Betsy Appleby recently joined Kilgannon as supervisor, brand management. Appleby will be the day-to-day contact for Attorneys Title Insurance Fund, Bank of Atlanta and Partnership Against Domestic Violence.

Previously, Appleby held several marketing positions at SunTrust Bank; the most recent of which was vice president, retail line of business project manager. Prior to that, Appleby was Atlanta region marketing manager, and she also served as marketing planner, corporate marketing services. Prior to joining SunTrust in 1999, Appleby was associate production manager/sales coordinator for Catspaw Productions, an Atlanta-based audio production company. She began her career at Custer Gamwell Communications, an Atlanta-based public relations firm.

Robot Chicken Invades BAD Studio

BAD Studio was once again tapped by Adult Swim to design DVD packaging, menus and an online advertising for season two of the Emmy Award-winning Robot Chicken. The show, targeted to adult males 15-40, is a wild ride of traditional stop-motion animation that skewers celebrity and pop culture.

Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim in-house creative department designed the initial DVD cover concept and sample menu page. These were approved by Seth Green and Matt Senrich, creators of Robot Chicken, then handed off to BAD Studio. From there, BAD Studio finalized the outer DVD cover, designed all of the internal components of the DVD package and created 24 DVD menus. The outer slipcase of the packaging uses several specialty printing techniques - dull and gloss UV coatings and red metallic foil. The simplicity of the outer package, along with these special printing techniques help it stand out on a typically busy store shelf.

For the DVD menus, show creators wanted to have the look of Frank Miller's Sin City movie. BAD Studio used hi-res studio photography for the puppets combined with screen grabs of backgrounds and hand made textures to give them a gritty feel.

The online ad campaign presented its own set of challenges. Though Flash is a powerful tool for adding video content to web sites, limitations in file size for online advertising make it nearly impossible to use video content for that format. A workaround needed to be found. "Instead of using straight video, which uses about 15 frames per second for the web and eats up a lot of memory, we built an animated jpeg using every tenth frame," says Bad Studio’s Scott Banks "In the end we had better image quality and a smaller file size." Once the animation issue was solved, the ad was produced in 2 versions and 12 sizes to run on over 20 different web sites.

Pogo Pounces on Projects

Pogo Pictures directors have been staying busy with a slew of projects. Director/DP Steve Colby was commissioned by Birmingham ad agency Luckie Co to shoot two spots showcasing all that Mobile Bay has to offer while director Zach Freyer captured family antics on the white sandy beaches of Gulf Shores, AL.

Director Angel Traverso teamed with JWT Atlanta on a 3-day shoot for Ford Trucks. The series of spots explore Auburn, Alabama and feature Auburn Tigers football coach Tommy Tuberville and Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Director/DP Steve Colby teamed up with GSD of Austin, TX on multiple spots for AT. Shot on location in Los Angeles, the spots feature real people interviews and an eccentric "speedy" woman preparing for a party.

Cashman Katz tapped director Zach Freyer for a third Connecticut Lottery campaign. The 4-spot package was shot on location in Atlanta and included everything from a sneaky secret Santa to knights dining in armor.

Colby also captured the beauty of one of the largest developments in the country. The Woodlands covers nearly 30,000 acres with over 120 parks. Two :30's and a long form 5-minute film finished in HiDef were lensed outside of Houston, TX.

Finally, Traverso shot a three spot campaign for supermarket chain Winn-Dixie with Hispanic agency Zubi Advertising in Miami, FL. Two spots chronicle the irresistible temptation of outdoor summer grilling while the third spot celebrates Hispanic Heritage month.

Sallot Nabs High Honor

Lynne Sallot, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, has been awarded one of the Public Relations Society of America’s highest honors, the 2007 Outstanding Educator Award. She is a longtime member of PRSA|GA, the society’s second-largest chapter. Sallot, professor of public relations at Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at The University of Georgia, has been given numerous awards and accolades from the national society, her local chapter and many other organizations.

She practiced public relations in Florida for 15 years prior to entering academia. She edited two editions of PRSA’s "Learning to Teach," published more than 50 scholarly articles and papers on PR and teaches the subject full time at the University of Georgia. Sallot was cited as the fifth-most-productive contributor to public relations academic journals 1995-2005 in a 2005 study.

