Beast, one of the nation’s top editorial houses and a subsidiary of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc., has completed directing and editorial work for Western Union, via agency 180 Amsterdam, to promote World of Betters, a six-week viral campaign that asks the question “what would you do with $1,000 to make someone’s day better?” Western Union partnered with global mega stars and music icons such as Alicia Keys, John Legend, K’naan, Sunidhi Chauhan and Pitbull to host live ‘better’ events around the world to spread a little happiness across the world and show how Western Union moves money for better.nnA massive undertaking, the six-week campaign visited New York, Mumbai, Paris, Johannesburg and Miami. Each celebrity hosted a livestream in a different city. nTalented Beast Los Angeles editor Igor Kovalik traveled with the production and not only edited all of the video packages for the livestreams, but also directed all of the 60-minute livestreams, which were fraught with technical and logistical hurdles.nnIn addition to the ever-present time constraints of the production, Kovalik took on a number of challenges. “Every location presented its own set of obstacles,” said Kovalik. “Depending on where we were, we had varying lengths of time to scout locations, shoot b-roll and prep for the livestream. To accomplish all of this, I shot and/or directed the b-roll, which allowed me to go back to the hotel room after the shoot and hit the ground running; I could go right to the best pieces immediately and not waste time getting to know the footage first. I can definitely see editors being more engaged and taking on more of this kind of creative role as these types of viral campaigns become more common.”nn
nView “Alicia’s World of Betters Livestream Highlights” online here.nnKovalik enjoyed a great rapport with the creatives at 180 Amsterdam, which included Dean Maryon, Edward Ryder, Stephanie Oakley and Bryan Stewart. nnThe campaign has generated many touching moments. One of the most poignant took place during the New York livestream. Singer Alicia Keys surprised students onstage at her old high school, the Professional Performing Arts School during their beautiful rendition of her hit "Empire State of Mind." Her appearance electrified the students in attendance as she encouraged them to "continue to learn as much as you can learn and give back."nnnView Pitbull‘s World of Betters Livestream Highlights here online.nnRapper Pitbull‘s livestream in Miami took place on December 17, 2011, which marked the last stop in the campaign. nnHighlights from all of the livestreams can be viewed on www.worldofbetters.com/events/.nnCreditsnnClient: Western UnionnnAgency: 180 AmsterdamnnAl Moseley – Executive Creative DirectornDean Maryon – Creative DirectornBryan Stewart – CreativenEd Ryder – CreativenMatthew Steenburg – Digital DesignernJonathan Conaty – User Experience DirectornStephen Corlett – Managing DirectornCristiana Spataru – Account DirectornJim O’Regan – Account ManagernAlexandra Ronca – Account ExecutivenSusan Cook – Head of ProductionnStephanie Oakley – Senior ProducernEline Bakker – Producer nAnna Stolyarova – Senior Digital ProducernTamara Mahoney – Digital ProducernnLotte de Vroe – Project ManagernAga Kwiatkowska – Project ManagernChris Barrand – Head of Business AffairsnMadelon Pol – Business AffairsnJulien Maingois – Additional Animator / EditornFiona Fuchs – Additional EditornAdrian Murray – Additional Editor AssistantnClaire Ford – Additional Post ProducernnProduction/Post: Beast EditorialnIgor Kovalik – Director/EditornnAbout BeastnBeast is one of the country’s top editorial houses for commercials, music videos and web virals. With facilities in Santa Monica, New York, Austin, Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco, Beast serves a global clientele with an unparalleled roster of established, award-winning editors as well as up-and-coming talent. Since opening its doors in 2006, Beast has built an impressive and varied body of work for such clients as Harpo Films, Nike, Electronic Arts, Converse, AT&T, Reebok, Southwest Airlines, GM, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, USAF, Linkin Park and Black Eyed Peas. www.beast.tv. Beast is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc., (www.bydeluxe.com) which is a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc.Jeremy Monsayac Contact Jeremy via email 323.960.7371
Historic “Off The Record” Interview Archive Now Posting Rare Exclusive Audio Recordings With Rock Stars Free on YouTube
For the first time ever, the “Off The Record” Interview Archive has been posting free on YouTube, rare, historic and exclusive interviews with legendary rock musicians including Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Fogerty, Brian May, Robert Plant, Tom Petty, and many others. These long-lost audio interviews, which have been culled over the course of three decades, present insights from many legendary artists. So far, there are more than 25 interviews publicly available, with dozens more to come. Unique gems amongst these audio interviews include George Harrison describing Abbey Road, track by track; Billy Preston on being asked to join The Beatles; and Tom Petty, talking about reuniting with The Heartbreakers. The “Off The Record” Interview Archive includes priceless audio gems, offering listeners a chance to “fan-up” to their favorite stars. Other available interviews from the archive include such icons as: Ian Anderson, Pat Benatar, Jackson Browne, Bill Bruford, Eric Clapton, David Crosby, John Fogerty, Dave Grohl, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, John Lennon, Brian May, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Page, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Carlos Santana, Bob Weir, and many more. https://youtu.be/mVPaY2J1XMI?si=hlhndC-Y1xME_kcp Paul McCartney talks about his 2005 album, Chaos And Creation In The Backyard and talks about his music including the 2002 album, The Naked Ride in this full and exclusive interview from The Off The Record Rock Star Interview Archive. Video Source: YouTube For more information about the “Off The Record” Archive, including details as to how to license this material, contact Jonathan... Read More