Currently operating in New York and LA, Mad River has established a presence in the auto hub of Detroit, already cutting jobs out of a temporary space and working to build a new permanent home in the blossoming Royal Oak area. The company has also launched a Dallas operation, anchored by former San Francisco editor Travis Aitkin.

The Detroit arm houses new Mad River editors Cam Khoury, Richard Smith and Stewart Shevin and provides another physical and virtual conduit for all of the company's editing talents. Marie Schraeder, formerly of auto agency Pentamark will act as executive producer at the new shop.

The Detroit outpost has its origins in a major Chevy campaign out of that city's Campbell Ewald, directed by Tony Kaye and edited by Mad River's Michael Elliot. The project was growing in scope but the creatives were required back in Detroit, so Mad River set up a remote editing solution at a post facility there.

Mad River had already been using its Rose Edit system to provide a virtual presence for its editors in various markets.

CMP's Tim Case, Tony Kaye's U.S. representative and a staple on the Detroit ad scene originated the idea for the new shop and will rep Mad River's talent there. "That was the spark that started it," says Mad River president Krystn Wagenberg. "What came next is that we were able to get three of the top talented editors in Detroit interested in what were doing."

Wagenberg says the Detroit office allows local editors from that city access to national work with a wider array of directors and allows the company's other editors access to Detroit's bounty of car creative.

"There is a lot of work that leaves Detroit and goes somewhere else, but the people involved may not want to stay in another market for that long. They may only want to be there for a few weeks and then go back to Detroit to work - and there wasn't a situation there set up to accommodate that."

With the new offices and Rose Edit in effect, Wagenberg says she has emphasized the talents of the editors rather than their geographical location. "With all the talent we have, we're trying not to put a state associated with it. It's more a question of, What are you looking for, what do you want? We can move anyone anywhere."

The Rose Edit system was developed as a video conferencing tool, and has been integrated into the company's editing systems with peripheral devices like mixers and video routers. "We custom modified it for the industry so it's a seamless operation," says engineer Elliot Wolfson.

Mad River editors have recently lent their skills to projects including Cliff Freeman & Partners' new Fox Sports Hockey campaign (edited by Tom Scherma) and the Tony Kaye-directed Reebok Woman's World effort (cut by Michael Elliot). Editor Emily Dennis recently contributed to one of the most interesting videos you likely won't see on MTV (see sidebar). Mad River LA recently added editor Steve Prestemon.