Oz Magazine Oct/Nov 2013

film & tv • print • new media • lifestyle october/november 2013

Y O U N G P U R V E Y O R S O F C R E AT I V E E XC E L L E N C E p . 3 0

HAVE YOUR PEOPLE CALL OUR PEOPLE* *please The Georgia Film & Television Sourcebook is filled with highly skilled entertainment industry personnel and scores of local vendors, so for cryin’ out loud, at least give them a call.** **thanks

film & tv • print • new media • lifestyle october/november 2013

contents features Cover Story: High Performance, Low Mileage Young Purveyors of Creative Excellence................................... 30 Feature: Karma on Steroids In Appreciation of Your Hard Work, I Give You . . . the Company!...................................................................... 36

columns Ozcetera.......................................................................................................... 6 Voices.............................................................................................................28 Behind the Camera w/ Drewprops......................................................40

oz magazine staff

How I Got into the Business................................................................... 42 Oz Scene.......................................................................................................44 Distribution Partners................................................................................46 Let Me Give You My Card.........................................................................48

Publishers:

Tia Powell Group Publisher Gary Powell Publisher Latisha “Tish” Simmons Project Manager Editorial:

Gary Powell Ozcetera Editor Ashanti Townsend Research Contributors:

Ad Campaigns.............................................................................................50

Andrew Duncan, Randy Davis, Linda Burns, Nichole Bazemore, Ruksana Hussain, Dre Bravo, Diego Peñuela Sales: Diane Lasek, Monique McGlockton IT/Database Administrator John Cleveland Sherman, III Design:

Randy Davis Sarah Medina Dre Bravo Ted Fabella

Graphic Designer Production Artist & Designer Production Artist Oz Logo Design

Visit us on the web at www.ozmagazine.com, www.ozonline.tv, www.facebook.com/ozpublishing Oz Magazine is published bi-monthly by Oz Publishing, Inc • 2566 Shallowford Road • #302, Suite 104 • Atlanta, GA 30345 • (404) 633-1779 Copyright 2013 Oz Publishing Incorporated, all rights reserved. Reproductions in whole or in part without express written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

This magazine is printed on recyclable paper.

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contributor s Linda Burns pays the bills by producing and production supervising national commercials and promos. She feeds her soul developing young talent and producing indie features, two of which premiered and sold at Sundance. She runs the PA Academy, teaches industry workshops, develops writers with her D-Girl Project, and sits on the executive boards of GPP and Atlanta Film Festival.

Voices, p. 28

Andrew Duncan, known in the motion picture industry as “Drewprops”, has been writing about the craft of filmmaking from the inside out since the mid-1990’s. His confusing and often embarrassing stories from behind the scenes provide a unique insight into the craft of filmmaking from the perspective of the shooting crew, artists, and designers who bring your favorite films to life on the big screen. Andrew writes the Oz column, Behind the Camera w/ Drewprops, p 40. drewprops.com

Randy Davis has been called Creative Director, Design Director, Art Director, Designer and Pop over his long career creating memorable campaigns for cause-based organizations. In addition to his studio duties, Randy is a member of Auburn University’s Department of Industrial and Graphic Design, National Advisory Council.

Article Design, p. 30-40 RandyDesigns@att.net

Ashanti Townsend is a spunky social media guru and owner/founder of Flawless Fashion Group, LLC. At Oz she keeps online followers in the know for Georgia’s film and TV production news and upcoming events. Townsend has managed corporate branding and merchandising for over 13 years and has been a freelance photo stylist for nine years. She has an associate’s degree in merchandising with a concentration in fashion.

Nichole Bazemore is the author of The Industry Yearbook: 40 Years of Georgia Filmmaking and the People Who Made it Happen, published 2013 by Oz Publishing, Inc. Feature, p. 36

Ruksana Hussain is an Atlanta area freelance writer and copy editor working with several local and national print and online media outlets. She covers everything from hospitality and tourism to education and community events. Ruksana was a finalist for the Atlanta Press Club Excellence in Print Journalism Award in 2012.

Cover Story, p. 30

Diego Peñuela is a freelance illustrator from Bogotá, Colombia, currently finishing his Illustration Master at SCAD, Atlanta. He’s been working in the editorial market since 2009 and his pieces have been featured in shows, publications and websites from various countries. Literature, music and movies are his passions and also key influences of his work, which combines reality with fictional imagery. Hobbies? Life and cookies.

Front Cover Art

Dre Bravo is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer, visual artist, and is currently the owner-operator of Rainbow Crow Studios. Since his childhood, he has been fascinated by surrealism, nature, vivid colors, and the feminine form. Aside from his interests in art, Dre loves walk in the park, watch movies, play video games, bowl, & act. His work can be found at : http://rainbowcrowstudios.wix.com/rcrow

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Peter Siaggas on set with Cameron Diaz and Will Smith. Photo courtesy of Spots Films.

Peter Siaggas Nabs Emmy

Director Peter Siaggas won the 2013 Emmy Award for Outstanding Promotional Announcement – Episodic. Siaggas directed the award-winning 2012 Kids’ Choice Awards campaign for Nickelodeon, starring Will Smith, Cameron Diaz, Nicki Minaj and several other A-list stars. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) presented the 40th Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

"All shoots are more exciting when working with A-listers like Will Smith, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Radcliffe. Professional talent, cutting-edge sets, and a terrific script were an unbeatable formula for a successful outcome," explained Siaggas. “The Emmy was the icing on the cake.”

Siaggas’ most recent project was in Italy directing promotional commercials for the movie, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.

Crazy Legs for Tara Burtchaell Crazy Legs Productions welcomes Tara Burtchaell as VP of branded content and executive producer, bringing more than 20 years experience in commercial and long-form branded content with clients such as AT&T, Coca-Cola and Kraft International. Most recently, Burtchaell was the executive producer and producer of the bestselling animated Christmas special Elf on the Shelf: An Elf’s Story on CBS primetime.

Early on, while Director of Marketing at Means Street Productions, she was instrumental in the development, marketing and sell-in of Alton Brown’s Good Eats to the Food Network. She is featured in the upcoming book, From Scratch: Inside the Food Network, due out October 2013. Burtchaell also co-founded Atlantabased Pogo Pictures with director, Steve Colby, selling in large commercial brand campaigns for US Virgin Island Tourism, Bank of America and Zurich Financial.

Tara Burtchaell, VP of branded content and executive producer, Crazy Legs Productions.

In her new role at Crazy Legs Productions, Burtchaell will develop television series and branded content.

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LISTEN UP! Listen Up at Magick Lantern Chris Fogg, owner and CEO of Listen Up Productions and Listen Up Audiobooks, has acquired Magick Lantern Studios, one of the Southeast’s oldest and best-known television/video production studios!

“Listen Up has worked with Magick Lantern for the last three years, and my respect and admiration for the quality of their work has grown significantly,” said Fogg. “One of the factors in their longstanding success has been their people – some of the best I have ever worked with.”

Magick Lantern Studio founder, William VanDerKloot, will continue developing film and television projects and will also be an adviser to Magick Lantern. “I had a number of offers but I wanted to be sure that Magick Lantern was in the hands of a team that had the ability, vision and resources to take Magick to the next level,” said

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VanDerKloot. “The continuing success of Magick Lantern is very important to me, so I looked for the best leadership going forward. I found it in Chris Fogg and Listen Up.” Fogg founded Listen Up Audiobooks in 2006 after working with Talking Books Production for more than six years as engineer, editor, director, and as mastering and quality control engineer. A student of Berklee College of Music and a veteran in the audio and music industry, Fogg produced music for national ad campaigns including Nike’s Just Do It! and Bacardi’s Party by Night.

Fogg also worked with recording artist Maxwell on his debut double platinum recording “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite.” He also won an Emmy for best audio production for a documentary, “Chattahoochee: From Water Wars to Water Vision.”

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PRSA Sends Dvorak to College

Mark Dvorak, APR, an executive director of GolinHarris in Atlanta, has been selected to The College of Fellows of the Public Relations Society of America by the Society’s board of directors. The number of members of the College of Fellows, which was established in 1989, is about 300 out of more than 21,000 members of PRSA. Election to the College, based on lifetime achievement, is a professional honor awarded to the most senior practitioners and educators.

Dvorak has advanced from his professional start as a public information specialist at the City of New Orleans to vice president of marketing at the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, and now to executive director of GolinHarris in Atlanta.

In his 20 years as a PRSA Georgia member, Dvorak has served as newsletter editor, a member of the chapter’s board of directors, an officer and its 2002 chapter president. On his second day after joining the Georgia Chapter, he offered to write a guide for helping college students make the transition to professional life in Atlanta. During his presidency, the Georgia Chapter created the special interest groups (SIGs) to meet the specific needs of an increasingly diverse membership.

His involvement in the society continued after his year as president was completed. Dvorak serves as a Georgia Chapter assembly delegate and for five years was a member of the national Universal Accreditation Board and served on the task force that created the Business Case for Public Relations in 2009. He undertook the development of a comprehensive survey of PRSA Georgia Chapter members while he was on medical leave undergoing treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma three years ago. He has since defeated the disease.

A native of Largo, Fla., Dvorak earned an M.A. in journalism administration from the University of Memphis and a B.A. in communications and history from Loyola University in New Orleans. In the GolinHarris Atlanta office, he leads the agency’s work for the National Peanut Board and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

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J PERVIS TALENT'S MORGAN SAYLOR ON THE RED CARPET AT THE 65th EMMYS IN L.A. Morgan Saylor attended the 2013 Emmy Awards, held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California. Saylor, represented by J Pervis Talent Agency, attended alongside her Homeland cast mates including Claire Danes, who won Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Homeland also took the win for Writing for a Drama Series.

Local Georgia actress, Morgan Saylor, at the 65th Emmys.