In 2002, Sallot’s local chapter, PRSA|GA, awarded her its highest honor, induction into the Order of the Phoenix and into the Georgia PRSA Hall of Fame, which is housed at the University of Georgia. There are only 29 members of the Order of the Phoenix, from a chapter membership of almost 1,000.
From the national society, she is accredited (APR) which designates she has been certified by PRSA after months of study and passing a rigorous exam, and she is a Fellow, which designates invitation and induction into the College of Fellows, "the hallmark of achievement in one’s public relations career." There are only 400 Fellows from a membership of more than 20,000.

The Outstanding Educator award is one of only five individual awards bestowed by the national society annually. It recognizes excellence in public relations teaching based on contemporary, research-based knowledge of public relations and contributions to the advancement of public relations education.

Sallot holds a BA in journalism from Kent State University; an M.A. in communications studies from the University of Miami, and a Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of Florida.

Excellence for Infinitee

Infinitee, Inc. received four awards from the annual Communicator Awards 2007 Print Media Competition. Infinitee was awarded two awards for excellence in communicating business-to-business objectives and another two awards for distinction in communicating brand value for business-to-consumer audiences.

Infinitee won Awards of Excellence for their Corporate Leasing Brochure for The Avenue, a retail division of Cousins Properties, located in the metro-Atlanta area, and the 25th Anniversary table-top book celebrating the development and growth of Tanger Outlet Centers. Infinitee also took home Awards of Distinction for Tanger’s Corporate Leasing Brochure and Fresenius Medical Care Magazine Outsert.

Tube-Ball

TUBE recently collaborated with Dean Pernaci Editorial on a broadcast spot for Cox Communications promoting football in HiDef to its digital subscribers. Chris Downs, creative director of TUBE, and Joseph Suttles, TUBE's newest motion graphics designer, shot transition and design elements with a real life football fan dressed up in full gear in TUBE's insert stage on green screen. Shot in 1080i using a DVCPRO-HD, the silhouetted action shots range from a quarterback snap and catch to a quick juke past a camera.

With the challenge of only standard definition stock football footage to work with, the 1080i green screen elements, combined with motion graphics, provided the basis for this gritty spot finished in HiDef. Rounding out the post process, TUBE’s Greg Partridge completed sound design on the :30 spot with grunts, punts and crowd applause.

Branding the Asian Way

Grant Design Collaborative’s president and creative director Bill Grant was a keynote speaker for a conference focusing on the growing importance of branding in the Asian marketplace. Entitled "From Good to Great – The Key Role of Brand Design," the event was held at multiple venues in Taipei and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Grant also acted as international judge for the 2007 Taiwan Design Award for Visual Communication. The conference focused on critical business/design issues, including how brand design enhances the value of business, brand-building communication protocol, the process of brand building from start to finish, myth-breaking assumptions, and how companies select a suitable design partner.

Bill Thompson Promoted

Bill Thompson was promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Georgia’s Film, Video and Music Office. Bill Thompson joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development on November 1, 2006 as director of the entertainment division. Thompson is responsible for developing marketing and sales strategies that will grow and enhance Georgia’s entertainment industry. His expanded role includes greater responsibilities for the department as a whole, as well as the division.

A communications industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in the film, video and television arenas, Thompson has worked in 28 countries on five continents and in 44 U.S. states. His clients have included television networks, Hollywood studios, advertising agencies, production companies, institutions and Fortune 100, 300 and 500 corporations. He was very involved in numerous projects during the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta and in 2005 produced several projects for the Brand Atlanta campaign, Coca-Cola and General Electric.

Thompson was nominated for an Emmy award in 1998 for producing the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards show, and has won an MTV music video award, several Telly awards, a Cable Atlanta "Best Original Series" award and an International Television Association award. He is a member of numerous professional organizations including the Georgia Production Partnership, Media Communications Association International, IMAGE Film/Video Center and the Atlanta Film Festival, and Women in Film and Television. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Technology Association of Georgia’s Entertainment Industry Board of Directors. Thompson received the Outstanding Alumnus of the Year award from Georgia State University in 2001 and is a past board member of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.

