NEW YORK-Raw Talent’s Oliver Wicki has been promoted to editor/designer at commercial editorial house The Blue Rock Editing Co. Raw Talent is a Blue Rock unit launched a year ago to develop and promote young talent; Palestrini Post Production is the parent company of both New York-based entities.
Wicki is the first to move up the Raw Talent/Blue Rock editor ranks, where he cut exclusively for the past six months. For a year and a half before that, he assisted Blue Rock editor Chip Smith. "Oliver is the epitome of what we designed Raw Talent to be," said Blue Rock/Raw Talent president Ethel Rubinstein. "His success proves what a great idea it was. … [It is] a venue to make people aware of talent."
Wicki combines his editing skills with graphic design, frequently working with such tools as Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects. As his promotion was announced, he completed a not-yet-airing Heineken spot, "Historic Places," for Lowe & Partners/SMS, New York. And at press time Wicki was cutting "One Sun," a spot promoting a direct-to-video miniseries spin-off of The X-Files through bicoastal/international The Attik.
His recent Raw Talent spotwork included "Chef Aid," a Comedy Central promo direct for the network that features South Park characters. That assignment also came in through The Attik.
"He is so passionate about what he does," Rubinstein said of Wicki. "His ability to marry design and editing is truly unique."
Wicki studied graphic design at L’Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Geneva, Switzerland, and followed that with a stint at McCann-Erickson’s Geneva office. He moved to New York seven years ago, learned English and began freelancing in production and post. Two years ago, he landed his position at Blue Rock (then Palestrini Post Production).
Of the Raw Talent experience, Wicki commented, "It really helped me out, and I think it’s going to help other people. [Raw Talent] allowed us to be exposed to a wider community."