Photo courtesy of Just Jared.

72 Complete PA Academy

The Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) and Atlanta Film Festival 365 (ATLFF365) put on their 2nd PA Academy of the year this past August on Stage 1 at PC&E. In addition to hosting the class and providing equipment, Garrett Murck, rental agent at PC&E, guided the students through the warehouse showing them different types of lights, stands, dollys, track, generators, smoke machines and foggers. Steve Bellomy of Set Supplies donated a production truck full of standard production gear for these soon to be production assistants to get acquainted with: learning how to properly tie down tables and chairs with racket straps, and how to put up a popup tent. Sheri

The PA Academy on PC&E’s Stage 1. Separating the go-getters from the oh-Sh#&ers since 2012.

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Davis, owner of Fresh World Cuisine, provided catering both days, spoiling them with the delicious food that can be found on set.

Attendees started the day just like a day on location - helping to load in craft services, setting up tables and chairs and signing out walkies. They ended the day cleaning tables, folding up tables and chairs, emptying the trash, sweeping up the stage, loading out the stage and doing a final dumpster run. In addition to standing all day carrying everything they brought with them, instructors kept the air turned off to simulate not only the long hours, but also the general working conditions on location. Students learned terminology, department hierarchy and protocol, crew job descriptions, tools, kits, clothing of the trade, how to read a call sheet, differences between commercial and movie/TV series, PA duties and responsibilities, how to handle PC, lock-ups, vouchers, and setting background.

Producer, Linda Burns, who sets the curriculum, recruits instructors, and teaches the resume class, runs the PA Academy. Set PA and office PA training instructors included Jon Bonaccourse, Kody Wynne, Nivia Davis, Mark Apen, Tara Ansley, Trevor McNure, Shanalyna Palmer, Robin Kempf, Rhonda Guthrie, Mark Hofmeyer, and Braheeim Roberts. In addition to PA training, guest speakers Michael Kim, Caroline Deiter Bush, Victoria Warren, Jessica Sanchez, Megan King, Travis King, John Kelly, and Karen Freed spoke of other opportunities within the industry from wardrobe, art department, and accounting to grip, electric and camera. 91 students registered, and 72 completed the two day bootcamp in its entirety.

Joel Katz Honored

Joel Katz is honored with an Icons of the Industry Award

The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) and the TAG Entertainment Society honored pioneering Georgia entertainment attorney and counsel to the music industry, Joel Katz, with an Icons of the Industry Award at its second annual Entertainment Industry Summit. Katz, former Chairman of the American Bar Association's Entertainment & Sports Law Section, is widely recognized as a leader in the field of entertainment law. His clients include some of the world's most well-known entertainers, music producers, record companies, concert promoters and Fortune 500 companies. More than 30 years ago, Joel founded Katz, Smith & Cohen, which became one of the country's largest music entertainment law firms. In 1998, Katz merged his practice with Greenberg Traurig.

Joel Katz

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Designer Cocktails Grant Design Collaborative worked with commercial textile client, CF Stinson, on a comprehensive brand design initiative, including brand strategy, messaging, identity, advertising, and showroom interior. Grant also created collateral pieces for CF Stinson’s ground-breaking collaboration with Polartec.® After retaining Grant for a strategic brand initiative last year, The Association for Contract Textiles (ACT) launched a brand awareness campaign that included a new website, ad series, CEU presentation and mobile app. And, Grant was once again enlisted by J+J Flooring Group to create a NeoCon experience design for Invision, refreshing their showroom and coordinating afternoon parties that featured floral, soundtrack, and signature cocktail design. They also designed a lavish look-book tabloid featuring new Invision products for 2013.

Superlux en Español Superlux captured the attention of millions of viewers in 17 Latin-American countries with a provocative Grammy Awards package driven by bold, colorful 3D graphics that interact with live performance clips from TNT Latin America’s global broadcast.

The boutique conceived, designed, created visual effects and edited the multi-layered mix of footage and graphics. This mirrors the palette and pace of the clips, to create a broadcast package that maintains the coherent stylized look of the Grammy broadcast, while bringing Superlux’s exuberant aesthetic to the music industry’s biggest event.

Says creative director, Mark Falls, “For this package we incorporated 3D components with patterns made up of glassy surfaces inspired by faceted gemlike objects. This approach provided the requisite levels of gloss and abstraction, and the versatility needed to create dynamic transitions that integrated the colorful, dynamic and glamorous feel of the event.”

During the conceptual phase Superlux created a variety of motifs and design languages. The multiple concepts initiated a dialogue with the TNT-LA producer, Gabriela Guerrero, as they focused on identifying the strongest solution. The design initially selected was a mix of 2D and 3D, 14 | ozmagazine.com

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which was to be integrated with live action sampled from existing Grammy footage. However, the Superlux team realized that going with a 3D graphic execution of the package would provide a more dynamic visual experience and allow the designers to finesse lighting and color to play though the graphics to imbue the footage with an ethereal feeling. They also recommended a distinctively vibrant magentaviolet palette, evocative of concert lighting that tied into the live action footage of the Grammys - evoking the glitz of the biggest night in the music industry.

Several designers worked on the assignment. Internal critiques from different perspectives helped them hone their initial ideas into five concepts for presentation.

They then posted a number of representative style frames for each concept to their client portal. From there, the TNT-LA team, which includes Guerrero and her creative director Patrick Harrington, evaluated the designs and then got back to Falls with feedback, a selection of a design and a list of deliverables. Superlux then built out the various elements, such as titles, bumps, intros, end pages, etc. and submitted them for approval. Superlux art director, Eric Carros, cut the clips that were integral to the package, allowing the team to follow its distinctive creative vision through the process of marrying the 3D and live footage. The seamless workflow enabled them to make the end product extra dynamic

and galactic business news with cool graphics to Ozcetera Editor Gary Powell at ozcetera@ozonline.tv.

NO FAXES OR HARDCOPIES PRETTY PLEASE. All news should be submitted via email.

- and deliver the complex package in under four-weeks.

Superlux recently refreshed the digital signage content for AT&T. The exterior-facing signage “skin” continues to entice passersby to step inside the store and check out its latest offerings.

Falls helmed his team of animators, visual FX artists and designers, working collaboratively to create the 3D animation and bold visuals. The elements were combined with core brand components and depictions of consumers’ interactions with AT&T’s various offerings - such as tablets, shared data plans, international calling or mobile hot spots. They also designed, built and animated 3D components, like generic mobile phones, tablets and laptop computers during the course of the seven-week project. Working closely with producer Karin Fazzio, Superlux began the creative process with the pairing the lifestyle imagery from AT&T’s asset library with the offerings featured in each vignette. The team then designed a series of transitions rooted in the essence and personality of AT&T’s core brand elements. Working with the parameters of a physical space was not without its technical challenges. Two locations where the vignettes are projected directly on the storefronts have architectural considerations that required Superlux to version the content around doorways, columns, and ambient sunlight.

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On the HD Road with Turner Studios

Two new HD production trucks from Turner Studios have hit the road and are now available to rent for outside sports and entertainment projects. The new trucks, which were custom built earlier this year, have an enhanced router, switcher and 3G 1080P capabilities. The two trucks feature 12 new Sony HDC-2500 cameras with Canon lenses, a new Grass Valley Kayanne K-Frame 3G video switcher, Calrec Alpha audio console with Bluefin technology, Chyron HyperX3 graphics, expanded MADI capabilities and a total of 33 NEC LCD monitors. The trucks also possess a custom power control system that aids in their consistency and reliability while providing an overall lower power draw.

“We meter our power through touch screen technology

which gives us the capability to monitor the technical power, environmental power, inverter Power, HVAC control and lighting control,” said Andi Meier, supervisor of technical operations at Turner Studios. “This system can also be accessed remotely via the internet, which will alert us of failures in any of the systems.”

Along with unrivaled technological upgrades, this pair of HD mobile units has a roomy and aesthetically pleasing interior design.

“I think our interior design provides a comfortable open environment with unobstructed sight lines within and between rooms that aids communication,” said Bob McGee, director of technical operations.

“Lateral as well as fore and aft positioning of the production room monitor wall in response to producer or director preference allows additional ergonomic accommodation.”

Additional custom design and equipment features include: custom designed monitor wall that slides from side to side and front to back, allowing for optimum viewing; interior and exterior LED lighting with a long service life, lower power consumption and reduced thermal loading; 3G infrastructure that allows for 1080p60 origination for cleaner video, better motion and sharper slow motion replays; more audio automation support ensuring further reliable control over more sources; a redesigned entry door for enhanced ingress and egress. In addition, Turner Studios provides an array of services to clients using these upgraded trucks including full production services, technical management and crewing of teams with extensive knowledge and experience.

Mysteries at the Railway Museum The Superb, focal point of high-level politics, sudden death and foul play.

The popular Travel Channel series, Mysteries at the Museum, filmed the final segment almost entirely at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia. An historic railroad car, the Superb, was the focal point for a story of high-level politics, sudden death and rumors of foul play. The magazine-style series offers segments about historical and scientific mysteries, using exhibits in museums around the country as the starting-off point for the stories.

When producers decided to tell the story of the death of President Warren G. Harding, whose widow was widely suspected of poisoning him after his sudden death on a cross-country trip, they discovered that the railroad car used for his final trip still exists and is on display at the Museum. The Superb served as Harding’s home and office while he traveled and carried his body back to Washington, D.C. to rest in state. It is the only passenger car still known to exist that carried the body of a President.

Prominently featured along with the Superb was preservationist and long-time Museum volunteer Stu Caul. As an expert on the car, its illustrious passenger, and the intrigue that surrounded them, Caul related the historical details of Harding’s final trip and the swirl of controversy following his sudden death.

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Big Picture for Dr. Drain Big news for Big Picture Casting and Atlanta’s Frederick Williams.