Thompson holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Communications from GSU.

The Art of the Deal

Acclaimed filmmaker Will Packer and noted indie distributor Ira Deutchman launched an innovative educational and marketing partnership with Clark Atlanta University during the Fall 2007 semester. The partnership has developed a groundbreaking marketing course centered on the upcoming theatrical release of John Sayles’ latest film "Honeydripper" starring Danny Glover. The course, taught through the School of Business Administration at Clark Atlanta, will also be offered to colleges and universities across the country, including other HBCU colleges (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).

The lectures will be distributed via the internet and will be organized by marketing professor Charles W. Richardson, Jr. of Clark Atlanta. Lectures will be given by professionals in theatrical marketing and distribution and include Atlanta-based producer Will Packer of Rainforest Films. Packer, a prolific filmmaker and expert at reaching diverse audiences, is coming off the 2007 hit "Stomp the Yard." Ira Deutchman, who has been teaching in the Graduate Film Division at Columbia University for over 20 years, was the founder of Fine Line Features and currently heads Emerging Pictures.

Said Packer "Rather than sit around and complain about how under-served the African American audience is, it’s time we inspired a new generation to see marketing as means to that end. This could be an important step in that direction."

The seminar will provide business students with hands on experience in the art of theatrical motion picture marketing. After the lecture series, groups of students from each participating school will spend the remainder of the semester developing a marketing plan to reach local audiences. Local professors and the Honeydripper distribution team will consult and the students will implement their marketing plans alongside the national marketing effort for the film’s release.

Coffee Anyone!

Atlanta food photographer Iain Bagwell recently completed an unusual project for gourmet coffee company, Melitta. Working with FKQ Advertising in Tampa, Bagwell shot a series of still images that were to be animated for a TV spot airing on The Food Network.

The project called for six images to be shot on location in a home. Ricky Turner of The Screen Engine, lead animator for the TV spot, was also on set to help direct each shot. In addition to the TV usage, some images will also be utilized in print ads, outdoor, collateral/direct mail and the company's website.

Paxton on Soapbox

Soapbox Studios recently brought in Paxton Greene as the new general manager. Greene joins Soapbox Studios with a strong background in television, video and production. After graduating from Georgia State as a film and video major, Greene landed his first job at CNN Newsstand. Following his passion for production and film, he went on to work with the WCW (now known as the WWF) as a production assistant, and continued over to Techwood, where he spent the last 7 years working, most recently as a writer/producer for Cartoon Network Latin America.

Jonathan Wolfman, co-owner of Soapbox Studios, first worked with Greene in early 2004, and began collaborating on a project in October 2006 for FOX 5’s "Wednesday’s Child." The collaboration was a success and from there grew the partnership that led to Greene taking the lead at Soapbox Studios.

Hit the Links with Creative INK

Creative INK recently launched the official PGA tour playoffs website in partnership with Turner Sports New Media. Turner Sports New Media develops and manages the PGA Tour website and enlisted Creative INK to provide the new look and feel for the official PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs web presence.

Turner Sports New Media decided to debut a series of newly designed PGA Tour sites with the inaugural FedEx Cup Playoffs. Featuring live, streaming video, event-branded sections and play-by-play content, the Playoffs site showcases a complex and scalable design strategy. Creative INK also designed a unique look and feel for The Presidents Cup website.

See see see eye Acquired
Van Winkle & Associates, a full-service marketing and advertising firm, recently acquired graphic design firm see see eye.

See see eye will continue to operate as a division of Van Winkle & Associates, Inc., with the same focus on annual report and corporate communications design. Founder and president Terry Davis will leave the firm to pursue other interests after a transition period. Co-owner and creative director Kevin Sheehan will assume additional responsibilities as creative director of VW&A.

Sheehan is a 20-year veteran of the creative and design industry whose work has been recognized for excellence nationally and internationally. See see eye vice president Lawson Cox will continue to serve as general manager. The account and design teams will remain in place under the see see eye brand, and the Company will maintain its offices at 590 Means Street in the West Midtown area of Atlanta.

