Finalists for the 2014 AICE Awards have been announced and the L.A., San Francisco, New York and London offices of Cut+Run dominated the list with 12 nominations in a wide range of categories. Also performing well in the competition was Umlaut in San Francisco, which scored eight finalist entries.
Other AICE companies that were ranked near the top of the list included Cutters, with seven total finalists; Arcade Edit, with six finalist entries; and Rock Paper Scissors, which earned five finalist nominations.
Cut+Run’s work gained finalist status in the Alternative Media (:90 and under) category for Nike, Automotive for Volkswagen and Fiat, Fashion/Beauty for the Council of Fashion Designers Award Film Series and Storytelling for Adobe. Cut+Run was also a finalist in the competition’s new Online Campaign category with work for Bud Light and in the National Campaign category with work for Motorola. Furthermore, Cut+Run registered in the Montage, Public Service, Best of NY and twice in the Best of San Francisco categories.
Umlaut was recognized for its Skype work, which earned finalist nods in the Alternative Media (over :90), Online Campaign and Storytelling categories, and its work for Levi’s, which was nominated in the Alternative Media (:90 and over) and Fashion/Beauty (twice) categories. In addition, it was nominated in the Under $50,000 category for work for Common Sense Media and Bigelow.
Cutters Studios’ nominations, which included work produced by its Flavor visual effects division and Another Country, its sound design and audio post studio, were in recognition of work for Oscar Mayer in the Comedy category, the AICP Show opening in the Design category, Siberia Elite in the Sound Design category and Kraft in the Visual Effects category, along with nods in the Best of Chicago category for IBM and Best of Detroit for Chrysler.
Arcade Edit’s finalist nominations came in such categories as Broadcast Promotion for Paramount Pictures, Music Video for Jay Z’s “Picasso Baby,” National Campaign for Dodge, Public Service for the Ad Council, Regional Campaign for Foster Farms and Best of Los Angeles for the Ad Council and Nike. Rock Paper Scissors’ finalist entries were in such categories as Alternative Media (:90 and over) for Dove, Broadcast Promotion for Netflix, Montage for Nike and Best of Los Angeles for Nike.
Other multiple-nominee member companies on the finalist list included Beast, Rooster and The Mill, which had four entries each, and Big Sky and Peel & Eat, which both had three.
Tallying two nominations apiece were: Channel Z, Drive Thru Editorial, Fast Cuts Edits, Final Cut USA, Married to Giants, P.S. 260, Relish, Sonic Union, Tendril, Territory, Therapy and /Wildchild/+bonch.
Garnering one finalist each were 3008, 740 Sound Design & Mix, alter ego, EditBar, Go Robot Inc., Hudson Editorial, Hybrid, Mackenzie Cutler, School, ShootersNYC and Sound Lounge.
This marked the first year that the AICE Awards Curatorial Committee, comprised of artists from across the postproduction disciplines, convened via conference call to review and discuss all of the finalist nominees and to select the competitions’ first Best in Show winner.
Chris Franklin, owner and editor of Big Sky in New York, was one of the committee’s organizers, along with Editors Craig Lewandowski of Optimus in Chicago and Bob Spector of Beast in San Francisco. Franklin characterized the experience of reviewing all of the finalists and discussing them with his peers from around the country as uplifting. “I felt it was exactly what the committee was created for,” he said. “It gave us an opportunity to make sure all of the finalists felt right for each respective category, and it gave each of us a chance to talk about the craft of editing and post production.”
Commenting on the new Online Campaign category–created by AICE so that work created specifically for web and mobile distribution could be judged against each other–Franklin felt that overall the work seemed “tight, polished and targeted for that medium. From all angles–the shooting, the editing, the graphics and music and sound-–everything seemed sharp. I was very impressed with what I saw, and I think the creation of this category will give us a chance to highlight work that might not have gotten seen otherwise.”
The 13th Annual AICE Awards will be held on May 15 at Gustavino’s in New York City.
