Boards Magazine - December 1, 2000

booty shaking, global ad making

Board Flow is a regular feature that will act as a gauge to monitor the activity of upcoming commercial production. The following chart is intended as a snapshot view of the level of "board flow" (i.e., potential scripts from ad agencies) that commercial production houses in various markets across North America experienced during the preceding month. The synopsis of each market is based on conversations with anywhere from six to a dozen production house executives in each market who were asked to comment on the number and type of "boards" they had received from ad agencies over the most recent month. The chart reflects "board flow" from mid-October to mid-November.

Pondering Tobacco Truth "What if cigarette ads told the truth?" asks each spot in a

TBWA/Chiat/Day and Believe Create the Future in Hong Kong

Take That Ahab!

Auteur Authority "Embrace your fear," instructed Rutger Hauer, his brawny arm encircling director Douglas Avery's windpipe.

Longest Name in Ads Just Got Broader Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer (MVBMS) opened a new office in Amsterdam to handle the European Volvo account, but the amply titled agency continues to deliver a plethora of globally mobile ads from its New York HQ.

Hallucination Nation Since opening in April 2000, New York storefront design/animation/FX shop Psyop has turned out fluid graphics spots sharing an intense seamlessness.

Advertising Verite "If you look at non-fiction filmmakers who've had success in commercials, they just felt more comfortable there than in fiction."

Livin' Large! Simulating the simulated existence of the digital denizens of a video game furnished Kenan Moran with open-ended creative opportunities.

The Chi of the Cut "Doing yoga together with clients helps facilitate creating spots; we are all sort of balanced and on the same level."

Chelsea's Id New York--based production company Chelsea Pictures has launched a new division called Id, which will take the shop into new ad avenues with new partners from the online entertainment arena.

The Action is Go! The reel is the meal, acknowledge Jonathan Weinstein and Robert Wherry, head honchos of New York--headquartered Go Film.

Call the Office Where better than polyglot central, New York to operate a management company for directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, and production and costume designers for ads and film. Calling it the New York Office didn't hurt either.

Top Ten Lists The Boards Awards represent the most award-winning spots of the past year or so, and the people responsible for them. To arrive at our Top Ten lists, Boards tallied up the results of 10 of the industry's top award shows, assigning points to each spot, agency, creative, production shop and director. In the following pages, we profile some of the talent behind these acclaimed commercials.

Traktor's Got Pull Few can deny the power of a man in a mosquito suit getting flattened by a giant foam hand, or the backwoods, inbred charm of four Finnish brothers; certainly directing collective Traktor would discourage such denials.

Jonze on "Morning"

Post-Apocalyptic Cardio--The Nike Way "I remember fondly as the giraffe ran off across the yard and down the street until the wrangler pulled this wicked spin that only barefoot water-skiers can perform," reminisces creative director Chuck McBride on the set of "Morning After," shot by Spike Jonze of Propaganda/ Satellite Films through Nike's long-time agency Wieden + Kennedy.

Driving the Idea Wieden + Kennedy producer Vic Palumbo had an "all-star situation" on his hands when it came to shooting Nike's "Driving Range." But it takes an able producer to bring it all together; that combination of firm hand and light touch that ensures the combined visions of the various members of the team are realized, while allowing for spontaneous moments of genius on set.

Irish Draught, Cuban Soul The ongoing collaboration between Guinness, Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO and Peter Raeburn of SoundTree Music turned to the golden voice of Cuban legend Beny Moré to add flavor and punctuation to the production of "Bet On Black."

Felder Closes the Book on Spots The former Cliff Freeman producer has left advertising in favor of a new venture, Alt Spec, a publishing company.

Stone Storms The UK and Beyond... Between edits on his first feature, director Charles Stone III ponders advertising, fame and a whirlwind year of awards ceremony hoopla.

Tunnel Vision Tunnelvision is an alternative form of advertising that will soon grace subway stations in major metropolitan cities worldwide. Born out of the notion of persistence of vision, subway motion pictures will entertain commuters in urban centers; a captive audience for commercial art and product placement.

BTA The British Television Craft Awards launched five years ago under the umbrella of the British Television Advertising Awards. According to Peter Bigg, the awards' organizer, the idea came from the fact that he believed that there was a gap in the advertising awards marketplace.

Condor Flies Indie Rob Meddens loves to fly. It's a lucky thing, as Condor Post Production, the empire over which he presides maintains offices in London, Amsterdam and Berlin, and will soon open another facility in Brussels. Founded in Amsterdam by Meddens in the early '80s, the company has been able to retain its independence, while growing into a multinational facility.

Broadband: Its Prophetic Grasp on Advertising Broadband doth bestrides the advertising world like a colossus, and we petty narrowband users must peep about to find ourselves dishonorable Web sitesÉor something like that.

itemus acquires Shooting Gallery

Radiohead Blips Avoid Promo Haze

FM Rocks Spots While many production companies relied on music videos to meet their bottom line during the six-month actors' strike, Santa Monica--based music video house FM Rocks launched its commercial division with directors F. Gary Gray, Dave Meyers, Tim Story, Gregory Dark and Todd Levin.

Young Gun Rinsch Signs With RSA

Envoy Acquires Delaney

Cameron and Li Create Blur Video Donald Cameron directed the tightly choreographed, stylized music video for UK band Blur's latest single.

Digital Video Review DVD show reels offered up by select forward-thinking post, design and music houses are tempting treats.

Das Glass Werk?

Simply Sophisticated: Michel Gondry Ponders Human Nature Slipping through the side entrance of the Hollywood Hills Coffee Shop, Michel Gondry quietly seats himself in a booth and orders a hot chocolate. Articulating his ideas and sipping hot cocoa with a naive sophistication, the director embodies the very paradox that characterizes his work.

Inventory A look at who's making the moves...

Fallon's Stock Holm-Boyz For this installment of The Learning Curve, Boards reporter Sandy Hunter checked in with Fallon, Minneapolis creatives Linus Karlsson and Paul Malmstrom (jointly referred to as Swedes below). Karlsson, a copywriter and Malmstrom, an art director, are the creators of the multi-award-winning "Jukka Brothers" campaign for MTV as well as the integrated "Buddy Lee Challenge" campaign.