Lowden Lenses Peace on Earth

Atlanta’s Scott Lowden was one of five different photographers to contribute to the Peace Corps new print campaign consisting of 14 separate ads. The campaign was created by BBDO Atlanta, and ads have been shipped to over 2,000 publications.

Peace Corps' photographer, Jason Katz, shot many of the images, and BBDO brought in the four additional photographers. Among the images chosen for the campaign was a shot Lowden took while in Peru in January of 2006. Once his image was selected from numerous shots in consideration, Lowden gladly donated it to the campaign.

Bill Pauls, executive creative director, BBDO Atlanta, contacted several photographers and reviewed numerous images before making his final selection. Tamara Reynolds was one of the photographers whose images were in consideration. Atlanta photographer Ryan Flynn also contributed an image to the campaign.

In other news, Lowden was contacted by Delta creative director, Jonathan Doss, for photos for collateral and advertising pieces promoting their emergence from bankruptcy. The job called for six specific shots in airport settings such as a check-in counter and Delta's Crown Room. However, inherent difficulties in dealing with airport security meant that locations would have to be re-created and simulated elsewhere. Lowden and his crew were in Columbus, GA working on an AFLAC shoot, so he enlisted the services of Stir Productions. The folks at Stir took Lowden's direction and pulled everything together without a hitch.

Hallman Has Octane

Veteran internet marketing professional Harry Hallman recently joined Octane as a principal. Hallman brings 30 years of marketing and marketing communications experience, 12 of which have been spent in the internet marketing arena.

Hallman will merge his consulting practice, Hallman & Associates, with Octane and add to the agency’s offerings in the development of niche based social networks, internet promotions, and internet marketing. Hallman has held positions of CEO for Photo Communications Corp., Corporate Media Communications, an event and marketing company, and HIP, Inc. an internet marketing agency.

Veteran Actor Does it with Class

Ken Feinberg is teaching classes at his Atlantic Station Studios. His courses include Demystify the Audition Process for Film & TV, Acting with Confidence in Front of the Camera, and The Feinberg Screenwriting Class. Feinberg recently finished writing his first novel, called "The Other Side of Now", a spiritual story about life lessons in this life and 2 previous past lives. He was also on the Star Trek and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer panels at this year’s Dragon Con.

North Avenue Post Converts

North Avenue Post has upgraded its facility with the addition of Teranex Advanced Format Conversion. Coupled with North Avenue Post’s existing HiDef infrastructure, the Teranex allows performance of the highest quality conversions to and from all HiDef standards as well as PAL and NTSC.

Porsche Upgrades PR Team

Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) has added Christopher Wall to its public relations team. Wall comes to Porsche with more than 14 years of experience in media relations, marketing and sales management. In his role as manager, automotive media and product information, Wall will be responsible mainly for the development and maintenance of key media relationships, and all product related communication activities within the automotive press.

With Wall’s arrival Bob Carlson’s responsibilities in the area of motor sports have been expanded. As manager, motorsports and brand heritage, he will focus on the dedicated communication of Porsche’s past and present accomplishments on and off the race track that have made the company unique within the auto industry.

Tony Fouladpour, manager, corporate communications, is responsible for the areas of business and lifestyle media, social PR and internal communications. Gary Fong will continue to manage the Porsche press fleet. Together, the PR team strives to provide best-in-class service to the North American media and beyond.

Prior to his arrival at Porsche, Wall served as the director of public relations and marketing for Pirelli Motorcycle Tire Company overseeing all press activities as well as distributor, dealer and sales programs. Additionally, he held various management positions spanning a nine-year career at the Yamaha Motor Corporation. Wall is a Georgia native and graduate of Kennesaw State University.

Name Change and New Clients

After 23 years in Atlanta, The Teleproduction Group (TPG) has changed the company name to Peachtree Films Atlanta. Said TPG President/CEO, Barry Dycus, "We feel the moniker better describes our company's vision and fully encompasses the vast spectrum of our production outlets."

Peachtree Films has recently completed projects such as the 2007 season for the PBS series "Real Savvy Moms" shot on location nationwide and in Mexico for Morphogenix/Matjik Creative, a show special for Lasser Productions/IFL with 2005 Playmate of the Year Tiffany Fallon, and a music video for the Tim McGraw produced band "Halfway to Hazard" for Mercury Records/ Chromazone Productions in Nashville, TN.

