STORY signs directors The Barkers for wider ad work

The Barkers, Kristen and Chris

THE BARKERS — the husband-and-wife team of Kristen and Chris Barker — has been signed by STORY for commercial advertising representation. “And right off, we’re bidding a couple of beer spots for them,” says STORY EP Mark Androw.

The Chicago-based couple, who met at Indiana U, is “creative auteurs,” as Androw describes them, “still photographers, live action directors, graphic designers, editors and musicians, very hands-on.

“They’d been repped for still photography and we feel we can give them a broader, national exposure for commercials,” Androw adds. “They’re being noticed for their ‘Life Shared,’ casual, youth-oriented lifestyle material.”

The Barkers were recommended to Androw through a friend at Saatchi & Saatchi/New York for whom The Barkers had directed various projects. Recent spots were Iams dog food for Saatchi and P&G and Always for Leo Burnett.  They have shot ad stills for Kraft, Google, United Airlines, Hewlett Packard, among others.

Dawn Radcliffe represents STORY’s 10 directors in the Midwest.

FILMMAKER JOE SWANBERG, Chicago’s gift to indie cinema, will attend the Chicago premiere of his new feature, “Happy Christmas,” tonight, Sept. 2, at the Midwest International Film Festival, Landmark Century Centre Cinema, where doors open at 6 p.m. 

NEW AGENCY BARRIE, D’ROZARIO DILORENZO of Minneapolis is opening a Chicago branch later this month, with Joy Schwartz having left Havas Worldwide after 12 years to become BDD’s managing director. She’d been Havas co-president and most recently its North American president of performance marketing.

DEB BOYDA STARTS TODAY as president of Razorfish’s central region, overseeing its Chicago and Austin offices.  She moves from VP/general manager of Beam Global Spirits & Wine. The agency business is nothing new to Boyda, who’s been managing partner of O&M and Euro RSCG, and an SVP/Leo Burnett.

USA’S “SIRENS'” SEASON TWO starts filming Monday, Sept. 8 and Erin Stewart and Jess Gisin’s 4 Star Casting is seeking extras for the 13-episode series. Here a re a few of the specialties they are looking for:

Female volleyball players (preferably read), any ethnicity, 18 to 35, and must be comfortable in a bikini; subject line, Volleyball.

People in the park performing Tai Chi (preferably with knowledge of the practice), Asian, male/female, 20 to 70; subject line, Tai Chi.

Prom goers, any ethnicity, male/female, 18 to 24. “We’d love to see photos of the girls in their dresses; the funky and more fun the dress, the better;” subject line, Prom.

Send submissions to extras4sirens@gmail.com, with appropriate subject line. Include name, age, height, weight, phone number and return Email. For which Stewart and Gisin thank you in advance.

AT RPM’S RECENT 20th  ANNIVRSARY PARTY partners Steve Platcow and Mark Maling generously gave back to the community with two donations: $10,000 each to Christian Fenger High School in Roseland to help with day-to-to financial challenges, and the Chicago Public Library Foundation, as part of their on-going, pro bono support for the Foundation. 

A GUEST SPOT ON “CHECK, PLEASE!” being auctioned on Ebay will benefit the continuing work of Media Burn archives. The winner gets his 15 minutes of fame as a bartender on the Sept. 10 show. But hurry, the bidding ends at noon Wednesday.

FILMMAKER SUZANNE SUFFREDIN’S acclaimed plight of the homeless doc, @home,” screens Thursday, Sept. 4 at 5:30 p.m., at the James C. Tyree Auditorium at Mesirow Financial. Host is Goldie’s Place, a homeless service organization Goldie’s Place, whose participants will tell their inspiring home-out of homelessness stories.

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