The Association of Music Producers (AMP) premiered the short film The Third Millennium: 2000–Present at “AOL AMP’d UP!. Presented by Platform A,” Advertising Week V’s opening night concert at the Nokia Theatre in New York City on Sept. 22. The soundtrack, composed and produced by AMP-member companies, was performed live by an orchestra while the film, an extraordinary montage of images chronicling recent history, screened. Virtually all of the footage for the film was provided by Thought Equity Motion, and Paul Kelly of Beast, New York, edited the piece.
With a running time of five minutes, The Third Millennium chronicles the historic events of the past eight-plus years–from the triumphant New Years’ celebrations of 2000 to the tragic events of 9/11 to the Mars landing and the recent Olympic Games.
“This film is a great collaborative effort, showcasing many talents,” said Lyle Greenfield, president of the national board of AMP, and founder of Bang Music, who crafted the film’s concept. “It’s a unique example of what AMP member companies and composers are capable of–what we do.”
The original music score was composed in collaboration among Liz Myers (Trivers/Myers); Chris Plansker (Yessian Music); Jeff Slutz (Sugarbox); and Ben Zebelman (Octave Music). Each composer scored a portion of the film, with their combined efforts fluidly melding into one cohesive track. Executive producers for the film’s music were PJ Hanke of Sovereign and Jason Menkes of the newly launched COPILOT.
Menkes, VP of AMP’s New York board, noted, “The creative challenge of this project was to provide a consistent narrative while balancing individual expression through writing freedom. We chose these four composers specifically for their unique viewpoints, yet it was equally essential to present this work as a single living piece.”
The soundtrack to the film supports and gives cohesiveness to the moving images. “It was gratifying–and challenging–to be a part of this project and frankly, pretty extraordinary to view all we have lived through in the past eight years,” said Kelly.
The film tapped into Thought Equity Motion’s inventory for archival footage. “We provided 95 percent of the footage for this film–giving the producers nearly 800 clips to select from,” said Thought Equity Motion CEO/founder Kevin Schaff.
“This is a great example of seeing editorial content typically used only in documentaries or news programs in a fresh, creative light,” continued Schaff. “The end result is both entertaining and thought-provoking.”
Since 2006, AMP and the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) have brought their expertise to the planning of Advertising Week’s opening night celebration (which this year featured performances by OutKast’s Big Boi and N*E*R*D), as well as other entertainment events during The Week.
“But The Third Millennium film,” affirmed Greenfield, “is one ‘event’ that has brought together a full ensemble of creative forces in our industry–live action, still photography, editorial, soundtrack composition, sound design, performance, audio post, It rocks!”
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More