Manage Your Documents

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. has established a second branch location in the Atlanta metropolitan area which will offer Konica Minolta’s complete line of award-winning bizhub and bizhub PRO products, as well as its extensive document management and workflow solutions.

"Konica Minolta based its decision to establish a second branch in Atlanta because of the tremendous growth opportunity we see in this market," said Greg Leonard, branch general manager Atlanta West, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. "More than 75 percent of the Fortune 1000 companies have a presence in the Atlanta area, and the region hosts offices of about 1,250 multinational corporations. The addition of a second branch strengthens our ability to provide customers with document management solutions that will improve their businesses, while increasing Konica Minolta’s presence and market share in the region."

Yates to CDG/LBi as CD

Creative Digital Group, an LBi company, recently brought on Thurston Yates as SVP/executive creative director. Yates joins Creative Digital Group/LBi from Studiocom, where he served as a Creative Director and Discipline Lead. Prior to his role at Studiocom, Thurston was Regional Creative Director at Avenue A | Razorfish. At CDG/LBi, Yates is responsible for the creative vision, strategy and execution for the agency’s client engagements. His more than fifteen years of agency experience includes work for national accounts such as Baskin-Robbins, CVS/pharmacy, AMG Mercedes, United Airlines, The Coca Cola Company, LG Electronics, Carnival Cruise Lines, Burger King, and Chase Manhattan Bank, among others.

In other news, Creative Digital Group received industry recognition for its work, having been honored with three WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association. CDG/LBi’s award-winning work includes: "Beverage Standard of Excellence" for White Hat Brands’ "Get Your Dog On" Web site, "Best Retail Web Site" for The Home Depot Home Services’ Web site, and "Best Home Building Web Site" for The Home Depot’s Roofing, Siding, Windows Web site
CDG was also recognized for their work with client partner EyeWonder at the 2007 OMMA Awards for Best Video Appearing in a Banner, Pre-roll, Interstitial or In-stream Unit.

5 Team Members with IQ

IQ Interactive recently added five new team members including John Ferguson, senior designer, Chris McIlvoy, senior developer, Brian Gorby, interactive developer, Mason Brown, junior developer, and Kay McClusky, design producer.

Ferguson joins IQ Interactive as senior designer with more than 8 years of experience working for companies such as Coca-Cola, Cingular, Sony Music, Expedia, New York Times, among others. Prior to IQ, he served as a design consultant for Frog Design and Armchair Media.

As senior developer, McIlvoy brings a unique background of technical programming and finance responsibility for custom development of applications; as well as managing applications and projects for an international architecture firm. Chris will lend his knowledge to clients seeking strategies and solutions.

Gorby, interactive developer, will contribute his experience working as a web architect where he was responsible for roles from internet architecture to development to support new brand extensions. Prior to joining IQ, he worked for Paste Media Group.

Brown, junior developer, and McClusky, design producer, bring passion for design and experience working in the interactive space to IQ’s growing team.

VTA’s Yancey is Greatest Gift

Music video director Mike Taylor chose VTA's senior colorist, John Yancey to define the tones and ambiance for a recent project. The latest Tamika Scott video "Greatest Gift" follows her through a "day in the life" story that intertwines with a beautiful performance piece. Shot on 35mm film, color correction was an essential part of the look for the piece. Yancey utilized power windows and slight filtering to bring the eye to the center without being heavy handed.

Michele Torres Joins Craig Miller Productions

Michele Torres has brought her considerable marketing and production skills to both C Pictures and Craig Miller Productions in the HiDef arena. Torres is concentrating on international projects including gaming, real estate, the Christian music video genre and broadcast promotional. Responsibility includes producing HiDef programming in any language around the world.

In other news, Craig Miller Productions recently produced a HiDef mini-documentary for The McDonald's Division of The Coca-Cola Company. The program entitled "St. Augustine Marching 100: A Band Reborn" is the story of a New Orleans all-male Catholic African-American high school that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the long road back to regain its status as one of the premier marching bands in the country. This was accomplished through the help of corporate contributions and support from companies like The Coca-Cola Company. The HiDef presentation has already garnered a Bronze Anvil Award; the highest honor awarded a video presentation from the national PRSA competition.

