“The Thing That Happened,” a documentary short directed and produced by IDENTITY director Andrew Walton, won the Grand Jury Prize for best documentary short at the United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) in Palo Alto, Calif last week and will also have its New York premiere at New York’s Documentary Festival, Nov 2-10. nnThe 20-minute documentary profiles the Hope North Secondary and Vocational School in northern Uganda. Founded by Okello Sam, a victim of Rebel attacks, the school is a refuge for children caught in the crossfire of Uganda’s civil war – those who were orphaned, forced to be child soldiers, or left in abject poverty. The film focuses on the many challenges facing Hope North‘s teachers as they try to help the children overcome their pasts and build a positive future. nnWalton, a commercial director represented by IDENTITY, produced “The Thing That Happened” independently with the help of private donors and fiscal sponsorship from non-profit Arts Engine, who also helped the director finance his first full-length feature documentary, Arctic Son in 2007. The director raised $10,000 to cover travel costs for himself and DP Jeff Stonehouse to spend three weeks filming at the school in Uganda, and collaborated with many other talented individuals and organizations who donated time and resources including Whitehouse Editorial, IDENTITY, Gramercy Post, Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, musician Michael Rohatyn and others. nnnnIn keeping with his trademark realism and humanistic storytelling style, Walton spent the first few days at Hope North getting to know the students and teachers and building up a sense of trust before shooting. Walton and Stonehouse shot with Canon 5D and 7D cameras and used natural lighting throughout to make the experience less invasive for their interview subjects. The film captures not only profound stories of loss and suffering, but also the incredible natural beauty of the region and the hope and optimism of the school’s teachers and students. nn”This school is incredibly remote, it has no electricity, no technology, and around 200 students sharing 4 textbooks. Even if you don’t know anything about the civil war in Uganda or the Lord’s Resistance Army, you watch this film and understand immediately that this is simply a school that needs help. And the goal with this film is to help them out,” explained Walton. nn”I feel incredibly lucky in my job as a director, and this film not only allowed me to experience the creative freedom I don’t usually experience in the advertising world—but also an opportunity to apply my filmmaking skills towards a very great cause, not to mention work with so many amazing people. From cinematographer Jeff Stonehouse, to editor Steve Jess to composers Adam Horovitz and Michael Rohatyn who all generously donated their time and talent to this film,” Walton concluded.nnWalton was introduced to Hope North as a potential film subject by Cause Effect Agency, a media and marketing firm dedicated to promoting good causes; click here for more information about Hope North or to donate money to the school.nnCreditsnnTitle: The Thing That HappenednDirected and Produced by: Andrew WaltonnEdited by: Stephen JessnCinematographer: Jeff StonehousenOriginal Score by: Adam Horovitz & Michael RohatynnColorist: Matt SchwabnRe-Recording Mixer: Joel RaabennEditorial services provided by: The Whitehouse PostnVisual Effects provided by: Carbon VFXnSound facilities provided by: Grammercy PostnnFiscal sponsorship provided by: Arts EnginennMajor Funding provided by: The San Francisco FoundationnAdditional Funding provided by: The W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Chris & Betty Christ; Jim & Lucy Mooney; Jonathan & Salome Walton; Dan & Judy GuynnPresented by: Walton Films in association with Identity MediannAbout IDENTITYnIn a world where sameness is on the rise, IDENTITY wins by imprinting every project with visual sophistication and refreshing individuality. Leveraging a highly-sought after directorial roster, Owner/EP Joe Masi has made his mark on award-winning work for Nintendo, Honda, Budweiser, 7UP, Tommy Hilfiger, Infiniti, and Gucci. IDENTITY fosters and supports an environment where creativity can flourish. Headlining the visual-style genre, IDENTITY‘s directors cover the complete range of storytelling and effects. IDENTITY‘s directorial roster includes: Anthony Atanasio, Javier Blanco, Laurent Chanez, Scott Corbett, Pierluca de Carlo, Sophie Caretta, Mathilde De L’ecotais, Fortune Cookie, Leo Kocking, Robert Leacock and Andrew Walton. www.IDENTITYid.com
Karen Raz Raz PR for IDENTITY 310.450.1482 Contact Karen 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