COMMA MUSIC was the only Chicago honoree among the hundreds of bi-coastal commercial companies that swept the 19th annual AICP Show June 8 held annually at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The winning reel will screen in Chicago Nov. 18 at the annual AICP Show.
Comma was honored in the Musical Arrangement category for its 2-minute music video for Nike/Wieden & Kennedy, featuring basketball stars LaBron James and Kobe Bryant, and rapper Lupe Fiasco.
With beats originally produced by indie hip-hop duo, the Cool Kids, the track for “Dunkin’ on Reindeer” was remixed and rearranged by Justin Hori. Lyrics by Max Stinson. and recording by hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions. Chicago’s Bonny Dolan produced.
In addition to producing and music supervision duties, Dolan hosts Comma’s continuing Music Showcases. Invitations have become a hot ticket item, as she introduces artists like Cyndi Laufer, Neon Trees and Andrew Bird to client agency creatives and producers.
Dolan introduced the artists showcase concept six years ago when she was Leo Burnett’s music supervisor.
TRIBECA ENTERPRISES is IFP/Chicago’s 2010 honoree for the 4th annual IFP Gala in recognition of the New York-based organization’s many positive ventures supporting, expanding and promoting the independent film scene.
The Gala will be held Sept. 24, at newly renovated Excalibur night club. And since that date is a Sunday, one suspects Tribeca might send a representative (like Robert DeNiro, personally?) to accept the award.
As you know, Tribeca purchased the majority interest in three-year old Flashpoint Media Arts Academy.
ON THE SPOT. Two big bi-coastal companies coming here for two big commercial shoots: HSI for Budweiser/DDB this week, followed by @radical media for Wal-Mart later the following week. Equipment supplied by Essanay.
A CAF HAPPY HOUR EVENT with MillerCoors’ CMO Andy England takes place June 24 at Fred & Adolph’s Pub & Terrace, 250 S. Wacker, 16th floor. See Screenings & Events for details.
UTOPIC’S BIG MOVE takes place the week of June 28, to 9,700-sq. ft. of totally remodeled and built-out space on the entire sixth floor of the 420 N. Wabash building. That’s plenty of space to accommodate its 15 staffers — 10 alone in Utopic’s digital department — with more to come.
The new hybrid company of partners/editors Jan Maitland and Tim Kloehn, executive producer Michael Antonucci and digital director Tony Passero (formerly head of Tribe), opened last December in temporary space on the building’s fourth floor.
TASTY ADDITIONS. Mgarrybowen adds creative duties on Kraft Foods’ Chips Ahoy, Fig Newtons and Nabisco 100-Calorie Packs, estimated at $20 million in billings, being shifted from Draftfcb New York. Draftfcb Chicago currently handles Cool Whip, Jell-O, A1 sauce and Velveeta.
WINNERS CIRCLE: Digital agency Oncall Interactive won Best Website in the Performing Arts category, for its Chicago Symphony Orchestra website in the 16th Annual Communicator Awards, the largest and most competitive program of its type, attracting 9,000 entries from the U.S. and around the world.
Fifteen-year old Oncall Interactive, with a Loop office and a staff of 25, has “probably won about a dozen such awards in the past few years,” notes managing partner Adam Brown.
Among its recent assignments, Oncall has created websites for cable stations, the launch of JBL’s new car audio optimizer and a Microsoft storefront on Facebook.
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER JERRY VASILATOS’ music video of Chicago folk rock group Braam’s new music video, “Burlington Northern” was nominated for Best Directed and Best Cinematography by the World Music International Film Festival. It was shot by Vasilatos and cinematographer Trevi Albin. The festival will be held Aug. 21 at the Capitol Hilton in Washington D.C.
A PILOT FOR A DOCUDRAMA about the sports rituals engage in before a big game will be shot here with a local crew, June 17-20, by L.A.-based Michelle Lankwarden, an HBO producer. She felt Chicago was obviously the perfect location, given the fervor of fans for our abundant winning sports teams.
REEL MICHIGAN: At last weekend’s Waterfront Film Festival, where a record 16,000 tickets were sold, departing MFO director Janet Lockwood told that 89 movie producers applied to film in Michigan so far this year; eight projects have wrapped and $3 million in film industry job training grants have been sought for West Michigan community colleges, a step towards building an indigenous industry there.
OPRAH TREATED EVERY STAFFER at The Oprah Magazine in New York a $10,000 check and an Apple iPad, a leather iPad case with the staffer’s initials on it, in celebration of the powerhouse magazine’s 10th anniversary, Crain’s reported.
