Creative studio has four edit suites operating at capacity and plans to grow.
Six months after its launch, creative post-production boutique 1606 Studio has completed the initial build-out at its space in a century old structure in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. It’s also finished a slew of projects for Bay Area agencies Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, DDB, BBDO, Duncan Channon, GTB, Argonaut, Novio and others, and brands including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Clifbar.
Founded by executive producer Jon Ettinger, editor/director Doug Walker and editors Brian Lagerhausen and Connor McDonald, 1606 Studio currently has four creative editorial suites and a post-production finishing suite. It plans soon to add a fifth editing room and a second finishing room, as well as two motion graphics suites.
Ettinger says that the company had to move quickly to get its editing systems up and running because of the influx of projects that arrived virtually the moment it launched in March. “It was very gratifying to be presented with so much work out of the gate, both from people we’ve worked with in the past and new clients,” Ettinger says. “It showed a lot of confidence in our team and what we are trying to build.”
1606’s recent projects include a new spot for BMW out of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. Edited by McDonald, it features a group of BMW sedans being propelled around a racetrack by drivers wearing heart rate monitors. Graphics show their beats-per-minute spiking as the cars accelerate and glide through turns. “It was a novel way to demonstrate the thrill of driving,” says McDonald. “The editorial pace reinforces the message by gaining speed and intensity as the drivers’ hearts beat faster.”
Walker’s latest project is a spot for Novio’s ongoing “Redefining Possible” campaign for Bay Area hospital UCSF Health. Walker has cut nearly a dozen spots for the campaign since it began in 2016. The new one shows a man running up a mountain trail at dusk. When he nears the camera, it becomes apparent that he has a prosthetic leg. UCSF Health runs a comprehensive training program for amputees. “It’s a wonderful campaign to be associated with,” says Walker. “Each spot tells a great story in a simple but emotionally powerful way.”
Langerhausen’s most recent project is a spot for Carl’s Jr. out of Erich & Kallman, which was just named Small Agency of the Year: West by Advertising Age. The spot introduces an addition to the restaurant chain’s menu, a new burger that is priced so low, the voice-over actor reads it as “$249.00” rather than “$2.49.” “It was exciting to work with the agency’s creative team,” says Langerhausen. “They have an intensely collaborative approach that dovetails perfectly with ours. We look forward to bringing them back for future projects.”
Looking forward, Ettinger expects 1606’s next six months to be busier still. “Our aim is to provide agencies and brands with flexible, creative options for producing content,” Ettinger says. “We offer a fresh approach that removes some of the barriers to creative collaboration, and it’s working.”
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“Ǝvolution” Comes Full Circle At The Chelsea Film Festival
The Chelsea Film Festival, running from October 16th through October 20th, 2024, at Regal Cinemas here in Union Square, is set to host the East Coast premiere of Ǝvolution, a thought-provoking experimental micro-short film that proves big ideas can come in small packages and in perfect circles.
In just 1 minute 16 seconds, this cinematic gem by Award-Winning Director Romina Schwedler, with original music by Argentine Composer Ignacio Montoya Carlotto, explores a cycle as old as time: life leads to progress, progress leads to destruction, and destruction, well, leads back to life. But is this vicious circle unbreakable? Ǝvolution suggests the answer is yes, unless we decide to open our eyes.
Inspired by the overwhelming number of recent events that threaten human existence, Ǝvolution, possibly the shortest film in this 12th edition of the festival, plays out entirely through the symbolism of circles, cleverly illustrating —in the blink of an eye— the repeating patterns of history, and confronting viewers with the uncomfortable truth that our so-called “progress” may, in fact, be guiding us to our own ruin.Premiering at the Regal 14 Union Square, New York City, on October 18, 2024, at 11 a.m., Romina Schwedler's micro-short, featuring Leah Young with cinematography by Alan J. Carmona, will be sure to spark conversations longer than the film itself! Forcing viewers to reconsider the true meaning of evolution, not just as a biological process, but as a reflection of our collective journey as humans.
With a string of festival appearances across the globe, including CineGlobe at CERN (Switzerland/France), Oscar®... Read More