Director/3-D animator Dave Foss and live-action director/graphic designer Bil White have joined Hollywood-based Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials, a division of animation studio Klasky Csupo.
Foss and White have each worked regularly as freelancers via Class-Key Chew-Po. In retrospect, those freelance gigs could be characterized as test drives, which were successful enough to merit the helmers and Class-Key Chew-Po formalizing their relationship.
During the past year while freelancing at Class-Key Chew-Po, Foss directed a CG animation campaign for Animax, a block of kids’ animation programs marketed by Columbia Tri-Star Television International; the campaign went on to win a 2000 Broadcast Design Association Awards’ gold medal. Other credits compiled there by then freelancer Foss included: helming a San Diego Wildlife Park spot for agency Phillips Ramsey, San Diego; serving as CG animator for two election-themed Cocoa Puffs commercials directed by Class-Key Chew-Po’s Bonita Versh for Saatchi & Saatchi, New York; and animating "What’s in Heidi’s Head," a project for Nickelodeon’s Snick Snacks.
Foss continues to maintain his Force Extreme Anti-mation banner in Los Angeles, to take on other projects as a CG animator. He moved to Southern California from Chicago, where his endeavors as an animator included a Coke International campaign for Leo Burnett Co., Chicago, as well as assignments for MTV, the Cartoon Network and the TBS Superstation. Among Foss’ film projects are 47 Hurtz, which was a selection at last year’s Resfest, and his short Horned Grandma, which is currently part of Spike and Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival.
WHITE FLURRY
White’s freelance experience at Class-Key Chew-Po entails directing a live action/graphics combo kids’ spot for Furby via New York agency Posnick & Kolker; helming a Nickelodeon live action/animation/graphics :60 promo for a sweepstakes tie-in to the Klasky Csupo Rugrats in Paris movie; directing the animation portion of a combo spot (live action helmed by Bill Linsman via Ocean Park Pictures, Venice, Calif. ) for Honda via Rubin Postaer and Associates, Santa Monica; and serving as live-action director on a combo :15 (with animation directed by Versh) for Nabisco. The Nabisco commercial promoted a contest in which kids could get the chance to be animated into the Nickelodeon/Klasky Csupo cartoon series, The Wild Thornberrys.
Class-Key Chew-Po recently moved out of its spot province to produce a White-directed music video, "Don’t Rush Me," for Zoe/Rounder Records’ artist Juliana Hatfield. "We did it as a reel-builder for Bil," explained Class-Key Chew-Po executive producer John Andrews. "We think he has tremendous potential working with live action, animation and graphics—and combining any or all of them into projects."
White’s résumé features extensive work in broadcast design, including show openings for the FX cable network’s Instant Comedy With The Groundlings series and ABC’s Life’s Work, as well as IDs for the Cartoon Network and Home & Garden TV. Prior to these freelance assignments, he was at DESIGNefx, Atlanta, where he directed and shot for varied broadcast design and spot projects.
White and Foss round out a Class-Key Chew-Po animation directorial roster that also consists of: Paul Vester, creative director of digital and mixed media; Versh; Stig Bergqvist, Sally Cruikshank, Tom Decker, Steve Dovas, Raul Garcia, John Haugse, Corky Quakenbush, Walter Santucci, Debra Solomon and the mono-monikered Voltaire. Class-Key Chew-Po is headed by executive producers Andrews and Liz Seidman.
