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.
Is “Glicked” The New “Barbenheimer”? “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” Hit Theater Screens
"Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen.
The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.
And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).
This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.
"'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."
As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More