Commercial and feature editor Dan Swietlik has joined forces with London-based editorial house Stitch, opening up an office in Santa Monica. The move will see immediate collaboration on projects between the U.S. and U.K. operations.
Swietlik is part of a Stitch L.A. roster of editors that also consists of David Checel, Marc D’Andre, Frank Effron, Tad Fatum and Jeff Grippe. This ensemble of talent had previously been at editorial house Cut+Run.
Also Cut+Run alumni are editors Andy McGraw, Leo King and Tim Hardy who a year ago opened Stitch in London’s Soho district. The Stitch U.K. editors have gone on to cut campaigns for such clients as BMW, Ford, Johnnie Walker, Heineken, Kit Kat, Motorola, Panasonic, Range Rover, Samsung, VW, Vodafone and Weetabix.
Charged with helping to expand the Stitch brand stateside is executive producer Stacey Altman, a former independent sales rep.
The first project wrapped under the U.S./U.K. Stitch banner is the American launch of the Smart Car directed by Guy Shelmerdine of Smuggler and edited by McGraw for Merkley + Partners, New York.
At Stitch L.A., Effron has also edited a Mercedes-Benz commercial directed by Carl Eric Rinsch of RSA Films, and delivered two spots for Jimmy Dean with director Jeff Low of Biscuit through TBWAChiatDay, Los Angeles.
Stitch is in the midst of a Hyundai-funded project with executive producer Tom Dunlap at Scott Free/RSA Films. It’s a non-fiction branded content effort directed by Amir Bar-Lev whose credits include the documentaries The Tillman Story and My Kid Could Paint That, which were nominated for the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize in 2010 and ’07, respectively. The Hyundai project will see a number of disparate elements created (such as interstitials) that will come together in addition to a documentary.
“We currently have three editors working on trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, music video elements and more,” said Swietlik regarding the job. “There is no shoehorned Hyundai product placement in the material. The brand is added in a subtle, organic way. It’s crafted with entertainment in mind.”
The project also underscores Swietlik’s propensity to team on documentary work as evidenced by such feature-length projects as director Michael Moore’s Sicko (edited by Swietlik, Geoffrey Richman and Christopher Seward) and director Davis Guggenheim’s An Inconvenient Truth (edited by Swietlik and Jay Cassidy). Swietlik’s credits also include he and Dayn Williams (of Cut+Run) editing the Rinsch-directed short film The Gift, part of the Philips’ “Parallel Lines” campaign’s series of shorts out of DDB London. The Gift won the Grand Prix in last year’s inaugural Film Craft competition at the Cannes Lions Festival.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More