Nothing like a seemingly inevitable high-speed collision to promote NHL hockey coverage and in the process establish the brand identity of the network carrying those games: Versus, a.k.a. VS.
The sound of tires tearing up the terrain precede shots of a vintage muscle car racing through irrigation fields to out run a fast moving train approaching a railroad crossing. Shots alternate between the train barreling down the tracks and the speeding automobile. At the last moment, the car goes airborne, narrowly missing a broadside disaster with the train–and from there the spot immediately cuts to a pro hockey game with players slamming one another along and against the walls of the rink.
The screen cuts to black and the VS. logo appears, at which point we hear the period end buzzer, followed by the tag, “Versus–The Competition Is On.”
“Chase” is part of a three-spot promo package for the VS. Network directed by Enda McCallion of bicoastal Epoch Films for agency TAXI, New York.
Jerry Solomon executive produced for Epoch, with Pat Harris serving as producer. The DP was Steve Chivers.
The TAXI team consisted of exec creative director/art director Wayne Best, copywriters Vinit Patal and Nathan Frank, art director Paul Caiozzo and producer Cheri Anderson.
Rick Lawley of The Whitehouse, New York, edited “Chase.” Sound designer on the spot was Stephen Dewey of Machine Head, Venice, Calif. Visual effects house was Ring of Fire, West Hollywood, Calif., with an ensemble that included creative director Jerry Spivack, Inferno artist John Ciampa and exec prdoucer John Myers. Audio post mixers were Rex Recker and Tom Goldblatt of audioEngine, New York.
AICP’s Matt Miller Looks To Build Support For Production In L.A. After Devastating Wildfires
Editor’s note: AICP president and CEO Matt Miller issued the following statement addressing the wildfires in Los Angeles and how the industry can help this key production market--a hub of major resources essential to the health of the overall commercialmaking industry:
Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
By Matt Miller, AICP president and CEO
One doesn’t have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent.
But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather.
The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the L.A. area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living.
Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community.
Production is needed in L.A., now!
Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the... Read More