C Pictures has completed writing and directing an HiDef PSA for the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Atlanta. "Heroes" is being customized for local markets across the country and DDB Chicago is posting it for national distribution.

C Pictures and Craig Mill Productions in conjunction with JBL Communications has just completed the upgrade of two HiDef Final Cut Pro Suites at their offices on Northside Drive. Along with the assets of Creative Sound Services located in the same building, the complete HiDef Post facility delivers an incredible post production package.

Danneman Faces the Music

Jody Danneman, president and executive producer at Atlanta ImageArts, was once again tapped to write, produce and direct the Annual Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards, the 29th edition. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame inducted R&B performer Usher, Southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, songwriter Mylon LeFevre, Jazz artist Freddy Cole, Dr. Bobbie Bailey, and studio pioneer Babs Richardson at the annual gala. Singer/songwriter Johnta Austin received the 2007 Bill Lowery Horizon Award, which recognizes "up and coming" talent with significant ties to the State of Georgia.

The ceremony was held at the Georgia World Congress Center in the Thomas B. Murphy Ballroom with Georgia Public Broadcasting providing the live television coverage. LeFevre, Cole, Usher and Lynyrd Skynyrd performed.

Rome International Film Festival Wraps

The 2007 Rome International Film Festival wrapped with an afternoon awards ceremony on Sunday at the historic DeSoto Theatre. The following awards were presented by the Adjudication Advisory Board chaired by RIFF Creative Programming Director Harry Musselwhite:

Jury Awards: Animation: "A Garota," Fernando Pinheiro,; American Documentary: "Monster Camp," Cullen Hoback; International Documentary: "Born Again Buddhists," Lian Pak, Australia and Singapore; Experimental "DVD," Ciro Altabas, Spain; Narrative American Short: "Blue Dress," Katie Stern; Narrative International Short: "Happy Pizza," Shuhei Fukunaga, Japan; Narrative Feature: "Low and Behold," Zach Godshall, USA, and; Special Jury Award: "Fully Awake: Black Mountain College," Cathryn Davis Zommer and Neeley House, USA.

The following Audience Choice Awards were determined by ballots completed by audience members. The winners are chosen based on the highest average score, with a minimum of 20 ballots returned from unique audience members for a film to qualify.

Audience Choice Awards: Best Feature: "Greensboro: Closer to the Truth," Adam Zucker, USA, and Narrative Short: "Swimming to the Moon," Greg Thompson, USA.

In addition to awards to filmmakers and films, RIFF presented two festival awards for achievement and commitment to the Rome International Film Festival.

Festival Awards: Special Achievement Award: E. Wright Ledbetter, and Independent Luminary Award: Judy Taylor.

Savannah Film Festival Honors Two

The Savannah College of Art and Design honored two-time Academy Award-winner Michael Douglas and Emmy Award-winning journalist Charlie Rose at its milestone tenth annual Savannah Film Festival, Oct. 27–Nov. 3. Douglas received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the festival. He is known for his iconic roles in films such as "The China Syndrome" (1979), "Fatal Attraction" (1987), "Wall Street" (1987) and "The War of the Roses" (1989). He also served as a producer for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest" (1975), for which he was honored with his first Oscar.

Rose, the well-known broadcast journalist behind the PBS talk-show series "The Charlie Rose Show," was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Entertainment Journalism. Previous winners of this award have included Roger Ebert, Rex Reed and Army Archerd.

Additional honorees at the festival included award-winning thespian siblings Vanessa, Lynn and Corin Redgrave, who have never been honored together in the United States or their native Britain.

SCAD also honored Academy Award-winning directors Milos Forman and William Friedkin; director Brett Ratner; and actor, writer, producer and director John Sayles, who will premiere his latest film "Honeydripper" at the festival with close friend Chris Cooper and one of the film’s stars, Savannah native Stacy Keach, in attendance.

