Paul Matthaeus, Digital Kitchen founder, CEO and chief creative officer, has stepped down as DK’s ranking creative visionary to pursue new creative endeavors outside the company, and has delegated day-to-day creative leadership to DK’s creative managers under the supervision of Mark Bashore as head of creative. Matthaeus will remain a major DK interest holder, board member and creative consultant. Matthaeus explained, “It’s been an amazing ride, but I grew to renew my need for greater intimacy with the creative work. So it’s time to break new ground again- I intend to take my experience founding and building DK and apply it to entirely new initiatives. The opportunity to build something wildly creative is what inspired me to start DK, and that’s what I intend to do again.” “Paul is a visionary,” commented Don McNeill, Matthaeus’ partner since 2000. “For the nine years we’ve built DK together, he’s never lost sight of the importance of great creative work and great talent. But he always keeps a keen eye on what’s next. So I’m excited to see Paul embark on another creative journey. Whatever he decides to pursue will undoubtedly be cool. He’s a great partner and great friend.” Since DK’s inception in 1995, it grew from a three-man shop adjoining the kitchen of Matthaeus’ regional advertising agency into a bicoastal creative design-driven network with over 90 full and part-time employees with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle. Matthaeus noted, “If appropriate, I fully intend to deploy the resources and infrastructure of DK in my new ventures.” DK has worked for clients including Nike, adidas, AT&T, Microsoft, GM, Ferrari, HBO, Showtime, Dreamworks, Sony Entertainment, and all the major networks. Matthaeus is probably best known for his creative approach in television entertainment- which includes the opening creative direction for Six Feet Under, Nip/Tuck, House, Rescue Me, Ghost Whisperer, The Path to 9/11, The Company and Dexter. His latest contribution was in the creation of the opening sequence for True Blood, the highly anticipated HBO series that broke this fall by Oscar-winning creator/writer/director Alan Ball. Over the years, Matthaeus has mentored hundreds of young digital filmmakers, many of who have gone on to found their own firms. He also has evangelized the creative process at numerous design conferences, marketing and broadcast media events.
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