Big Picture Casting recently cast the role of Darryl Drain, the lead kid in the latest national Nike campaign starring Blake Griffin.

After an extensive national search, BPC cast Atlanta’s own Frederick Williams! This is a great opportunity for this talented newcomer and let’s hope it brings him lots of exposure to kick off a long and prosperous career.

Karlie Redd In Chris Rock Film

Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta star, Karlie Redd, is now amongst the singing reality stars turned actresses. Her passion for film through acting, directing and producing has paved the way to her movie debut in The Untitled Chris Rock Project, written and directed by Chris Rock. The movie, currently being filmed in New York, will feature Karlie Redd alongside famous stars including Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union, Sherri Shepherd, Cedric the Entertainer and Kevin Hart.

Fans can look forward to seeing the film in Spring 2014.

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See the Wool Pooh Here

The Watsons go to Birmingham, a Walden Media production airing on the Hallmark Channel, is a movie based on the racially motivated church bombings in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. SpinVFX performed a number of visual effects for the film, most notably the Wool Pooh monster, a smoke and fire being that exists in the mind of the main character. The monster appears in various scenes culminating at the bomb site at the church. The Wool Pooh was created with live-action green screen, practical smoke effects and CG motion tracking. The monster needed to be scary, but not too scary for a family based project. Some of the shots were of the monster under water, so that added complexity to what the monster should look like. “Determining what the smoke effects under water would appear like was a challenge," says Adams.

To recreate the bomb site as authentically as possible, Adams studied press and photos from the actual church before and after the explosion. Other visual effects created included a home exterior that appeared to be covered with snow and ice in the dead of winter in Detroit, Michigan. Visual effects supervisor, Keith Adams, worked with special effects supervisor, David Fletcher, to make the winter wonderland appear on what was in reality a warm spring day. Other effects included ice effects to indicate cold weather, a 1960 styled weatherman TV studio backdrop and digitally removing modern elements that could not be removed on location.

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Awards Season at Mountain View

Mountain View Group’s creative communications work was honored recently at two regional and two national award competitions.

Mountain View Group’s film Big Bets: 100 Years of Southern Company was nominated for a Southeast Regional EMMY in the historical documentary category. This latest nomination is another in a string of honors and awards the documentary has received since its television broadcast premiere last year.

For its commercial production, the Albany Ad Club awarded Mountain View Silver ADDYs to both the individual spot and to the entire Kennedy Space Center One Day television campaign.

A Silver ADDY was also awarded to Mountain View for a virtual fly-through video created for GE to showcase their new GEMTEC facility in Saudi Arabia.

Mountain View’s work for GE also garnered national recognition, winning CINE Golden Eagles for its GEMTEC Gathering and Communicator-in-Chief videos. The latter also received a Certificate of Excellence from the US International Film & Video Festival.

The World of Coca-Cola recently refreshed its look and asked MVG to design new animations to accompany it. In addition to fresh motion graphics for WOCC's Welcome Wall, MVG also created content for a new display in the ticketing area.

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Genuine Laughs for Lola Films

Lola Frank Films has opened its first commercial facility, which can be rented out as a film location and will serve as the home of a new comedy club, Miller Genuine Laughs, featuring national headliners five nights a week, starting in Oct. 2013. The 1400 square foot space in the Stonecrest Mall area is perfect for both small and large-scale film projects that are scouting for store, shopping plaza, salon, bar, stage and business office locations.

Miller Genuine Laughs is co-hosted by Angela Miller, voted Atlanta’s 2012 Hottest Entertainment Female Comedian and runner up for NBC’s Stand-up for Diversity and comedian Paula Gilchrist, a preliminary winner in the Atlanta’s Top Comic competition and host of a popular weekly Jazz and Jokes show in Buckhead. The space will also be rented out for receptions, parties, business meetings and classes. And, Lola Frank Films will also offer acting classes for adults and children five years old and up.

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Their Mission: More Food and Wine at the Beach

Infinitee was engaged to execute a strategic marketing and advertising plan for the 2013 South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival in Destin, FL. Success of the advertising program required reaching affluent adults in potential feeder markets that would be interested in the event as well as the charity component benefitting the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation in Northwest Florida. From website development to collateral, infinitee promoted the unique identity for the festival which incorporated five very distinct wine personas. The personas were brought to life both online and in printed marketing materials for the festival including event brochures, tasting guides, animated banner ads and event signage.

A three-tiered media strategy combining digital display networks, a website partnership and a paid Facebook campaign was implemented to achieve ticket sales. A partnership with foodandwine.com was layered into the campaign for micro targeting of “foodies” and wine aficionados in surrounding markets. A paid Facebook advertising schedule was also integrated with behavioral and interest targeting to encourage “likes” and social sharing. Lastly, a high-powered social media campaign was launched to further promote the event and drive ticket sales on four social platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

The digital campaign produced over 5.5M ad impressions and 2,500 qualified clicks. The multi-channel media campaign, which started with no social presence, gained quality engagement: 3,353 Facebook likes, 637 Twitter followers, 111 Instagram followers and 533 Pinterest followers. Ticket sales exceeded all goals with more than 3,200 attendees and a total of $30,000 donated to Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation that when distributed, will help 14 children’s charities in Northwest Florida.

On the self-promotion side of things, infinitee is using the power of video to grow awareness for its agency through enhanced SEO efforts. Its founder and CEO, Jocelyn Smith, developed CEO Stars, a monthly video series of interviews with CEOs of companies, to increase traffic to the company website as well as share words of wisdom from leading executives.

Creating quality, organic content for infinitee’s website is not the only reason Smith started the interview series. The monthly interviews highlight leaders of companies that are willing to share their success story with viewers who are interested in their field of expertise. In return, these individuals benefit from the publicity they receive and enhanced SEO to their websites.

In addition, viewers have a unique opportunity to learn first hand what it takes to be an outstanding leader of a successful company. Featured CEOs include Jim Edwards, United Bank; Robert Fezza, Odyssey Professional Financial Advisors; Michael Dorn, Safe Havens International; and Michael Hinshaw, MCORP Consulting.

Shootin’ the Hooch Encyclomedia is sponsoring another great organization: Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. They recently interviewed Riverkeeper’s executive director, Sally Bethea, on the banks of the Chattahoochee, and they filmed the Back to the Chattahoochee River Race and Festival that took place this summer. Principal Lance Holland even jumped in his kayak to shoot a bunch GoPro footage of the race from the water.

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's Executive Director, Sally Bethea, working with Encyclomedia

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A Man on the Lookout

Location scout, photographer and sometimes location manager Danny Maughon recently completed a scouting assignment for the Georgia made film, Let’s Be Cops, a 20th Century Fox production. Working once again with location manager Curtis Collins and key assistant Trey Neely from previous Georgia-lensed Identity Theft, Maughon discovered and photographed numerous options for the script requirements including residential, educational, city, and commercial properties located within Atlanta. Maughon’s location work included research and photographs covering sports, dining, entertainment, and other unique features of urban Atlanta.

After completing work on the film, Maughon took some personal time to complete a simple website to showcase both Georgia/Atlanta locations. In addition, he also displayed his own work of over 20 years in production.

Masters of Film and TV

Savannah College of Art and Design will offer two new degree programs at its Atlanta location beginning this fall: Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts in film and television. Previously, the M.A. and M.F.A. in film and television were offered exclusively at SCAD Savannah. “Well-suited to Atlanta’s metropolitan environment — home to top networks within the ninth largest television market in the U.S. — graduate film and television programs at SCAD Atlanta will prepare the new breed of filmmakers to cross platforms between film, TV, web, and branded and interactive entertainment,” said Gokhan Ozaysin, Ph.D., SCAD chief academic officer.

The film and television master’s programs at SCAD Atlanta will provide students access to complementary programs like motion media design, advertising, animation and visual effects. Top careers in the industry include positions such as documentary filmmaker, editor, post-production supervisor, director of photography, production designer, location manager, art director, producer and more. With access to SCAD Atlanta’s 60,000-square-foot Digital Media Center and a high-definition TV studio, graduate film and television students will create music videos, commercials, branded entertainment, web series, talk shows, sitcoms and other content for their studio projects.

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Ground Floor Video produced three television commercials highlighting the dangers of the Internal Revenue Service targeting scandals.

Shot in the GFV studios with a set designed by Camera Ready Production Services and directed and edited by Luke Livingston, the spots were promoted by Sean Hannity during his radio show and aired in several markets in America. Posted at Ground Floor, the spots went script to screen in record time.Shooting at two locations as well as in studio, GFV is in post production for a marketing video for LOMA. Six actors from the Atlanta area played the roles of elderly parents moving back in with their kids after poor retirement planning.

Shooting in a home in downtown Atlanta for two days, and in our studio, the project takes a humorous look at what happens when you don't plan for the future and living with your grown kids may be the only option!

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ozmagazine.com | 27

voices

When I moved to Atlanta in 1992, the film industry was booming. Studio financed MOWs, features, and pilots, as well as infomercials, industrials, and commercials kept everyone busy. Kit rentals were the norm, rates were on par with LA and NY, and work was plentiful.

In downtime, with bank accounts fat, union crews made their own non-union films.

Developing above the line skills and training the next generation while supporting each other’s vision, we created an artistic community that personally knew or had heard of practically every cast and crew member in town.

But those were the days before production ran away to Canada, the unions went on strike, and the first commercial recession happened.

When lean times hit, from the mid to late 90s to just before the incentives legislation of 2007, you lived paycheck to paycheck, quit the business altogether, or followed the work to other states. I sold my soul to big budget music videos, the wild west of filmmaking, and did quite well, but that was its own brand of hard times.

