Human, one of America’s pre-eminent original music composition and sound design agencies specializing in unique and compelling music for the international advertising industry, recently contributed Music and/or Original Sound Design to three 2008 “Webby Award” Winners.
Human’s Original Sound Design and Musical End Tag for the spot Nike+ “The Getaway” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99g7clQB2NM ) contributed to that project’s Director, Todd Heyman, having just won a 2008 “Webby Award” as a Best Commercial Honoree, a distinction that recognizes work exhibiting remarkable achievement. The Nike+ “The Getaway” spot was a flagship production of Executive Producer Mike Downey’s Hero Content and was lensed by cinematographer Andy Lilien.
Human also provided Music to two additional 2008 “Webby Award” Winners. In the category “Other Advertising: Game or Application,” the honors were the “Webby Award” and the “People’s Choice Award” for the project: Coca-Cola “Happiness Factory.” (To view, please see: http://www.coca-cola.com/HF/index.jsp)
Human composer Gareth Williams said, “These three ‘Webby Award’ wins are a real honor in light of all of the amazing work that you see on a daily basis through the vast outlets of the Internet. We are very proud of our contributions to these awards, since Human is always trying to push the limits of sound. In particular, for ‘The Getaway,’ to be recognized amongst all of the other incredible work out there, really means a lot to us.”
He elaborates on the thinking behind the Sound Design for the winning project. “For the actual feeling of a bank robbery in ‘The Getaway,’ we played with over-treating all of the sounds through guitar pedals, shouting things through metal tubes, putting subway sounds through feedback loops and generally abusing all of the natural sounds you would find in a city environment, so that the audio would take on a claustrophobic, intense atmosphere. Using a natural sound palette as one might use paint, and then abusing the medium, not unlike throwing paint at a canvas, was the approach we went for on this spot. Our goal was an aggressive sound collage to create a mood, instead of a realistic portrayal of the city, helped to create the confusion and intensity of the spot.”
Williams adds, “Human worked very closely with Todd Heyman, the director. Todd has such a great ear and imagination that he would be able to picture each sound as it related to the overall commercial and judge it by itself. Having a director with such objectivity allowed us to be true collaborators. From here, we built our foundation of selected sounds, and once a tone had been established from the raw material, we simply assembled it according to the edit. Todd also had a good grasp of perspective and how some sounds needed to be quiet to grab your attention, while other sounds that you weren’t necessarily seeing could be really in your face to create a compelling piece which always kept you on your toes.”
ABOUT Nike+ “The Getaway:”
In the Nike+ “The Getaway” spot, a hooded figure flees a dramatic bank robbery, bounding over the Manhattan landscape to get away. As the figure is cornered by mounting forces, an unexpected truth is revealed. Directed by Todd Heyman (www.toddheymandirector.com) and produced by Hero Content.
Based in New York City, Hero Content, is a full service content provider specializing in finding the most efficient and impactful production solutions for its clients. Talent for Nike+ “The Getaway:” Joyce Joyce Virani, Ben Gartman. Post Production Credits –Sound Design: Human. Nice Shoes: Chris Ryan, Nancy Polstein. Sound Lounge: Tom Juacarone. Creative Bubble: David Cohen, Tomoko Nakanura, Jim Snarkski
About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “Oscars of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Annual Webby Awards, presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, are the leading international awards honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video, and Mobile Websites. Established in 1996, the 12th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide.
The awards are judged by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organization that includes David Bowie, Harvey Weinstein, Arianna Huffington, Matt Groening, Jamie Oliver, Internet inventor Vinton Cerf, and RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser.
ABOUT HUMAN:
Founded in 2001 by renowned composers Morgan Visconti, Andrew Bloch, Gareth Williams, and Managing Partner Marc Altshuler, Human is a multi-award winning collective specializing in the creation and production of original and compelling music and sound design for the international advertising industry.
Human has offices in New York and Los Angeles. For more information, please visit: www.humanworldwide.com
