Fresh off the announcement of this spring’s purchase of RingSide Creative (RSC) by Cutters founder Tim McGuire and industry veteran Steve Wild, the two are at it again with the launch of Picnic.
Chicago-based Cutters Studios and Detroit-based RSC, who have traditionally offered high-end commercial production and post-production services, have combined resources and added key hires to provide integrated content campaigns & solutions to global advertising agencies and beyond. Picnic will specialize in highly-interactive, branded content experiences that connect consumers to brands.
“We are always looking to improve the service and solutions provided to our clients,” said Cutters President Tim McGuire. “By offering integrated media services via Picnic, we can now provide solutions to ad agencies separately or combined to create a unique campaign – whatever best suits the needs and objectives of the brand.” “The first step was to further enhance the interactive services & technology expertise at RingSide by hiring a proven leader,” said new RSC CEO Wild.
Jim Shanley, RingSide’s EVP Interactive Services (and key hire of Wild after acquiring RSC) will lead the Picnic effort as Managing Director. Shanley began his career as President and COO of Rootlevel, Inc. – one of the Midwest’s leading web applications companies and then later cofounded (with Wild) the media solutions property, Emerge, as a division of Grace & Wild Studios.
“Jim brings a unique blend of interactive technology and strategic marketing expertise to the Picnic initiative. Jim has spent his career delivering immersive interactive experiences for global brands. He truly understands the emerging media landscape and has an uncanny ability to pinpoint a client’s need and offer the right solution,” continued Wild.
In addition, Chris Greenleaf joins Picnic as Executive Director, Client Strategy. Prior, Greenleaf worked at GoTV Networks where he launched their branded content divisions and produced branded content executions for Tide, Lexus, Verizon, Parade Magazine, 20th Century Fox, Penske, Tampax & Always and Wrigley.
“Our goal was to combine Cutters national reach and comprehensive talent pool in Chicago, LA (and now Detroit), with an award-winning, branded content expert – Chris is that expert,” says Shanley.
Greenleaf’s experience extends well into the realm of Hollywood where he created, developed and executive produced television for nationally known media networks such as MTV, Oxygen, USA, CMT, NBC and served as an executive for Viacom, CBS and while at Comedy Central, was instrumental in the start-up of the hit animated series “South Park.”
Shanley added, “By combining Chris’s creative strategy and Hollywood based production experience with RingSide’s interactive expertise, we have created a ‘go to’ resource for advertising agencies to create original content and interactive IP solutions.”
With the power of Cutters and RingSide Creative behind them and an arsenal of teleproduction services at their disposal, Picnic is able to handle any piece, part, or complete solution for branded content experiences – from website and micro-site development, flash programming and augmented reality to social media development and mobile applications.
To find out how Picnic can develop brand consumer experiences, please call 248.548.5246 or visit us at www.picnicmedia.tv.
Contact:Amy Weishuhn Marketing 248-548-2500 Main Contact Amy via email
“Ǝvolution” Comes Full Circle At The Chelsea Film Festival
The Chelsea Film Festival, running from October 16th through October 20th, 2024, at Regal Cinemas here in Union Square, is set to host the East Coast premiere of Ǝvolution, a thought-provoking experimental micro-short film that proves big ideas can come in small packages and in perfect circles.
In just 1 minute 16 seconds, this cinematic gem by Award-Winning Director Romina Schwedler, with original music by Argentine Composer Ignacio Montoya Carlotto, explores a cycle as old as time: life leads to progress, progress leads to destruction, and destruction, well, leads back to life. But is this vicious circle unbreakable? Ǝvolution suggests the answer is yes, unless we decide to open our eyes.
Inspired by the overwhelming number of recent events that threaten human existence, Ǝvolution, possibly the shortest film in this 12th edition of the festival, plays out entirely through the symbolism of circles, cleverly illustrating —in the blink of an eye— the repeating patterns of history, and confronting viewers with the uncomfortable truth that our so-called “progress” may, in fact, be guiding us to our own ruin.Premiering at the Regal 14 Union Square, New York City, on October 18, 2024, at 11 a.m., Romina Schwedler's micro-short, featuring Leah Young with cinematography by Alan J. Carmona, will be sure to spark conversations longer than the film itself! Forcing viewers to reconsider the true meaning of evolution, not just as a biological process, but as a reflection of our collective journey as humans.
With a string of festival appearances across the globe, including CineGlobe at CERN (Switzerland/France), Oscar®... Read More