Most folks working in the business today don’t know that Georgia’s film industry has been around for over 40 years, and those dark days are all but forgotten. Long lost colleagues move back to Atlanta, out of work union and non-union professionals from other states flock here in droves, laid off professionals 28 | ozmagazine.com

with a passion for the arts transition to film work, and people call Atlanta the Hollywood of the South.

With all this fast paced growth and opportunity, it’s important to remind each other of some simple things that will ensure our long-term sustainability. With growth comes growing pains, and if we’re not careful, these growing pains could bite us on the ass.

While I can afford to lose some ass, I can’t afford to lose it by reliving those lean times.

10 things to consider for those new to our business, new to Atlanta, or too busy to remember the dark days.

1 - Respect Our Town You may have seen the “I don’t give a f*ck how they do it in LA” stickers. If you just moved to Georgia or are working here temporarily, you’ll get a lot more traction if you treat people with respect instead of disdain. The old adage “You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar” really resonates in Georgia. We don’t take kindly to screamers or assholes, but we’ll bend over backward for someone who treats us fairly, has a clear vision of what they want, knows their craft, and never utters the words, “Well, in LA…” 2 - Learn Your Craft There are no shortcuts to experience. I met a guy recently whose first job was on a $100M studio feature. When I scoffed, this young kid looked at me and scoffed back “What do you expect me to do, work on a non-union project for free to get

experience?” Yes, in fact, that’s exactly what I expect you to do. Be an apprentice. Learn the job. It is a craft - a trade, a profession, a career that requires skill and knowledge of which you have none, yet, and you shouldn’t be paid the same rate as the guy with 3-5-10-20 years experience. We only hurt ourselves by allowing non-professionals into professional roles. It perpetuates the myth that we don’t know what we’re doing; hence “Well, in LA…” 3 - Teach the Next Generation give back like others gave to you. People ask me all the time why I give back. Although I was never lucky enough to have a mentor, I remember how nice people were to me in Atlanta compared to other cities I considered moving to. I remember how the established crew looked out for me, took the time to train me, and kept me in line when needed. They supported and helped me build the career I enjoy today. It’s important to nurture young talent. The added benefit? More qualified people equals less imports.

4 - Support Independent Film You were once that green newbie sent out to the prop truck in search of a clue box. Remember where you got your start and encourage others to start there as well. Indies need inexpensive, sometimes free labor, and in return they offer experience and training with far less financial risk. Professionals need to support the up and coming writers, producers, actors,

and directors of tomorrow too. Let’s train new cast and crew properly so when they join a union they make us proud. If we can make more Georgia-based independent films successful financially by teaching filmmakers how to be better storytellers, craft well written characters, create solid business plans, and increase production value, we can attract more local financing. And don’t forget those local actors. More of our faces should be household names. What if the incentives go away some day? Who will support us if Hollywood pulls up its tent stakes? If we cultivate and educate both above and below the line talent, as well as investors in Georgia, it would go a long way toward sustaining our industry into the future.

5 - Support Film Festivals I know, you barely have time to do laundry, cash that fat paycheck, and spend time with family and friends on your day off, but would it kill you to spend $50 to 100 a year on a membership to support new filmmaker training, education, and screenings? If you love film enough to endure this crazy lifestyle, share your passion by becoming a member, attending a few screenings, being an ambassador to or sponsor of the festival, teaching a class, or sharing your expertise as a panelist. Festivals offer a screening venue for non-studio financed films, support filmmakers taking artistic risks, hold panels to educate audiences and artists, showcase new ideas and technologies, and promote community among artists. Isn’t this why we all make movies? To tell interesting stories in new and unique ways inspiring conversation, community, and sometimes controversy?

6 - Be Intellectually Curious Remember middle school? We thought we knew everything! We didn’t know squat. New folks suffer from middle school syndrome. They have just enough experience to think they know it all. I’ve been a filmmaker for over 20 years. I know a lot about this business. But there is far more about it I don’t know, and I learn new things every day. It’s what I love most about my job. Each movie, commercial, screening, and workshop teaches me something new. I learn from my students as much as they learn from me. I learn new techniques from young directors as much as I learn tips and tricks from old salty film dogs. Lots of people know just enough to be dangerous. We need to keep the entitlement and middle school syndrome in check, while encouraging folks to learn different ways of doing things, further their knowledge base, and push the boundaries of what they are capable of.

7 - Safety First like I said, some folks know just enough to be dangerous. There are a lot of new faces in town and in the industry in general. Stand up and speak up when something feels wrong. We shoot guns, sword fight, blow stuff up, chase after cars, fight animals, jump off buildings, hang people and things from other things, set people on fire, and rig cameras to trains, planes and automobiles. But it’s often the little things, like cutting rope, climbing a ladder, or flying something in without watching where we go that can cause a dangerous situation. With continued growth in the number of productions and cast and crew base, there are bound to be accidents.

But don’t take short cuts. Think before you do. Ask if you don’t know. Don’t take safety for granted. It’s everyone’s job. And be really, really careful driving. We

work long hours, in physically, emotionally, and mentally draining conditions. This is a recipe for disaster (and another article for another day). But be careful out there. Look out for one another.

8 - Respect the Location While we build more and more stages, we still shoot on location in restaurants, private homes, apartment buildings, hospitals, small businesses, parking lots, along sidewalks, bridges, and highways. Treat these places like you would your own home. Sure, the art, construction, and locations departments can fix things, but don’t act like a bull in a China shop destroying yards, staining carpeting, scratching walls, gouging floors, throwing cigarette butts on the ground or leaving location signs behind just because you can.

Maybe it’s the Girl Scout in me, but I believe if you pack it in, you pack it out. When our little circus leaves a location, the only reminder of our presence should be a happy memory.

Treat locations with care, so that people remain excited to see a film crew coming, and we continue to have practical locations to film in.

9 - Greed is Not Good Not every budget is flush with cash. Everyone can’t pay $3000 for your parking lot. I lost 3 union commercials to LA because our crew and location rates skyrocketed. I’ve been lucky to book quality people on commercials, but some 2nds and 3rds can be very green. To demand $55/hour when I can identify more equipment on the grip truck than they can makes those rates hard to justify. By the same token, producers need to spread the wealth. When working low budget, I have a rule - if I come in under, I bump up rates or add kit rentals I couldn’t afford during initial negotiations. Only once has a producer overruled me and lined their own pocket. Only once in 20 years – and it was a local. We are a family, a community. We no longer have to “get mine while the gettin’ is good”. There is plenty to go around and we all want that to continue. We want health insurance, to earn a living wage, get an education, and have a secure future through retirement. But we also need to stand up for what is right and display some damn ethics. We must stop playing ‘the game’. We need each other to succeed.

Be honest, be fair, be good to one another, be less hostile to and distrusting of the other side, because we’re all in this together and we want the good times to last forever.

10 - Be Professional It’s still called show business. Our work, while incredibly challenging, can be remarkably rewarding & fun, but many newbies don’t understand the difference between goofing around to blow off steam and acting unprofessionally.

Your job is still a job – a career, and how you conduct yourself is a direct reflection not only on your department, but also on our town.

Take a step back and think big picture. All it takes is a few bad apples to sour the stomach of a legislator, a location or a producer. Set an example, conduct yourself with honor, take pride in your craft, display a great attitude, dress for success, and enjoy your work because passion is contagious. Be the best that you can be and demand that of your peers. Every single job on a film set is integral.

PAs are just as important as producers, extras just as needed as movie stars. We want everyone to believe our cast and crew base is the best in the country. Many are, but we still have a ways to go. Let’s all strive to become New Hollywood, not just the red-headed stepchild some call Hollywood of the South. ozmagazine.com | 29

ozmagazine.com 30 |ozmagazine.com

Young Purveyors of Creative Excellence

By Ruksana Hussain

There is no denying metro Atlanta has seen a surge in film and television productions over the last few years. Reports of road closures for shooting or spotting celebrities at restaurants are common these days. Thanks to tax incentives, Georgia is among the top five states nationwide in investment and number of film projects. Television networks and film studios calling Atlanta home are on the rise, and the good news doesn’t stop there. New businesses are launched every day, and more corporate giants are marking the city’s skyline than ever before. The local creative industry is booming, and these young, up and coming talents are ample proof that good things are in store for the future of Atlanta’s entertainment industry.

Filmmaking Success

Matthew and Jared Young Directors/Executive Producers Brothers Young Productions BroYoPro.com A lot of exciting work is in progress at the Brothers Young Productions, established by twins Matthew and Jared Young in 2006. This year has witnessed the fruition of their efforts—being hired to produce and direct a family film titled Hamlet and Hutch starring Burt Reynolds, and being hired to produce all second unit filming for award winning director Patrick-Ian Polk’s latest indie feature project, Blackbird, starring Oscar winner Mo’nique.

But that’s just scratching the surface. They have an in-house writers group developing several feature film scripts, four of which they plan to produce over the next 18 months—three of the family genre and one a sci-fi action/ horror flick. They will also produce a TV commercial for Atlanta ad agency Leverage Branding for their client Goodwill of North Georgia. And they recently roped in Mac Maguire, a seasoned business professional, to head up the company.

“We plan to continue honing our craft while pushing ourselves to be successful independent filmmakers. We have the team in place to carry out both the creative and business side needed to grow the company. We are proud of the ever-expanding network of industry professionals we’ve been fortunate enough to work with. We remain committed to collaborate with as many local filmmakers and artists as we can,” shares Matthew.

Both Jared and Matthew played supporting characters on School of Humans Science Channel sitcom, Stuff You Should Know. Jared is currently playing the lead in Atlanta-based Praise Pictures’ newest film, Love Covers All. Their oldest brother, Travis Young, can be seen this fall on ABC’s Resurrection in a recurring role as Ray Dawson alongside Omar Epps and Kurtwood Smith.

