VOLT Studios has brought Tom Jacobsen aboard as partner and creative director. Most recently a filmmaker and design director at Pixel Farm, Jacobsen has lent his creative voice to projects on many levels, including directing and animating projects for all screens. Target, 3M, Best Buy, Smirnoff and other noted brands and their respective agencies have collaborated with Jacobsen to bring ideas to life. Jacobsen’s contribution to commercials and music videos has been recognized with honors from the AICP Show and MTV Music Video Awards.
National and international film festivals have screened Jacobsen’s lyrical short films for motionpoems.com, a nonprofit that brings poets and filmmakers together to create compelling hybrid films. His most recent film premiered this October at the Weisman Museum as part of the exhibit “Big Bridges. A Collaboration.” He’s also crafted media for experiential and site specific projects for the Minnesota Twins’ stadium, the Golden State Warriors arena, New York’s Grand Central Station, and the Coca-Cola Theater in Atlanta and the Walker Art Center.
Jacobsen received traditional art training at St. Olaf College and an MFA from UCLA film school. Following graduation from UCLA, Jacobsen worked in Los Angeles as a 3D artist and art director for video games before becoming a lead VFX artist on feature films. His move to Minneapolis, working at both Crash & Sue’s and Pixel Farm, deepened his experience in short form and advertising. Over the years, he has applied his passion for storytelling to a variety of mediums and applications.
“As someone who began as a filmmaker and fine artist, I love the direction the industry is taking,” said Jacobsen. “There’s a growing emphasis on enhanced collaboration, a blurring of traditional lines, both in terms of partnerships and media approaches. The result is a stronger product. VOLT Studios is a great environment to explore and develop what’s next for our clients.”
VOLT Studios collaborates with ad agencies, brands, studios and networks, providing creative production and post services, from concept through completion. At VOLT, Jacobsen will apply his signature blend of filmmaking artistry and strategic thinking to creating visual content for advertising and branded installations.
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