Montgomery Takes No Breaks

Jay Montgomery Illustration in Marietta has been busy. Montgomery was interviewed on the AM 1620 Radio Sandy Springs in GA on a show called Following Your Passions. He was featured in the international e-zine NewWebPick, which has over 3,000,000 readers. In August, Montgomery signed up with a German Art Representative dieKlienert, which is forming a new USA representation.

While teaching classes at SCAD-Atlanta over the summer and fall, Montgomery completed numerous freelance projects ranging from program cover art for the Breeders' Cup horse race, and marketing illustrations for Atlanta Gas Light, Shaw Carpet, Porsche and with Kenrico, a Japanese health product company to create a map the Japanese town of Shizuoka. In October, Montgomery received a special award from his alma mater, LaGrange College. At homecoming he was included on the Wall of Outstanding Alumni.

Guillotine Works Bitcoms

The Digital Content division of TNT and TBS Originals chose Guillotine Post to create "Sneak Peeks" for their original series shows. Writer/producer Belinda Lott worked with Guillotine staff editors Christo Harris, Michael Koepenick and Michael Curtis to create Sneak Peeks for "The Closer," "Saving Grace," "The Bill Engvall Show," "My Boys," "Heartland," and "The Company." Sneak Peeks are 4 minute excerpts of next week’s shows that fans can check out on the web and be "in the know" as to what the upcoming shows will be about. They are also proving to be hot new ways for advertisers to reach target audiences who can often connect directly with products and services with the click of a button.

Due to the success of the Sneak Peeks, vice president of Digital Content TNT/TBS Matt Bunting also asked the team to create a series of "Bitcoms", which are essentially four and a half minute synopses of sitcoms or "itty bitty sitcoms" as Belinda likes to call them. She and the Guillotine crew cut Bitcoms for "Tyler Perry’s House of Payne," "The Bill Engvall Show," and "The Office."

Brand Builders

Superhero themed promotions firm, The P.O.P. Shop took over the first floor of The Art Institute of Atlanta on September 18th to present the Brand Builders Expo, a brand boosting expo turbo-charged with creativity. The company’s entire team of marketing superheroes were on hand, along with many of their partners, helping attendees plan for 2008, get ideas and consider holiday gifts for clients or employees. The event was open to marketing managers, agencies, business owners and buyers of printing and promotional products. Attendees received VIP Access to money saving coupons and specials, and access to The Art Institute’s Gallery.

A Promax for Wolff Bros

Wolff Bros Post shared in the Promax World Gold award for TNT’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes. The BTS for Battlegrounds FX earned the honor under the Behind the Scenes Promotion category at the Promax Awards in New York. Avid Editor Kara Krohn and Sound Designer Seth Cohen both worked on the project with TNT producer M.A. Glenn. In addition, Wolff Bros editors worked on Promax Award winners for Cartoon Network, Gospel Music Channel, and TBS.

Dance Party at Kaneva

Kaneva, a rapidly growing virtual world, is launching a new in-world dance game called Dance Party 3D. Kaneva believes this demonstrates the blurring of the lines between casual games, social networking, MMOs and virtual worlds...the four becoming one mainstream entertainment outlet for the masses. Potentially the world’s largest dance game - allowing hundreds of thousands of simultaneous users to create their avatars, dance, compete in dance clubs, socialize and chat with friends - players can upload and feature their own music and create their own club playlists.

Pivotal Decisions for Siaggas

Director Peter Siaggas of Spots Films teamed up with Raleigh-Durham based Woodbine Agency creatives Jimmy Ashworth and Dino Laurentis to direct an award-winning campaign for Piedmont Federal Bank entitled "Pivotal Decisions". The 6 spot campaign was shot in Las Vegas.

The commercials feature after-and-before visuals aimed at a younger audience for Piedmont Federal, a long-time community-focused financial institution in North Carolina. After sweeping the 2007 local ADDY awards with 18 wins, the spots received an additional 6 Gold District ADDY awards as well as the coveted Best of Show award in the broadcast category.

Kitschy Panorama

Dinosaurs and flying saucers invaded Spring Street recently in a kitschy panorama adorning the storefront windows of Whole World Theatre. The popular theatre group needed a more recognizable space so that audiences could find the front door without circling the block five times. The formerly nondescript one-story building in the 1200 block of Spring Street in Midtown is now unlikely to be missed.