They also teamed up with White Flame Studios (Chance White) and Bug-Out Bag Productions (AFX Studios owner Andre Freitas) to produce a short film, Devil at the Door, based on the book, “Lights Out,” by David Crawford.

In all, Brothers Young Productions has produced or co-produced four feature films and five children’s DVD series as well as countless short films. What

started in 2007 with acquiring their first studio space in Marietta has culminated in several milestones. In 2011, along with White Flame Studio, they won the 48-hour film festival for The Prince’s Perfect Party which went on to screen at the Cannes International Film Festival. In 2012, they combined forces with Bug-Out Bag Productions to win the 24-hour film race, placing fifth for their short The Boy and The Bard. They also co-wrote Whisper Production’s The Core of Cassidy, which won best picture in the 72-hour film competition.

The Brothers Young

ozmagazine.com | 31

SCRipted for television

Benjamin Tincher

Producer, Editor, Co-Founder, Creative Technician—C-Mont Productions C-MontProductions.com “I’m really excited about the direction of the industry here in Atlanta. It seems to be growing very rapidly; not only on the film and television front, but also the amount of digiSee Ben Shoot tal media being produced in Georgia is incredible. I trust that I’m in the right place at the right time to partner with amazing artists and creators, to build a vibrant and profitable business.” Exciting words from Benjamin Tincher, currently pursuing his Bachelor’s in Television Producing at SCAD-Atlanta, a degree very few people even know exists because it’s such a new program, and most other college programs are either focused on technical curriculum or communication degrees.

With a job at the Weather Channel to boot, this Portland native is happy to have found his place in the universe in the industry of digital media production with the founding of C-Mont Productions, LLC. Tincher has previously worked with and volunteered for quite a few different productions, from live events like TedxPeachtree where he was invited to be a cameraman, to shooting a few music videos and live concerts.

Tincher has also worked on the post production of a television drama with a young writer, Nakia Caesh, and

32 | ozmagazine.com

the project has already gained interest from a network. Currently, C-Mont Productions works with “Vintage IN” to produce their fashion show video and interviews. Tincher is in talks with some local clients for video and archiving work and also considering project ideas.

The company provides pre- through post-production services for corporate videos, live events and sports as well as production management and digital documentary services.

Building the digital workstations has been a personal highlight for him.

“The second workstation is in the works, a Pro Tools-HD workstation, for audio recording (vocals and instruments) as well as ADR, for dialogue replacement.

However, lately I have heard some really fascinating ideas for either comedy webisodes or dramatic digital cinema!”

Tincher enjoys helping people tell their stories in compelling ways through visual mediums, coupled with his technological expertise and creativity.

A technically-minded television production aficionado, he focuses on how all elements of television, be it cameras or lights, work in conjunction with each other to bring together a wholesome viewing experience. Tincher prides himself on maintaining a knowledge base on a wide variety of technologies ranging from microphones to editing software and computer hardware and knowing about upcoming technology in the industry. His passion has developed and thrived at SCAD.

“I’m really excited to be free of school and those requirements so I can focus on some more humbling pursuits with some of the amazing connections I’ve made over my years at SCAD,” he notes.

Young Purveyors of Creative Excellence

Video game mogul

Marshall Seese, Jr. Founder/CEO Mowgli Games MowgliGames.com

The first and only collaborative music creation game on Facebook, Songster, has been made possible by none other than Atlanta’s own Mowgli Games.

Founded by lawyer/musician turned technology entrepreneur Marshall Seese Jr., the company aims to connect people through social creation. With Songster, players have the unique ability to create something real with their friends, something that has value, by building songs with layers of instrument and vocal loops, and even creating their own melodies with just a flick of their fingers. Songster’s unique game play experience not only keeps players engaged for the long term – a major issue in social gaming – but also encourages them to spread the word to their friends just as they would a new hit song.

“Songster proved that people who had no prior musical training could fall in love with making music. But what we didn’t expect was to see users gravitate to more ‘real world’ game mechanics than the virtual world mechanics we had focused on. So after over a quartermillion songs made, we are porting our Songster users to our new product, MashupDJ, which focuses more heavily on making the music creation aspect even more fun and providing users with real-world game mechanics (i.e. plays, likes, followers, etc.) to drive user competition,” comments Seese, who, in addition to his legal career, has launched a number of small busi

nesses and is an experienced musician with a recording agreement through Backspace Records.

Mowgli has raised over $4,000,000 in investment funding, making the company one of the most well-funded consumer technology start-ups in Atlanta. Mowgli is also the only remix app company with partnerships in place with all major record labels and music publishers. “We have focused heavily on building partnerships with all the major record labels and music partners. The folks at Warner, Sony and Universal have been incredibly supportive of us, and we look forward to helping them pioneer the social music revolution,” Seese adds.

Along with colleagues Adam Kunz and Mike VanBeneden, Seese launched Mowgli in 2010 and raised $550,000 from angel investors. The company is named after the protagonist in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Plans going forward include promoting MashupDJ and building a core base of creators and consumers for community engagement. Seese points out, “Our core focus is MashupDJ. Available initially on iPad and web, it is a social music platform that allows fans to engage with their favorite artists and emerging musicians in an entirely new way.” This unique creative bond forged between fans and artists inspires ‘mashup DJs’ to enthusiastically share and promote their mixes.

Driven by Mowgli Games’ proprietary MASHER audio engine (used to power Songster), MashupDJ harmonically analyzes and syncs music to ensure that anyone can create professional quality mashups and mixes. “What I am most proud of at Mowgli is our bleeding-edge MASHER Audio Engine which makes incredibly complex music

creation simple. We’re excited to see where our users will take MashupDJ— after all, we built it for them.”

game development Guru

Burton Posey

Interactive and Game Designer and Developer—Addo Games AddoGames.com Fascination with computers and graphics from a young age lead to a love for Flash and the ability to quickly turn ideas into an interactive visual experience.

That romance has served Burton Posey well, presenting opportunities to grow in the interactive and games industry. Armed with a Bachelor’s in Visual and Game Programming from the Art Institute of Atlanta, and a passion to entertain and inspire, Posey founded his independent game company, Addo Games, and developed his first title for the iPad—Robots Love Ice Cream (RLIC).

Addo is a Latin word that means to add. “I chose it because I hope that through our work we can add something to people’s lives that’s pretty positive and entertaining,” says Posey. “It’s got to be about the player having a great time and providing them opportunities to get lost in all that we’ve made for them. My aim is to build Addo Games into a company of character where our players know that they’ll get something genuine, sincere and with a lot of heart in it.”

In RLIC, users play the role of an ice cream truck driver defending the galaxy from robotic invaders by stuffozmagazine.com | 33

Young Purveyors of Creative Excellence

ing them with delicious weaponized ice cream treats until they explode with joy...because Robots Love Ice Cream! An original independent Unity 3D game, RLIC is defined by beautiful effects and exciting battles that make the player feel adventurous and heroic. The game is designed to be approachable for all ages with a focus on compelling and graphically rich experiences. “Using simple elements to evoke an emotional connection with the player is top priority,” he points out.

An interactive and game developer for the past few years, Posey has worked on projects for television networks and major brands like Coca-Cola, Ford, Clorox and Yahoo. Currently, he is working on refining the game play mechanics of RLIC after feedback observed at PAX, a large game convention in Seattle.

“Any work that isn’t around RLIC is just me serving as a lone gun-for-hire developer, so I have been very fortunate to have a great network of friends and colleagues that have passed me work,” he mentions. “The game engine we use, Unity, has a great marketplace for creative and programming assets—a good potential revenue stream to consider.”

A successful Kickstarter effort in July 2011 raised more than $18,000 in 30 days providing 105% funding for RLIC! This allowed Posey and his wife, Becca, to take the summer off from their consulting/independent contracting practices to bring RLIC to life. The funds helped get all the creative professionals required and to invest in software and other production tools for the creation of the game at the level of quality intended. A nine-member team comprising a creative director/production designer, three artists, two composers, and a sound designer are helping bring 34 | ozmagazine.com

RLIC to the gaming masses.

For the rest of 2013, Posey is focused on wrapping up the initial iPad release of the game before pursuing potential discussions with some of the leading industry platform holders (Google Play, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo) he had the opportunity to meet at PAX. “I regularly look to Nintendo and what they’ve done with Mario for how I’d like to see what we’re doing grow and evolve.”

APP developer

Sean T. Williams

President SEMADevelopment SemaDevelopment.com Who knew social good in the mobile world could be ignited with apps?

Nonprofit SEMADevelopment is doing just that by creating entertaining mobile apps to raise funds for partnering 501(c) (3) organizations. The brainchild behind this effort is Sean T. Williams, a 2012 graduate in International Affairs from Georgia Tech. As a student, Williams collaborated with multiple professors to investigate global problems and was recognized for his research efforts with a first-place prize at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.

“I learned how to dissect complex problems as a student of international affairs and communicate with people from radically different backgrounds to work towards a solution. This mirrors closely with my job as president of SEMADevelopment. Charities just don’t have the resources to utilize mobile apps for fundraising.”

SEMADevelopment establishes partnerships with student and amateur mobile app developers at hack-

athons and universities across the country. Partners select the mobile app they wish to develop and the nonprofit they wish to benefit.

SEMADevelopment Sean Williams invests in partner developers to promote the construction of quality mobile apps. Apps are launched on iTunes and Google Play from SEMADevelopment developer accounts and money raised.

SEMADevelopment uses revenue generated from the sale of mobile apps to make monthly donations to partnering nonprofits. “I’m a big believer in advice from Joy Buolamwini, a fellow Georgia Tech entrepreneur, that success never happens in isolation,” states Williams.

“We value the support of Big Nerd Ranch and their generous donation to our mission early on. They gave us access to their Highgroove Offices in Atlanta to host our first Development Volunteer Day.”

