Athena Studios, an Emeryville, CA-based company specializing in production services for film, animation, and multimedia clients, is in the home stretch with its Kickstarter campaign to raise funds toward the production of an animated film, “Auntie Claus.” The Kickstarter campaign will conclude on Thursday, Oct 17, at 5:30pm PT. The studio obtained the feature film rights to the award-winning children’s Christmas book by author Elise Primavera over the summer. The announcement was made today by Jon V. Peters, CEO/Founder, Athena Studios. Please see Kickstarter here.rnrnPeters and Athena Studios worked on the “Auntie Claus” pitch trailer, featured on the Kickstarter site, with four time Academy Award®-winning sound designer and motion picture editor Ben Burtt, at Skywalker Sound, a Lucasfilm company. Peters and “Auntie Claus” co-producer Brice Parker recently met Burtt during a chance encounter at Burbank Airport, and shared with him their vision for the film, and the fact that its production could create 200 jobs for the Bay Area film community.rnrn
rnrnUltimately, Athena Studios plans the project as a 90-minute, stop-motion animated motion picture. In addition to Burtt, other heavyweight animation industry figures already committed to the production of “Auntie Claus” include:rnrnPete Kozachik, Director of Photography: Kozachik has served as DP on “Coraline,” “The Corpse Bride,” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” He was involved with the Visual Effects on “Star Wars Episode II,” “Ghostbusters 2,” “Starship Troopers,” “Star Trek IV,” and “Robocop 2 and 3.”rnrnTom Proost, Art Director: Proost has served as Art Director on “Coraline,” and worked in Visual Effects for “Galaxy Quest,” “Star Wars: Episode II,” “The Mummy,” “AI: Artificial Intelligence,” and “The Matrix 2 and 3.” rnrnBrice Parker, Producer: Parker is a Pixar Animation Studios and ILM alum and was involved with Visual Effects management on the “Jurassic Park” and “The Matrix” film franchises. rnrnTim Taylor, Camera and Lighting: Taylor ran camera for “Coraline” and “Frankenweenie,” and worked in Visual Effects for “Con Air” and “Back to the Future 2.” rnrnAbout “AUNTIE CLAUS: THE MOVIE”rnOriginally released in 1999 by Harcourt, Inc., the book “Auntie Claus,” by author Elise Primavera, is the holiday story of 11-year old Sophie, a girl who is a materialistic byproduct of an entitled generation. For Sophie, the true meaning of the Christmas holiday comes from a store and arrives wrapped with a bow. One Christmas, all of that changes, however, when she follow her mysterious Aunt on a business trip and learns of her true heritage – Santa is very real, and Sophie’s one of the family. Sophie is whisked off on a grand adventure to the North Pole and a mission to rescue the holiday for children everywhere. rnrn”Auntie Claus” is the first in a series of three books by Elise Primavera depicting the adventures of Sophie and her Great Aunt “Auntie Claus.” For more information: Please see Kickstarter herernrnAbout ATHENA STUDIOSrnAthena Studios was launched as a full service production facility for companies seeking to produce their own videos or shoot a feature film. In addition to producing outside projects, Athena Studios, in 2013, also began to develop its own original content for motion pictures, television, web and multi-media presentations. rnrnAthena Studios is conveniently located o
Jon Peters CEO/Founder Athena Studios 510/302-0540 Contact Jon via email
Contact:Media: Dan Harary The Asbury PR Agency 310/859-1831 Contact Dan via email
Stephen Arnold Music Delivers Dynamic Sonic Branding For The Debut of TGL Presented by SoFi
Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) created original music and sonic branding for TGL presented by SoFi, the first-of-its-kind team golf league that debuted this winter in prime time on ESPN to huge viewership and great acclaim. The global leader in sonic branding, SAM collaborated with TGL’s Brand & Creative team to provide music for the league’s electrifying opening title sequence, featuring DJ Khaled, as part of a comprehensive broadcast package that also included a full-length theme, beds, promos, bumps, idents and other elements. Founded by TMRW Sports, TGL is a three-on-three competition involving teams of top players from the PGA TOUR. Matches air and stream exclusively on ESPN platforms in the U.S. and 130 countries worldwide. Three matches from the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., have peaked at more than 1.1 million viewers. The opening theme kicks off the broadcast in a big way, combining dazzling graphics and clips that feature TGL’s tech-infused venue, some of golf’s biggest stars, and DJ Khaled introducing the broadcast and that night’s primetime match-up. The music is distinctively modern, high energy and infectious. “It sets the mood and creates a feeling of anticipation,” says SAM president and creative director Chad Cook. “Just as TGL is unlike any other event in golf, the music is original and unexpected with tempo changes, big drops and strong hooks. The goal is to get people pumped up for two hours of exciting action.” “We were inspired by the energy and uniqueness of TGL,” observes Cook. “The visuals are amazing and complement the sound design to brand the whole experience. TGL is produced live in front of a large and enthusiastic audience, and we wanted to capture that vibe so that viewers feel as though... Read More