Original music house Comma has bolstered its national presence with a new studio, a new hire and a promotion in New York City, along with additional personnel in its Los Angeles studio.
While Comma has moved into a penthouse studio on Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood, its New York City-based executive producer of the past three years, Michael Paoletta, takes on a new position as A&R/music supervisor. Before producing for Comma, Paoletta was the brand marketing editor and dance/electronic music editor of Billboard magazine. As Paoletta anchors Comma’s NY studio, his new title reflects the vital role he plays connecting artists and their music with the advertising, branding, and entertainment communities.
He noted that with more music searches and licensing requests being fielded, it behooved Comma to devote more time and resources to artists and repertoire. “The traditional music house model is no more,” said Paoletta. “Comma’s foundation is original music for advertising, but there is also much work for us in film, TV, and other creative outlets. At the end of the day, it’s about having the postcard-perfect emotional connection between band and brand—whatever the medium. We are a one-stop shop for all music-related solutions.”
Taking over the day-to-day producing in New York is Lauren Pecorella, who comes to Comma from ONE, the production arm of postproduction mainstay Optimus. Pecorella and Paoletta are joined by Matt Kelly, a composer who recently moved to New York after establishing himself as part of Comma’s Chicago team. Kelly’s music can be heard in spots for such clients as Allstate, Kellogg’s, Nintendo, Alka-Seltzer and Payless.
Earlier this year, longtime Comma Chicago producer Becca Scampini moved out west where she assumed the role of sr. producer. Scampini has worked hand-in-hand with Comma’s managing director Bonny Dolan for four years. She joins Comma’s three West Coast Composers—Justin Hori, Josh Good, and Mark Scearce—who recently moved into new studios on the border of Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
Libby Morris, who drops the “associate” from her producer title, now commandeers Comma’s Chicago team. She completes Comma’s coast-to-coast team of producers. Larry Pecorella, Comma co-founder/creative director and current Association of Music Producers (AMP) president, said of his company’s evolution, “Our changes are allowing us to take full advantage of the opportunities being presented. We have the ability to work and be fully integrated in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.” Larry Pecorella’s longstanding Comma colleague is co-founder/creative director Bryan Rheude.
Comma was launched in 2001. In 2007, Comma opened Particle, an independent post audio and sound design facility, featuring three surround/ISDN capable mix rooms. In 2010, Comma launched Onda, offering integrated music and audio solutions to the Hispanic market.
Director Angie Bird Joins Scheme Engine For U.S. Representation
Scheme Engine has added director/photographer Angie Bird to its roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and original content.
Bird crafts deeply human and charismatic portrayals of community, empowerment and the rituals of celebration across commercials, elevated documentary and short film. A former agency creative, Bird has a body of brand work consisting of cinematic lifestyle campaigns for Nike, Dove, Allstate, Procter & Gamble and the YMCA, among others. Prior to joining Scheme Engine, Bird was most recently represented in the U.S. for commercials by production house Curfew.
Two years into her career, Bird back in 2016 won a Cannes Young Director Award for “Mean Tweets,” a provocative campaign for Raising the Roof, that challenged stereotypes of unhoused individuals with striking humanizing portraits. The project earned honors at the Clios, and Webbys and was shortlisted at Cannes.
Her Gillette campaign, “First Shave”--a heartfelt examination of masculinity in the trans community--earned three Cannes prizes and won honors at the Clios and The One Show.
As a director invested in films that ignite conversation, and inspire action, Bird embraces challenging, overlooked stories, bringing to light complex, authentically heroic characters faced with cultural stigmatization and gender-based discrimination. She co-wrote and directed "Short Life Stories" for White Ribbon and Canadian agency Bensimon Byrne--a shattering call to dismantle transphobia, following the journey of a transgender woman as she steps into her authentic life. The campaign won six awards at One SCREEN 2024, including Best in Region: North America and Best in Show
“I’m inspired,” affirmed Bird, “to create stories that champion the... Read More