Currently, SEMADevelopment is working on StoryTap, a new story telling app where users can choose the chapter they want to go to next by solving puzzles, tapping phones, getting friends to send text messages, etc.

This benefits youthSpark, Inc., formerly known as the Juvenile Justice Fund, a pioneer in the arena of combating child sex trafficking for more than ten years based at the Fulton County Juvenile Court in Atlanta. Another app, S.N.A.L.E., features a suite of assistive learning games for children with learning disabilities. SEMADevelopment is also working with some Georgia Tech senior computer science students to develop a charitable mobile app for

their Georgia Tech senior design course, as well as partnering with two Georgia Tech student organizations, GITMAD! and Humanitech to create mobile apps to raise funds for the charity of their choice.

Having recruited volunteers to partner with, SEMADevelopment is now focused on providing them with the resources needed to successfully develop quality mobile apps that can compete in the iTunes and Google Play markets. This means identifying the challenges each team faces; typically marketing, graphic design, legal questions, etc., and finding a way to deliver each team a solution to their challenges by hosting Developer Volunteer Days and recruiting help from the Atlanta community of amateurs and professionals who possess the skills their mobile app developers need. “I work with a team of staff members, all Georgia Tech students/alumni, some awesome mentors, and a great board of directors…I am only one small piece in what has made SEMADevelopment successful!”

advertising

Eric Foster

Associate Creative Director Engauge PhaseCreative.com Eric Foster has called Atlanta home for a decade, the last year of which has witnessed his move to Engauge—one of the leading full-service marketing agencies for digital and social media, located in Midtown. As associate creative director here since October 2012, Foster specializes in print, branding and full-service, overseeing creative for UPS, Cisco, AMC Theatres and Global

Franchise Group, which includes brands like Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery. For their digital advertising campaign for Calphalon, a 2013 Atlanta ADDY Award was in store with Foster working as the associate design director on that team.

“I like the people I work with,” he says. “The culture at Engauge is great, makes my work worth it. I don’t regret getting up in the morning.” Originally from Michigan, Foster moved to Atlanta in 2003 after a brief stint in London circa 2000 where he studied, married and worked. On his personal design website Phase:Creative, his specializations are in web and print, having started out his career as a print designer, then shifting to advertising and eventually moving to digital, which has been his forte for 8-9 years now.

Earlier work includes three years doing design and development on all Turner Sports digital campaigns like NBA, PGA, NASCAR and even winning a Platinum Max Award as senior art director on an overall integrated marketing campaign, all digital, for the NCAA. He has won several other awards for his work but does not tout much of his accolades and recognition online.

Foster undertakes consulting, freelancing and art direction for clients.

He notes, “Atlanta was already a powerhouse in digital work and now the advertising and marketing presence is continuing to grow. More Fortune 500 and 100 companies are here and getting local agencies to do their ad business. As a result, even big names in advertising have offices in Atlanta now, so there is lots of local involvement, and that’s a good trend!” article design—Randy Davis ozmagazine.com | 35

In appreciation of your hard work,

Doug Smith Makes Employees Part Owners of PC&E

By Nichole Bazemore 36 | ozmagazine.com

Ask employees at almost any company in America what they’d like their employer to do to make them feel appreciated, and their answers might run the gamut from “more time off” to “the opportunity to telework” to “a raise or a bonus.” What you probably wouldn’t hear anyone say is something like, “turn the company over to us employees.”

And yet, every once in a while, that’s just what happens: A company owner, who’s built a successful company but is ready to move on to the next phase of his life, transfers ownership of that company to the very people who helped to build it.

I give you…the Company!

In June 2013, Doug Smith, owner and founder of Atlanta-based Production Consultants and Equipment (PC&E) did just that. Working with an attorney, Smith formed an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, effectively signing over the company to his thirty employees, more than half of whom have been with him since he started PCE&E thirty years ago.

A generous gesture? Absolutely.

Something those who know Smith best could never have imagined? Not necessarily. Randy Nappier, PC&E’s operations manager, was one of Smith’s first employees, having been with the company for more than twenty years. He remembers the early days when Smith, who was working as a full-time freelance commercial grip and assistant director (AD) while also running his company, looked to employees, like Nappier, to handle rentals and deal with clients at the shop while he was out on

gigs. Nappier says from the very beginning, taking care of employees and treating them fairly were Smith’s priority. “Doug always took care of people.

He had to rely on other people to help him run the business during the early years when he was still freelancing, and he never forgot that.”

A Cooperative Effort— The Origins of PC&E

Production Consultants and Equipment has a storied past in the Atlanta film production community. In 1979, its founder, Doug Smith, at the time a freelance gaffer and AD, began purchasing and renting out motion picture equipment—mostly lighting equipment and generators—on the side to make some extra money. While he was doing mechanical and automotive body work for the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard, Smith designed what would become the first motion picture

camera car in the South. He built another one in 1980, and began renting those out to film crews as well. Each time he made a rental, Smith funneled the extra income back into his businesses, determined to build his inventory.

To accelerate his efforts, he invited other members of the freelance film production community in Atlanta to form a cooperative; the freelancers pooled their money and purchased even more equipment. By 1983, PC&E was incorporated, and it had not just lighting equipment and generators, but also a few grip trucks in its arsenal. It had also begun operating out of a small, 10x15-foot warehouse.

Over the years, PC&E continued to grow, eventually becoming what it is today—the foremost rental equipment company in Atlanta, if not the entire Southeast. It’s now housed in a 60,000 square foot facility in Midtown that boasts three motion picture sound ozmagazine.com | 37

...as the company becomes more profitable, so do the employees’ retirement accounts. stages; a client list that includes a number of key commercial accounts and some of the biggest feature films and TV movies in production.

Could I Have Everyone’s Attention?

The Company is Now Yours

As general manager of one of the busiest production rental facilities in the Southeast, Mark Wofford is used to having weekly or biweekly check-ins with his boss. But he knew something was different one day in June when Doug Smith called and asked him to catch up offsite. “Doug had been out of town traveling. When I walked into the restaurant, he was there with a gentleman I’d never seen before,” Wofford recalls.

That gentleman was James Urbach, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based attorney who would advise Smith throughout the transaction. During that meeting, Urbach and Smith explained to Wofford their plans: to turn over ownership of PC&E to its employees, the very people who’d helped to make it the success it is today. Wofford was excited by the news, but not necessarily surprised. “Doug gave me the backstory of what had led him to do it,” he says. “As most people do and as most people should, he had been thinking of his future, his employees. He had outside offers to buy the company, but he’s always been loyal to the people who work with him.”

But while Wofford was excited by the news, he also left the meeting feeling somewhat burdened by his newfound knowledge, which he had to keep under wraps. “We weren’t in a position to announce it. I couldn’t tell anyone until the deal was finalized,” he recalls.

That deal was finalized at the end of June. Smith and Wofford shared the news with employees in two meetings, the first with employees who’d worked for PC&E the longest. The following morning, the men made the announcement to the rest of the team. “It was very favorably received; it was exciting,” Wofford remembers about the employees’ reaction to the news. “It put us 38 | ozmagazine.com

firmly in control of our own destiny. But we’re still trying to figure out what it all means.”

An ESOP: What it Means

An estimated 11,000 companies in the U.S. offer ESOPs, according to Urbach. An ESOP is an employee benefit plan. Unlike the more traditional— and familiar— 401k, where employers match employee contributions up to a certain percentage, an ESOP provides stock ownership to its employees with

no up-front cost. The company sets up a trust fund into which it contributes cash or new shares of its own stock, the amount of which is based on the organization’s performance during that year. The shares are then allocated to individual employee accounts annually and held in the trust until the employee leaves the company or retires. At that point, the employee can cash out his or her stock, hold on to it, sell it back to the company, and in some cases, sell it to a third party.

But what exactly does this mean for employees? According to Urbach, it means that not only do employees now own the company; but they also have an opportunity to actually attain something that will elude the majority of American workers their entire working lives: the chance to build wealth. That’s

because as the company becomes more profitable, so do the employees’ retirement accounts. “When you’re living from paycheck to paycheck and receiving a set amount of money every two weeks or every month, you can’t really build wealth. But in an ESOP, there is an opportunity for employees to build real wealth,” Urbach says. In fact, according to the Employee Ownership Foundation, ESOP participants have more than twice as much money in their retirement accounts as employees of comparable non-ESOP companies.

But the benefits of employee ownership of a company transcend the obvious financial rewards. They also extend to other areas that directly impact profitability, like customer service—something for which PC&E has long been celebrated in the industry. Wofford knows this well: Long before he began working for PC&E, he was a loyal customer.

“I started as a PA, then a production coordinator, then production manager. PC&E was always my go-to source.

When people called me to put stuff on hold for them, I always called PC&E.”

Urbach agrees. “When people own a company, they naturally work harder to make it successful. Now, they’re not just working for customers. They’re working for their customers.

The employees stand to benefit directly from their customers being happy.”

In fact, that heightened sense of ownership and accountability extends to every area of the company, from inventory to operations, to cash flow.

“It’s our stuff, we’re gonna take care of it,” Wofford says, noting that a strong sense of ownership is something PC&E employees have had for a long time.

“Even before this, you’d hear employees joke with each other, saying things like, ‘Be careful with my light.’ And when it comes to money, we’ve always watched the money we spent. Now, we have a vested interest in doing that.”

