Swell Pictures, a Chicago-based post facility, has added editor Joe Otting.
Otting comes over from BBDO Chicago, where he spent the last three years working both as a producer and an editor. He produced radio commercials for such clients as Dominick’s grocery chain. He additionally produced, edited and occasionally directed test TV spots and presentation videos for such BBDO clients as Kahlua, Wrigley’s gum, Aleve, Cleveland Clinic and EthnicGrocer.com.
Otting has also written and directed several independent film projects, including the short, What Dogs Do, a dark comedy involving a dog, a nosy neighbor and a missing pet rabbit. It was screened at the ’99 Sundance Film Festival, the nationally touring ’99 Dockers Classically Independent Film Festival, as well as at Video Playhouse, a screening of work by local filmmakers sponsored by Swell. What Dogs Do is currently airing on PBS stations in San Francisco, Chicago and San Diego.
Otting explained he was familiar with Swell, which he had tapped to do postproduction on some BBDO projects he produced. He added the move to Swell was a natural one for him in that it is an environment that allows him to work on his craft full-time. "I love editing and directing," said Otting, "and find that my skills in one continually enhance my skills in the other. It’s great to be in a place like Swell. It gives me the opportunity to edit high-end spots and offers the resources to help develop new independent projects."
Now at Swell, Otting is in the process of editing a television pilot for an undisclosed client and is working with several creatives at BBDO to assemble some spec spots that he intends to edit for his showreel.
After graduating in ’96 from Columbia College, Chicago, with a B.A. in directing, Otting spent eight months working in the Chicago film industry in various crew positions, including as a production assistant and a script supervisor on the feature Do You Want To Dance, a ’97 Largo Entertainment release.