Here’s a category-by-category rundown of 2014 AICE Award finalists:
ALTERNATIVE MEDIA (:90 and under)
Doug Cox, Umlaut
Levi’s “Modern Frontier Train” :60
AKQA
Marc Langley, Rooster
Molson “The Beer Fridge” :90
Rethink
Sam Ostrove, Cut+Run London
Nike “FuelBand” :80
AKQA
ALTERNATIVE MEDIA (over :90)
Jessica Congdon, Umlaut
Skype “Born Friends” 3:00
Pereira & O’Dell
Paul Kumpata, Rock Paper Scissors
Dove “Self Esteem” 3:00
DAVID Brazil
Adam Rudd, Final Cut USA
Gillette “Training Tracks” 2:11
BBDO New York
AUDIO MIX
Tom Jucarone, Sound Lounge
Guinness “Basketball” :60
BBDO
David Papa, Sonic Union
Chobani “Ransacked” :60
Droga5
David Papa, Sonic Union
Hennessy “The Man Who Couldn’t Slow Down” :90
Droga5
AUTOMOTIVE
Frank Effron, Cut+Run LA
Volkswagen of America “Wings” :60
Argonaut
Steve Gandolfi, Cut+Run LA
FIAT “Wedding” :45
The Richards Group
Terry King, Territory
Cadillac “Monkey Do” :30
Rogue
BROADCAST PROMOTION
Geoff Hounsell, Arcade Edit
Paramount Pictures “Sun” :30
Paramount Pictures
Adam Liebowitz, Go Robot Inc
Nascar “If” :30
Ogilvy & Mather
Grant Surmi, Rock Paper Scissors
Netflix “House of Cards Season 2 Teaser” :120
Netflix
COLOR GRADING
Fergus McCall, The Mill NY
Hennessy “The Man Who Couldn’t Slow Down” 1:30
Droga5
Gregory Reese, The Mill LA
Duracell “Trust Your Power” :62
Saatchi & Saatchi
Adam Scott, The Mill LA
Guinness “Sapeurs” :90
AMV BBDO
COMEDY
Grant Gustafson, Cutters
Oscar Mayer “Giving Thanks” :60
mcgarrybowen Chicago
Dave Koza, Mackenzie Cutler
Nabisco “Night Vision” :30
TBWAChiatDay
Doobie White, Therapy
Pepsi “Jeff Gordon Test Drive” 3:45
TBWAChiatDay
DESIGN
Flavor
AICP “Show Opener” 2:45
AICP
Tendril Design + Animation
Rdio “New Music Weekly ft. Bloc Party” :15
Rdio
Tendril Design + Animation
Royal Canadian Mint “Heart of the Artic” :42
Cossette
DIALOGUE/MONOLOGUE/SPOKEN WORD
Chris Franklin, Big Sky
New York Lottery “Glory Days” :30
DDB
Maury Loeb, P.S.260
AT&T “Werewolf” :30
BBDO/ATL
Robert Ryang, P.S.260
ESPN “Half Court” :45
Wieden + Kennedy
FASHION/BEAUTY
Doug Cox, Umlaut
Levi’s “Modern Frontier Train” :60
AKQA
Doug Cox, Umlaut
Levi’s “Modern Frontier Who Are You” :30
AKQA
Akiko Iwakawa, Cut+Run NY
Council of Fashion Designers Award Film Series “Vera Wang” 2:10
Nian Fish + Tiger Dragon
MONTAGE
Chris Murphy, Relish
Kobo “Reader’s Passion” :60
John St.
Sam Ostrove, Cut+Run London
Nike “FuelBand” :80
AKQA
Angus Wall, Rock Paper Scissors
Nike “Possibilities” :90
Wieden + Kennedy
MUSIC VIDEO
Jarrett Fijal, /Wildchild/+bonch
Justin Timberlake “Mirrors” 8:20
Justin Timberlake
Paul Martinez, Nick Rondeau, Geoff Hounsell Arcade Edit
Jay Z “Picasso Baby” 8:07
Jay Z
Richard Mettler, /Wildchild/+bonch
Beyonce “Mine” 4:59
Beyonce
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
Geoff Hounsell, Arcade Edit
Dodge Durango “Ballroom Dancers” :60, “Gumbal Machine” :30, “Cut Every World Mind Meld”:30
Wieden + Kennedy
Graham Turner, Frank Effron, Cut+Run LA
Moto X/Motorola “Music” :60, “Drive” :60, “Meeting” :60
Droga5
Mick Uzendoski, Drive Thru Editorial
Subaru/Subaru Dogs 2014 “What’s the fuss about” :30, “In the dog house” :30, “Teenagers” :30
Carmichael Lynch
ONLINE CAMPAIGN
Jessica Congdon, Umlaut
SKYPE “Born Friends” 3:00, “Denis” 3:00, “Growing up Family” 3:00
Pereira & O’Dell
Kristin McCasey, Therapy
UGG For Men “Meet Wilton” :60, “Meet Kaldwell :60, “Meet Reefton” :60
M&C Saatchi
Susan Munro, Michael Bartoli, Hybrid
Las Vegas Tourism UNO/”Lost Bet” 2:09, UNO/”Left at the Altar” 2:50, UNO/ “Normal People” 2:09
R&R Partners
Jay Nelson, Cut+Run LA
Anheuser-Busch/Bud Light “Nana” :45, “BBQ” :30, “Push”:30
PUBLIC SERVICE
Ben Campbell, Cut+Run London
Macmillan “Give Support” :60
VCCP
Greg Scruton, Arcade Edit
Ad Council / Keep America Beautiful “Recycling- Journey” :90