Yes, they do, because as PC&E grows more profitable, its employees do too. How’s that for an incentive? article design—Randy Davis

Aaron

Alan

Alex

Ben

Billy

Chris

Dawn

Demario

Erin

Fred

Garrett

Huston

Jon

Josh

Kelly

Kevin

Loren

Lori

Lucy

Majid

Mark

Matt

Meldrick

Michael

Paul

Randy

Rob

Stephen

Steve

Tony ozmagazine.com | 39

behind the camera with drewprops

Joe Pytka has been described as the most talented, prolific and influential commercial director of all times (even with the severe ding for the movie Space Jam subtracted from his scorecard). The depth and breadth of Pytka’s work is nothing short of incredible. Advertising agencies line up to kiss his butt ALL DAY LONG. Your old pal Drew worked for Mr. Pytka a couple of days back in the late 1990’s. Man, what an adventure.

My friend and propmaster at the time, Joe Connolly (aka Joeprops) received a call from a local commercial producer, Gina Cascino, about working on a commercial for Delta Airlines. This commercial would run during the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. It was being shot in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and probably a few more cities that escape me.

Joe Pytka was going to direct it One aspect of working outside of the LA system is a substantial ignorance as to who the “important” producers and directors are, which means that you were largely unaware of the generational politics that exist in old Hollywood.

You simply nudged people out of the way on set and got your job done. The person who was coordinating the Delta commercial in LA knew all too well who Joe Pytka was, so they were a bit panicky about making sure that everyone of the scheduled shooting cities had been fully crewed up with folks ready and standing-by to go to work.

In her haste to provide Pytka with a full crew, the coordinator had overbooked people, a lot of people as it turned out. Our local Atlanta producer, Gina, received word that a bunch of the Chicago crew hired to work the Chicago’s segment weren’t even on set. They were instead sitting parked inside a Starbuck’s, sipping coffee and chatting with each other while the rest of the crew shot the commercial. The production company was obligated to pay the crew since they’d already booked them for the day.

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As soon as we heard this news we became concerned that the company was going to release us from the job before Pytka got to town. Fortunately, they did not, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten to watch Joe Pytka in action.

The morning of the commercial we showed up on set at the Four Seasons on 14th Street and met the propmaster.

We helped him rig up a taxicab for the first shot. Sometime during the rehearsal of that first shot, Pytka became annoyed with one of the LA guys (who turned out to be the Set Decorator). Pytka started addressing the guy down, yelling “I don’t f***ing need you here!!! What are you doing here!!??? Get on a plane and go back to Los Angeles!!!!”

In the world of moviemaking, we refer to any director who is extremely expressive (in a vocal manner) as a “screamer.”

Joe Pytka is a Screamer’s Screamer.

The propmaster turned to us and said, “I need for you guys to go hide. Don’t let Pytka see you because I might need you later.”

Since Pytka and the shooting crew were crowded around the valet drop-off, Joeprops and I snuck out toward the street and sat down on the sidewalk of a low decorative marble knee wall fronting an entrance to the building – the street was 12 feet in front of us, and cars were whizzing past.

We sat and talked about shows we’d worked on. We talked about television shows. We talked about local gossip. We talked about anything we could think of to kill time. It was a great way to make money, but it felt weird to be paid to hide from a director.

Our paid vacation was suddenly interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a guy with long white hair, lunging into view right between us. He was walking backwards with his hands held up in front of him, fingers extended to form a rudimentary rectangular film frame in order to help imagine a shot; the sure sign of a director!

Of course it was Joe Pytka. You know, the guy who screamed at people and sent them home.

Without a second’s hesitation, I leapt to my feet, snatched a rag out of my back pocket, bent over and started polishing the marble wall we’d been hiding behind – I was working my way away from Pytka the entire time. When the wall ended, I stooped lower and began wiping off the concrete sidewalk (all the entire time easing farther and farther away).

I took a half-hearted swipe at a parked police motorcycle, much to the surprise of the officer standing beside it, then turned the corner, running as fast as I could toward the 14 foot box truck they’d given our department for the show. I never looked behind me to see Pytka’s reaction, and I frankly didn’t care what happened to Joeprops because there are times when sacrifices must be made. Still, I felt some sense of relief when Joe showed up seconds later, breathless with laughter.

We somehow made it out of that location still on the clock and proceeded to our next location: the new Delta terminal at Hartsfield International Airport. It was a pretty special experience getting to drive our personal cars onto the tarmac, one of the perks of a business where a man gets paid to hide from his boss.

By this time in the shooting day it had turned into an earnest game to stay on set but out of Pytka’s sight because who knew what else we might get to see or do before the day was up!

“Oh there you are!” cried the propmaster, as he found me crouched behind a inactive gateway desk, counting spots on the carpet. He shoved a wad of cash into my hand and

instructed me to head out to the main terminal and look through the shops to see if I could locate any Olympicthemed pennants or decorative gear that he could put in the hands of the extras, in order to underscore that in this shot they were in Atlanta’s airport.

Off I went, wearing my complete tool belt, which featured several sharp implements including a Leatherman multi-tool and a dangerously serrated Spyderco flip-open knife, great for slicing through sash cord. It was a warm day and I was feeling a little flush, perhaps even a bit woozy. Thankfully, I was able to ride the train and the moving sidewalks all the way back to the main terminal and it was really easy to walk through the security area back into the comfort of the airconditioned terminal.

I walked all over the place, looking through every shop for something we could use, but there just wasn’t anything to be had. I turned and headed back to the terminal, and only then did I become concerned about my toolbelt full of sharp things. But this was the mid-90s and I passed through without a care in the world.

By the time I arrived back at the Delta terminal there was a long, boring wait for the camera setup. The heat was blazing and my nausea returned. I was itching to sit down to relax – all this hiding from Joe Pytka was really getting to me. Since we weren’t really needed, Joeprops and I moved a few gates away from the main action and sat in some seats facing a bank of payphones (remember those?). In a few minutes we had pulled out our pocket change and were trying to throw quarters into the coin slots like free shots in basketball, all the way from our chairs eight feet away.

We were in the middle of a semi-finals match when that guy with long white hair showed up again, walking backwards just like he had earlier that morning, except that this time he turned to look down at us with our quarters in our hands and our mouths wide open in shock. Without a beat, he gave us a sly look and turned back to the shot, leaving us to our game of payphone hoops.

Turns out that Joe had a sense of humor.

By the time I got home from the day’s adventures I was really tired and still feeling a bit flush. As I pulled my shirt off I realized that my torso was covered in spots. Dozens of itchy, itchy spots.

I had the ding dang chicken pox! The second half of the day I’d been walking through the heart of one of the busiest airports in the world, distributing an infectious disease.

Dear CDC: please don’t blame the Great Chickenpox Outbreak of 1996 on me. Blame it on Joe Pytka. ozmagazine.com | 41

how i got into the business

JOHN THIGPEN Art Director/Set Designer On the Scene Design

http://onthescene_jt.home.comcast.net HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BUSINESS? I started off with a BFA in Theatre. My college degree in theatre prepared me for a variety of work. I did pursue acting and directing, the tech field and then design. But I discovered few people were designing.

Big plus, I could work on more shows as a designer. I enjoy the design process and collaboration with directors and the design team. The first local TV job I had was for Super Scary Saturday on TBS. I worked on the props. I soon learned my work experience on stage and on camera made me a better designer.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE TO GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR PROFESSION? Finish your education. If you want a Master’s degree, get in the best school you can. Do a few jobs as a volunteer. Become a PA (production assistant) to see if this crazy business is right for you. Settle on one job area and go for it.

IF YOU HAD IT TO DO ALL OVER AGAIN . . .

I would SCHMOOZE more!

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR CAREER TREK? Assisting production designer, Paul Staheli, on Viacom productions of Diagnosis Murder, The Father Dowling Mysteries and the Perry Mason TV movies.

WHAT HAVE OTHER CREATIVE OUTLETS DO YOU PURSUE? Public art and sculpture. I completed two historical themed sculptures for the City of Stone Mountain in 2010 and 2012 depicting granite workers and the trolley history there. I participated in Art on the Beltline in 2011. My ceramic sculpture has been on display at the US Botanical Garden, Washington, DC and in Lark Book’s “500 Raku.”

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 MOST RECENT PROJECTS? The Originals, The Vampire Diaries & Let’s Stay Together.

42 | ozmagazine.com

TERRY L. WYNNE

Owner/President The Professional Edge www.theprofessionaledgeatlanta.com (Writer) HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BUSINESS? “Terry, would you read this story aloud to the class?”

My fifth-grade teacher asked me (and only me) every week. I was honored and decided I must be good at speaking in front of others. Why else would my teacher ask me to read aloud?

I have always loved speaking and writing, but was I good at writing too? Validation came from my eleventh grade English teacher. “I didn’t get my term paper back,” I told her after she returned the graded papers to all the other students. She held mine to read aloud to the other students as an example of an A+ paper! Voila! I then knew I excelled in writing, as well as in speaking.

Later, when I entered the working world, I had to attend numerous training seminars – all exceedingly boring. “I can do a better job as a trainer than them,” I told myself. So I became a trainer and wrote and delivered my own material, vowing to make my training both educational and entertaining.

I then told myself, “If I can speak in front of colleagues and receive excellent ratings, surely I can talk into a microphone.” So I did! I wrote and recorded my own audio-visual presentation and presented it to a professional organization. They loved it! And so did I! Thus began my work as a voiceover talent. I even began my own talk show radio program interviewing professionals on a leased time radio station. They liked my programs so much that they aired them during all of their non-leased time slots.

Today, I own a sole proprietorship and offer writing services, training seminars, voiceovers, career counseling and coaching (I’m a licensed professional counselor and board certified coach) and make talk show radio and television appearances.

BEST ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR PROFESSION? You don’t need validation to do what you love.

Listen to your heart and it will guide you to your career.

MARK MISENHEIMER

Art Director Misenheimer Creative www.MisenheimerCreative.com HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BUSINESS? I regale you with my tale of my history in the fairefeatured trade, namely Art Direction+Chinchilla Farming. Living indoors and eating are goals that I share with many constituents and constables. To university I went, in that musically-resilient 1980s, grabbing a BCA in the Olde North State. Exiting Ivory Academia, job one was a small room with a ginormous stat camera with smelly chemicals and stale crackers, sporting orangeage amber and wire equipped maylines. Alas, this osmotic revelry ended after only 2 fortnights. I was sacked and asked to ride my noble steed off into the sunset.

