After 18 years in an iconoclastic space on Grand Ave., Tom Kwilosz’ ThereMedia moved its editorial/ animation services to an elegant brownstone at 11 E. Division, just blocks from its Michigan Avenue clients.
ThereMedia’s new duplex suite in the three-story, 7,000-sq. ft. rowhouse occupies about half the space of the Grand Ave. building that originally housed a carraige works.
“We wasted a lot of space there; we had our Smoke in a 2,000-sq. ft. area,” noted Kwilosz, who started his original animation house as Kwilosz Filmsz.
“The trade-off of all that space we had is well worth it. We’re getting an increase in business by being closer to our clients,” he said.
Those clients include J. Walter Thompson (Kraft, Western Union); BBDO (Bayer’s); Eicoff (Liberty Medical) and ESW (Options Express).
The company’s specialty remains traditional cel and 3D animation, plus graphics, Avid-based creative editorial and finishing services on a Smoke system and “lots of animatics work,” said account rep Leslie Malay, who’s been with the company (also formerly known as 1351 Productions and ThereTV) for a dozen years.
“We can mount whole productions, if necessary, or offer quirky specialty services, such as claymation. There’s very little that Tom’s company hasn’t seen in its long history,” she added.
The permanent core staff of five consists of creative editor Mark Dolnick, who joined after many years at Swell two years ago, 3D artist Josh Pedigo, a 10-year veteran, graphics editor Chris Cowan, a newcomer, Malay and creative director Kwilosz.
Editor Suzanne Suffredin and 2D expert Jim Siergey have been independent collaborators with the company for 20 years.
New phone, 312/421-0400; fax 312/421-1915; see www.theretv.com.