"We’ve been entertaining Atlanta for 14 years now, and some folks still don’t know where we are located," Whole World Theatre Artistic Director Chip Powell said. "Now, when people call for directions, we can say head toward downtown on Spring Street and look for the big reptiles and UFOs on the right."

The artwork was designed by Don Patton of the Freebairn & Company advertising agency and installed by The Color Spot. But why the B-movie monster attack motif? "Random chaos," Powell said. "That’s Whole World Theatre. We’re somewhere between T-Rex and space aliens and constantly evolving. It’s never the same show twice."

New Studio for Atlanta Workshop Players

Longtime local theatrical company Atlanta Workshop Players recently opened their new Studio of the Arts in North Fulton. After 25 years in the theatre business, the AWP now has a beautiful home to call their own. AWP debuted its state-of-the-art Studio of the Arts during a Grand Opening reception.

Innovative technology combined with a deluxe rehearsal space with raised dance floor, mirrors and sound system make this studio unique. The soaring space also houses a television studio which will be used for classes as well as being available for rent to visiting casting directors. Generous rooms for private classes, Atlanta Workshop Players’ offices and a kitchenette are also included.

Classes will be comprised of: Hollywood Bound and Broadway Bound, AWP’s Professional Training Program for children and adults; Improv-Mania, a creative explosion of improv comedy; Theatre Production classes, and Essentials, an on-screen crash course series of workshops on the skills necessary for a successful career in TV and film. In addition to their ongoing theatre school, other AWP programs include a touring show of original musicals, intense performing arts camps, an internship program, a scholarship program and a career development program.

Okefenokee Coming to Georgia

Georgia native, award winning director, film editor and screenwriter, John David Allen, will be shooting his next film, "Okefenokee," in Georgia. Allen’s film brings with it a number of important names in the film business including Merchant Ivory Productions ("Howards End," "Remains of the Day" and "A Room With A View") and Sarah Green Film Corp ("Frida," "Passion Fish" and "Eight Men Out"), both of whom have signed on as executive producers. "Okefenokee" is slated to begin filming in the spring.

John David Allen’s films have been seen on HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Disney and the Movie Channel. Allen has received numerous awards for his work on the local, national and international level. He was awarded a Mayor’s Fellowship in the Arts in Atlanta, and received grants from the Fulton County Arts Council and Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs in the 90’s.

In other news, filmmaker James Ivory, of Merchant Ivory Productions, was this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Women in Film.

McRae Adds 4

McRae has added four new professionals to its integrated marketing team. Kelly Gathers and Donna Graziani have joined McRae as advertising account directors, Mike Welton has joined the firm as a public relations account director, and Melanie Jones has joined as a media planner/buyer.

Gathers focuses on McRae’s real estate development and tourism clientele. She was formerly brand marketing manager for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, where she led the development and execution of brand-oriented marketing, promotion and communications programs. Prior to that, Gathers was director of marketing for The Melrose Company, where she was responsible for the marketing of the company’s five communities, including Echelon, the Home of the Georgia Tech Club.

Graziani represents McRae’s financial services and energy clients. A former vice president and account director for WestWayne, she led The Real Yellow Pages from BellSouth account and was responsible for strategic planning, execution, and analysis of all advertising communications including TV, radio, out-of-home, newspaper, magazine, online, direct mail, and collateral for consumers and businesses. Graziani also is a veteran of Berlin Wright Cameron and DDB Needham, both in New York City.

Welton manages public relations for McRae’s real estate clients. He is a former director of communications for the North Carolina Turnpike Authority where he developed integrated marketing programs and initiated the Turnpike Authority’s architectural aesthetics program. He also was previously manager of public relations for PriceWeber in Louisville, KY, where he managed the firm’s real estate and transportation accounts, and Sullivan Higdon & Sink in Wichita, KS, where he represented clients in the transportation and financial services industries.

Melanie Jones handles the media department’s planning, buying and strategic research. She joins McRae from PHD in Atlanta where she led TV, radio and cable negotiating in major southeast markets for clients that included Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Mercedes. She also was formerly a media buyer for OMD and a national sales coordinator for MMT, both in Atlanta.