projects ranging from immersive interactive experiences to global broadcast events and epic big screen corporate communications extravaganzas, they have resolved some of the most ambitious and complex storytelling challenges of our times, with historical results. Below, I’ve organized summary notes on some of their latest projects, which as you’ll see, include numerous mesmerizing ceremonies and pavilions at the Shanghai World Expo, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Ceremonies, the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics Ceremonies, and many others. Read more

Gandulf Hennig: Thanks for the Documentary

Earlier this month the PBS American Masters Series debuted “Merle Haggard: Learning to Live With Myself,” an amazing documentary where noted filmmaker Gandulf Hennig spent two years following the legendary musician and songwriter at home and on tour, as he hit new artistic and commercial highs. I watched this film in awe of Mr. Haggard’s authenticity as a man who faced extreme difficulty in his early life and has persevered in making the most of his experiences, and his considerable talents, in ways that make him extraordinary.

Many thanks to PBS, Mr. Hennig and Mr. Haggard for bringing this fascinating story to the world.
Image (credit: Harrison/Getty) from “Merle Haggard Looks Back in New Documentary” by Patrick Doyle for Rolling Stone.

Nathan Love wows TV and online viewers worldwide

Record numbers of television and online viewers worldwide continue to experience the artistry of New York City animation studio Nathan Love and its illustrious clientele. The latest releases include commercial collaborations with director Willis Wong, Lunar Films and Hopr for J. Walter Thompson Shanghai promoting China’s popular online game Fantasy Westward Journey, and with advertising agency 22squared for Baskin-Robbins’ nationwide summer advertising campaign. Nathan Love is online at www.nathanlove.com, on Facebook here, and on Linkedin here.

Brilliant directors: Shilo’s Evan Dennis

Director Evan Dennis and his fellow filmmakers from U.S. creative production company Shilo recently detailed their artistry in creating this engaging new broadcast/web spot for Mountain Dew’s new Green Label Art Shop Series campaign. For this all-star project, Evan worked in close collaboration with creative director David Hohman, art director Campbell Hooper and their colleagues from integrated marketing agency TracyLocke to create compelling content authentically supporting Mountain Dew’s innovative campaign and the phenomenal talents assembled. Read more

Cannes-do 2010 for Brand New School

Brand New School’s founder and creative director Jonathan Notaro recently joined Kayt Hall, just appointed to the post of Executive Producer for the new BNS London studio, at the shots Beach Party, held at The Majestic Hotel beach during the 2010 Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. Judging from the photos popping up (like the one of Kayt and friends shown here (Kayt’s on the right) taken by Morgan Whitlock) and the rumors, the evening’s celebration of shots Magazine’s 20th birthday may never be forgotten. The esteemed Cannes judges and assembled industry luminaries also took notice of the BNS collaboration with Wieden+Kennedy and others involved in creating the ESPN Monday Night Football Interactive Storefront project shown above, which was awarded the year’s Cannes Outdoor Silver Lion in the Ambient: Digital Media category. All in all, it was much ado about Brand New School, with great expectations for exciting things to come.

Creative Entrepreneurs: Peter Hansen

I recently reconnected with my close friend and business colleague Peter Hansen. Over the past several years, Peter has been closely involved with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, AB Canada. Having served as the institution’s Chair, Digital Media Design, since 2002, then as Chair Digital Media and IT, since 2009, earlier this year he returned to his private consultancy, Plasmechanica Media Design. I peppered him with some questions about his experiences with NAIT, which he kindly anwers below.

Read more

Creative collaborations: ATTIK and Shilo for Scion

Over the past several years, global creative agency ATTIK has teamed up many times with creative production company Shilo on behalf of Scion. It’s my sincere pleasure to share some of their best collaborative efforts here. For more information, please visit www.attik.com, www.shilo.tv and www.scion.com.

Brand New School designs a winning AICP outing

Earlier this week, creative design and production studio Brand New School (BNS, www.BrandNewSchool.com) proudly announced their role in designing and producing numerous elements which debuted at the 2010 AICP Show, The Art & Technique of the American Commercial, and the 2010 Next Awards, a featured presentation of the AICP Show. The annual program, hosted by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) had its premiere Tuesday evening at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and will soon travel on to high-profile venues in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Miami, and Richmond. Original works created by BNS for 2010 include the above Sponsor Reel Sequence for the AICP Show itself, and for the Next Awards, which honor and examine the best in marketing communications across all channels featuring moving image media, the visual identity system, presentation graphics, and (together with McCann Systems) a dynamic Next Awards video installation that lit up MoMA’s Sculpture Garden. During the prestigious Next Awards presentation, BNS earned top honors in the Experiential category for their innovative project promoting Monday Night Football on ESPN produced for leading advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy. The full story is available online here.

•