By Brian Diedrick
Ohm Lab, a commercial music/sound design house based in New York, has brought aboard Sharon Middendorf as co-executive producer. Established in late 2001 by partner/sound designer Darin Hallinan and partner/composer Daniel Belardinelli, Ohm Lab is looking to bolster its operations by drawing on Middendorf’s music industry experience.
Middendorf is a singer/songwriter and frontwoman for the New York-based band Motorbaby, which she founded in 1994. Recently, Middendorf produced her band’s sophomore release, Rise, via her own music production shop—Ten Wings Music, New York. During the course of recording the album, she solicited the help of producer Tony Visconti—best known for his work on David Bowie’s early releases.
Middendorf has also been involved in licensing her band’s music for feature film and broadcast productions: She has placed Motorbaby songs in the features Spin The Bottle and Terror Firmer, as well as the TV series Baywatch and Jack & Jill.
When not at the mixing console or the microphone, Middendorf can be found in front of a computer monitor: "I constructed a Web site for my band in ’95," Middendorf remarked, "so I have a considerable amount of experience in interactive marketing. I’m in the process of revamping Ohm Lab’s site right now."
Ohm Lab’s recent spot credits include Volvo, via Euro RSCG MVBMS Partners, New York; Volkswagen through Creative On Demand, Miami; and The American Plastics Council, out of Grey Worldwide, New York. Broadcast projects the shop has completed recently include scoring and sound design work for the MTV Video Music Awards, as well as for VH1 programs Where Are They Now, Summer Splash and 100 Sexiest Videos.
Ohm Lab’s talent roster is rounded out by sound designer Virgil Nafarette and audio editor Lihi Orbach. Wendy Brovetto serves as co-executive producer with Middendorf; Brovetto also serves as executive producer for visual effects/design shop Fish Media, which shares its office space with Ohm Labs.
Sales representation for Ohm Lab will now be handled in-house by Middendorf and Brovetto.
Review: Writer-Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic”
"Heretic" opens with an unusual table setter: Two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are discussing condoms and why some are labeled as large even though they're all pretty much a standard size. "What else do we believe because of marketing?" one asks the other.
That line will echo through the movie, a stimulating discussion of religion that emerges from a horror movie wrapper. Despite a second-half slide and feeling unbalanced, this is the rare movie that combines lots of squirting blood and elevated discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.
Our two church members — played fiercely by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East — are wandering around trying to covert souls when they knock on the door of a sweet-looking cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reed, offers a hearty "Good afternoon!" He welcomes them in, brings them drinks and promises a blueberry pie. He's also interested in learning more about the church. So far, so good.
Mr. Reed is, of course, if you've seen the poster, the baddie and he's played by Hugh Grant, who doesn't go the snarling, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter route in "Heretic." Grant is the slightly bumbling, bashful and self-mocking character we fell in love with in "Four Weddings and a Funeral," but with a smear of menace. He gradually reveals that he actually knows quite a bit about the Mormon religion — and all religions.
"It's good to be religious," he says jauntily and promises his wife will join them soon, a requirement for the church. Homey touches in his home include a framed "Bless This Mess" needlepoint on a wall, but there are also oddities, like his lights are on a timer and there's metal in the walls and ceilings.
Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood — who also... Read More