Pereira & O'Dell
Joel Walker, Peel & Eat
City Year “Anthem” :60
Allen & Gerritsen
REGIONAL CAMPAIGN
Kim Bica, Arcade Edit
Foster Farms “Night ranger” :30, “Human League” :30, “Toto” :30
Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Chris Parkins, Jesse Unruh, Rooster
Volkswagen GTD “Ice Cream” :15, “Bellies” :15, “Pizza” :15
Red Urban
Paul Proulx, Married to Giants
Sunnybrook Foundation “Brian” :30, “Katie” :60, “Michelle” :60
Grip Limited
SOUND DESIGN
John Binder, Drew Weir, Another Country
Siberia Elite “Siberia Elite” :90
Tris3ct
Chris Franklin, Big Sky
NY Lottery “Toast” :60
DDB
Rommel Molina, Nicholas Interlandi, 740 Sound Design & Mix
Duracell “Derrick Coleman/Trust the Power Within” :60
Saatchi & Saatchi NY
SPEC SPOT
Dave Bradley, ShootersNYC
SmartWater “This is Boxing” :45
Chris Claeys, Cutters
Intel “Robot” :65
Dave De Carlo, Rooster
Engage Diamond Studio “The Artist” :48
STORYTELLING
Jessica Congdon, Umlaut
Skype “Born Friends” 3:00
Pereira & O’Dell
Pete Koob, Cut+Run SF
Adobe “Click Baby, Click” :60
Goodby,Silverstein & Partners
Brian Lagerhausen, Beast SF
Google “Fearless” :60
Autofuss
UNDER $50,000
Doug Cox, Umlaut
Common Sense Media “Alfonso” :30
Camp + King
Jon DeVries, School
National Ballet of Canada “Lost in Motion 2” 3:22
National Ballet of Canada
Jonathan Flookes, Umlaut
Bigelow “While You Were Steeping” 2:26
IDEO
VISUAL EFFECTS
Darren Achim, alter ego
Canadian Film Fest Canadian Sin :120
JWT Toronto
Flavor
Kraft “Six Days To Freshness” :60
mcgarrybowen Chicago
Angus Kneale,Vince Baertsoen, The Mill NY
PETA “PETA: 98% Human” :30
BBDO
BEST OF BOSTON
Peter Barstis, EditBar
Liberty Mutual Insurance “Shared Passion” :60
Hill Holliday
Joel Walker, Peel & Eat
Boston Celtics “Go Green” :60
Allen & Gerritsen
Joel Walker, Peel & Eat
City Year “Anthem” :60
Allen & Gerritsen
BEST OF CHICAGO
Morgan Bradley, Beast Chicago
Nike “No Angel” :60
Union Made Creative
John Dingfield, Beast Chicago
FIAT “Italian Invasion” :60
Doner
Michael Lippert, Cutters
IBM “On Brand” 2:14
VSA Partners
BEST OF DALLAS
Kristina Z. Cruse, Fast Cuts Edits
Procter & Gamble/Walmart “College TV” :60
Saatchi + Saatchi X Worldwide
Richard Gillespie, Fast Cuts Edits
Domtar Paper Company “Bridal Shower” :40
Eric Mower + Associates
Marc Stone, 3008
Jeep “Restlessness” :60
The Richards Group
BEST OF DETROIT
Terry King, Territory
Cadillac “Monkey Do” :30
Rogue
Kevin O’Brien, Cutters/Detroit
Chrysler Group LLC “America’s Import” 2:00
GlobalHue
Rich Smith, Hudson Editorial
Quicken Loans “Chase” :60
Driven
BEST OF LOS ANGELES
Stewart Reeves, Rock Paper Scissors
Land Rover “Roam Free” :60
Y&R
Greg Scruton, Arcade Edit
Ad Council / Keep America Beautiful “Recycling- Journey” 1:30
Pereira Odell
Angus Wall, Rock Paper Scissors
Nike “Possibilities” 1:30
Wieden + Kennedy
BEST OF MINNEAPOLIS
Jim Stanger, Channel Z
Blackhawk “Own It” :30
Hunt Adkins
Jim Stanger, Channel Z
Canterbury Park “Dynamic Moments” :30
Hunt Adkins
Mick Uzendoski, Drive Thru Editorial
Subaru Dogs 2014
“What’sThe Fuss About” :30
Carmichael Lynch
BEST OF NEW YORK
Chris Franklin, Big Sky
Nerve.com “Ghost” :90
O Positive
Gary Knight, Cut+Run NY
Coca Cola “Everything for Football” :60
Ogilvy & Mather
Sonejuhi Sinha, Final Cut USA
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence “Stand Your Ground” 1:25
Grey
BEST OF SAN FRANCISCO
Pete Koob, Cut+Run SF
Adobe “Click Baby, Click” :60
Goodby,Silverstein & Partners
Peter Koob, Cut+Run SF
Mini Cooper “Aaaaah” :45
BSSP
Brian Lagerhausen, Beast SF
Google “Fearless” :60
Autofuss
BEST OF TORONTO
Graham Chisholm, Married to Giants
Responsible Gambling Council “Know When To Stop” :46
Red Lion
Alison Gordon, Relish
Kobo “The Gift of Reading” :60
John St.
Marc Langley, Rooster
Molson “The Beer Fridge” :90
Rethink