Thus, I began my syncopated rhythms of those who would follow the ‘art guns for hire’ call. Forging on, I took a job to serve the graphic need of the Tyvola masses, which was a great stay. Four years passed and an offer came for larger booty, with a bootery, no less, to the tune of 35K pence, sticking there like hair on a billygoat’s beard.

After a year, methinks I left that employ due to an upcoming move to Termius, I was brought aboard a firm to design pieces for only 30 days. Never fear, my young pigsneys, on to Art Direction in the skyline zone at internationale blvd. After joining a fine graphic design studio, as Creative Director for 4 prosperous years. The wheels grind us dusts exceedingly slow, but exceptionally fine. So, in the new millennium, I become a solo designer man, which fortunately still allows me to live indoors & eat. It is without doubt the Hand of the Sovereign has appointed all of these enchanting opportunities. From thence we proceed.

BEST ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR PROFESSION? I would say just be yourself, don’t forget where you came from, always be cordial to the neophytes when they ask you for advice, direction, etc.

STANLEY LEARY

PHILONESE WEST

MIKE TINNEY

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BUSINESS? While in college my father gave me a camera.

Immediately, I started shooting for East Carolina University while working on my social work degree.

Social work was training me to understand what to look for. The experience of shooting all the time for the school helped me to perfect capturing these stories.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BUSINESS?

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE BUSINESS?

It all started with a simple question I asked many friends, “Can I curl your hair for you?” Whoever would have thought that asking such a simple question would lead to an amazing journey.

BEST ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR PROFESSION? Become an expert on a subject and learn to provide a finished product, which means more than just photography.

It all began when I worked at a quaint little salon on the south side corner of Old National Highway, called Creative Hair in College Park, Georgia. I was blessed to style three young ladies who worked for HOT 97.5 and they were on fire, helping me build a solid clientele. They referred everyone to me in the music industry, leading me to exclusively work with three major talents, two in the music industry and one in the fashion industry. I began to travel all over the world.

I started out making games a little over 20 years ago. My first company was a night and weekend part-time operation running “murder/mystery” events out of hotels. That company merged with a GA based game publisher. From there, I got in the business full-time. Before becoming a CEO, I held many different roles from game design and marketing to business development. After a few mergers/ acquisitions, I found myself embedded in corporate hierarchy. I was so far away from the product that in 2012, I left my executive position in the video game industry and founded a start-up focusing on videogames and exercise.

Visual Storyteller www.StanleyLeary.com

All my clients hire me because I know a good deal about their industry—not just photography.

I am a visual storyteller using a photo-journalistic approach helping organizations build customer loyalty. My social work degree and M.A. in communications makes me uniquely qualified to help people right in their own environment, by looking at all the different aspects of their life and culture.

You need to go to people with ideas and not wait for the phone to ring for someone to ask you to shoot their idea. The more you know about the subject and audience, the better you are positioned to come up with ideas to help your client engage their audience with content you create.

Today, I combine my photography, video, audio and writing to help put together complete packages that my clients can use right away. Too many of my colleagues just want to shoot and are no longer shooting because they expected the client to know what to do with their images.

Film/Video Hair Stylist philonesewest@gmail.com

It was 1995 and the ATL was the place for an inspiring hair stylist to achieve his/her goals.

Soon I became very popular in Atlanta. I was offered a position as head hair stylist for Strength of Nature, branding Profectiv Hair Care with signature styles displaying healthy hair.

Today, I work with one of Atlanta’s #1 consumer hair care brands. I display healthy hair styles for Texture My Way, Aunt Jackie’s, Thermal Radiance, and Organic Olive Oil Conditioning Relaxer System, which is now a highly recognized international global brand.

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR CAREER TASK? It was 2009 when I met a talented young lady by the name of Miss Shunika Terry, who opened the door for me to the film and television industry. This led me to work on projects like Footloose, My Super Psycho Sweet 16, Single Ladies, Let It Shine, and In the Meantime just to name a few. From there, I began building relationships with other stylists who would call and offer me a job helping the team on their projects.

Founder/FIX: Fitness Interactive Experience www.fix-fit.com

BEST ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR PROFESSION? Get started! The best thing a new person can do in my opinion is get off the sidelines and start doing something. Choose an area of videogaming that’s practical and accessible for you relative to your skill level. There are lots of open source and collaborative opportunities to mod levels, tinker with UI, model or reskin existing content. Just practice and get some mud on the wall. You’ll learn a lot about your intended craft, the process and yourself. You’ll also build a portfolio and meet like-minded people.

Maybe, just maybe you’ll make the next Microsoft or Angry Birds.

WHAT MAKES YOUR JOB COOL OR FUN FOR YOU? The people I work with. Like-mindedness of a team and focus of purpose. Common pursuit of a goal.

Beer O’Clock on Friday afternoons.

WHAT HAVE YOU WORKED ON RECENTLY? Our flagship game, UtiliFIT has just transitioned from Beta testing into a commercial product. We now run UtiliFIT as a corporate wellness game that delivers 2 minute fitness breaks throughout the day.

Anyone can play the beta over at www.UtiliFIT.com/ ozmagazine.com | 43

oz scene

Peachtree Village International Film Festival Atlanta hosted the 8th annual Peachtree Village International Film Festival (PVIFF) from August 22nd – August 25th, 2013. The dynamic festival showcased long and short films, music videos, documentaries and screenplays from around the globe.

With an attendance of over 5,000, this event packed a punch with amazing talents, great celebrity guests and creative film works. PVIFF screened over 30 films throughout the event. Movies screened included, American Beatboxer, The Guests, Slice 3, and A Cry for Justice.

The PVIFF concert was one of many headline events designed to benefit VH1’s “Save The Music Foundation.” The event was hosted by comedian/actor, Joe Clair (BET’s Rap City, Def Comedy Jam) and several notable music-recording artists such as Dionne Farris, Lyfe Jennings and The Mad Violinist.

The weekend ended with a red carpet award ceremony. During the event, PVIFF provided several special awards in support of actors. The Special Tribute Award was presented to actor Anthony Anderson (All About The Andersons, The Bernie Mac Show). Camillle Winbush (The Bernie Mac Show) received the Rising Star Award, and the Legend Award was presented to Ernest Thomas (Everybody Hate’s Chris, What’s Happening). Thomas’ award was presented by Danielle Spencer, his long time cast-mate from What’s Happening (and “real life sister,” as he calls her).

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1. Len Gibson, PVIFF Founder 2. Sir Ty, PVIFF Host, Danielle Spencer, Actress & Platinum Jewel, Host/Singer 3. Sir Ty and Ernest Thomas, Actor 4. Charise Glover, Production Media Coordinator, and Tyrin Turner, Actor 5. Dr. Doris Derby, Civil Rights Movement Veteran, & LaFonda Parham, Ms. Essence International 6. Sir Ty, Lisa Wu, Actress/Writer/ Producer and Platinum Jewel 7. The Mad Violinist, Musician & Violinist

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8. Joe Clair, Actor/Comedian 9. Mykel Coleman, Director/Producer 10. Sir Ty and Anthony Anderson, Actor 11. Tishanna Browning, Camera Person and Joe Morton, Actor 12. Raindrop Lopez, little sister of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez 13. Dionne Farris, Singer 14. Camille Winbush, Actress 15. (L-R clockwise: Sir Ty, Amber Peavy, Film Producer, Dre Bravo, Graphic Artist, Neki Peavy, Talent/Event Coordinator, Romain Phillips, Camera Man, Kourteso, Writer, Ali Anderson, Camera Man and Tori Walker, Production/Media Coordinator 16. Da Brat, Rapper 17. Kwame, Rapper and Chubb Rock, Rapper 18. Brad James, Actor 19. Sean Cook, Director/Producer/Actor 20. Ajona Alexus, Actress 21. Tommy Ford, Actor 22. (L-R): Algebra, Singer and Anthony David, Singer 23. Darrin Henson, Actor/Writer/Choreographer 24. (L-R): Dana Dane, Rapper, Greg Nice, Rapper, Latoya J, PVIFF Host and Kwame, Rapper

photos courtesty of:

and

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distribution partners NORTH HIGHLANDS

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Turner Studios 1020 Techwood Drive Atlanta, GA 30318 www.turnerstudios.com

let me give you my card

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let me give you my card

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ozmagazine.com | 49

ad agency campaigns Client: Ames Scullin O’Haire Advertising Project Name: “The Merger” Team: Patrick Scullin/writer, Ryan Mikesell/art director, Ian Marceca/director-editor, Shaun Campbell/producer, George Robinson/talent (client), Josh Mikel (agency dude) With the impending Publicis-Omnicom merger underway, independent Atlanta agency Ames Scullin O’Haire (ASO) wondered how an enthusiastic account guy might sell the merger to his client. The film was immediately picked up by MediaBistro’s Agency Spy. It was produced by the agency’s new division, ASO Digital Films, which also made a series of films to announce its formation.

All work can be viewed at asoy.com.

This campaign was created for Guinness to help them launch their new PubFinder App. The challenge was very unique in that we were working with one of the world's truly iconic brands, but really, we were selling technology and not beer. We needed to find a way to grab the consumer's attention quickly and get them to understand the true benefit of the app.

We enlisted the help of Slip Visual. They did a great job of shooting and retouching the images and really bringing our vision to life. The work has garnered some pretty cool accolades. We won five gold national ADDYs, making it the most awarded campaign in the entire country for that competition.

And recently, it was featured in Communication arts Photography Annual.

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