HiFi Project–headed by three partners, creative director Paul Robb and EPs Birgit Roberts and Jack Bradley–has expanded its boutique Santa Monica shop into a bicoastal operation, opening a studio in NYC staffed by newly hired exec producer Andrea Minze and composer Robert Di Pietro.
Robb noted that while HiFi planted its roots in L.A., "We've always had our eyes on other large markets. It is important to us, however, that we grow in a way that fully supports the long-term health of the company. More importantly, in a way that lends itself to garnering the highest quality talent available. We had a plan. We wanted to grow smartly, not just quickly. By adding East Coast partner Jack Bradley, and then pausing to set up a second shop in Minneapolis, we feel we now have the momentum necessary to take on the advertising mecca of Manhattan."
HiFi's first item of business in New York was putting the right team in place. Enter Minze, previously the head of creative/music supervisor at Tonic Music in London, following a seven-year stint as agency creative at GSD&M. Minze has worked on projects with notable recording artists like Alabama Shakes, Johnny Jewel, SBTRKT, and The Rolling Stones as well as such notable brands as BMW, AT&T, Nike, Dior, Axe, Dell, Kohler, Bacardi, and VW.
"Jack and I were both agency producers before jumping into the music world," noted Roberts. "Our similar backgrounds, our common understanding of how commercial production works, was the first thing that drew us to Andrea. When you look at what she has accomplished as a music supervisor and producer, and you speak to her about her belief in music, building relationships and how it all has the power to push us beyond the status quo, there is no question she is the perfect fit to help lead this team."
Minze recalled, "I met Birgit on my very last production as a copywriter in advertising. We hit it off immediately. Fast-forward a few years and I was lucky enough to meet the rest of the team, and I knew it would be a great fit."
The other half of the Big Apple team is composer and multi-instrumentalist Robert Di Pietro. DP, as he is probably better known, has shared the stage and recorded with big name artists like Norah Jones, Josh Rouse, Jesse Harris, Elysian Fields, Ursa Minor, and Vanessa Carlton. Di Pietro has performed on Letterman, Leno, Conan, The Today Show and Live From Abbey Road. He made an appearance in Seth MacFarlane's TED and helped score Matthew Barney's cult film Cremaster 4. He has composed music on national campaigns for Best Buy, Mazda, Chevy, Tropicana, Wendy's, Macy's, and many others. Di Pietro has freelanced at such shops as Amber and The Lodge.
Hitting the ground running, HiFi New York's music can already be heard on campaigns for Saatchi, JWT, Digitas, Havas, mcgarrybowen, and McCann.
How The Hollywood Awards Calendar Has Been Affected By The Wildfires
Hollywood's awards season has all but come to a rare halt as the wildfires continue to disrupt life and work in the Los Angeles area. There are near daily updates from the Hollywood guilds and organizations that put on awards shows as the industry navigates the ongoing crisis.
Here's an overview of the major upcoming awards shows, from the Oscars to the Grammys, including updated dates for nominations.
Producers Guild and Writers Guild award nominations
Postponed, no new dates announced
The Writers Guild of America nominations were to be announced Jan. 8, a date that was pushed to Jan. 13 and then postponed indefinitely. The Producers Guild of America nominations for feature films were to be announced on Jan. 10, which was pushed to Jan. 12 and then postponed to an unspecified date this week.
Academy Award nominations
Jan. 23
The Oscar nominations have been twice-delayed — they were initially slated for Jan. 17, then Jan. 19, before being delayed again. The delay in the announcement accommodates an extended voting deadline, as many Academy members have been affected by the wildfires.
The nominations will be announced via a "virtual presentation," eschewing press on site.
Critics Choice Awards
Jan. 26
Originally slated for Jan. 12, the awards were set to take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, only miles from the Pacific Palisades neighborhood where fire was raging.
The awards will be broadcast live on E!, hosted by Chelsea Handler.
Grammy Awards
Feb. 2
By virtue of announcing their nominations back in November, the Grammys' schedule has largely been unaffected by the wildfires. Some... Read More