Director of Music & Radio
J. Walter Thompson NY
1) My biggest creative challenge this year was to find a song for our Wild Turkey work that will be debuting in the fall. At the last minute the song that was supposed to be used was not available anymore. I was tasked to find a replacement at the 11th hour that would work with the concept that the creative team, the client and director would be happy with. Luckily, I was able to find a song that satisfied everyone and the creative team even decided to put the artist on camera in the ad. It was very gratifying to not only find a suitable replacement but find one that was liked even better than the original. Lesson learned??…..always have a backup.
2) Our Rolex and Tudor work has been especially gratifying for me, especially the Rolex spot for the Academy Awards. Our music for both brands continues to be of the highest quality and the Rolex music continues to use the brand theme that we created for Rolex since 2014. The Academy Awards spot was several years in the making and the film score- like adaption of the theme worked perfectly with all the classic movie clips.
3) My role has changed over the years from not only producing music and leading a music dept, but now looking for new and innovative ways that music and sound can be used in communications. I’m being asked to think of new and break through ideas using sound and finding companies and products that can help make music and sound an offering to the clients and for the agency portfolio. As the ad business and the new breakthrough technologies in audio continue to change and disrupt, I feel like this is a very exciting time to do what I do.
4) The continued downward pressure on budgets. There is no end in sight from the “do more for less” attitude that is prevalent in the industry.
5) I think that there is amazing potential for VR/AR/MR as soon as the ad business figures out how to exploit it and monetize it. The technology is amazing and the cost of the viewing glasses are starting to be more affordable. We are working right now with one of our clients on new innovations on spatial sound that are very exciting.
Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More