Production Paradise

Welcome to the latest edition of Showcase New York, brought to you by Production Paradise. We present the latest news from the best of the city's visual media industry and, as usual, more information can be found online in our city Directory.

If you're in New York, be sure to check out our featured events:

• Cai Guo-Qiang at The Guggenheim - until 20th May.
  The artist recently spent 40 days installing the show "I Want to Believe", which has been dubbed one of the most ambitious and daring installations yet.
• 50 Years of Helvetica at the Museum Of Modern Art - until 31st March.
  In honour of the first typeface acquired for MoMA's collection, the installation presents posters, signage, and other graphic material.
• Takashi Murakami at Brooklyn Museum 5th April - 13th July.
  The artist's most comprehensive retrospective to date, with 90 pieces including a fully functioning Louis Vuitton shop.

Our cover photo was shot by Akos.

nyc photography/photographers' agents: UTOPIA

Representing international talent in the areas of photography, hair, make-up, and styling, Utopia is a full service agency based in New York.

The company's emphasis is on creating a balance between its artist's creative and editorial pursuits, and their commercial assignments; both essential to the longevity and general health of any artist's career.

Some recent projects include:

• David Gubert in Mexico, shooting for Shape magazine, and in Barbados for Principles UK.
• Timothy Kolk in Rome shooting Bottega Veneta Home.
• Todd Marshard shooting cover girl Marisa Miller for Red Magazine.
• Olivia Graham shooting for The Four Seasons Hotels.

nyc photography/photographers: NUTE NICHOLSON

Nute Nicholson is known for his clean graphic style of fashion and commercial photography. He found his true 'visual voice' during ten years of living and working throughout Europe, where he also perfected his unique style of shooting with a large format 8x10 camera.

Nicholson continues to work from his Brooklyn-based studio for clients including Urban Outfitters/Free People, Adidas, Sony, EMIVirgin Records, and numerous editorial clients.

His first book, "Pashion", is due out at the end of March, and he recently began work on a quarterly art-based fashion publication "FELT", due to be released this spring.

nyc photography/photographers: JEFF OLSON

This spring, check out photographer Jeff Olson's fine art debut at the prestigious Peter Hay Halpert Gallery in Chelsea, from 17th April until 31st May.

In addition, Jeff's latest projects have seen him travelling around the world, from El Salvador to London. For a full list of recent clients, including W Magazine Korea and the new A.B.S. campaign among many others, visit Jeff Olson's website.

nyc photography/photographers: ANDREA BLANCH

'Too Young' is an exploration of the young male as a unique sexual being, rather than a pastiche of the expectations of modern culture. The photos in this series are informed by Andrea Blanch's solid understanding of the human form through her investment in fashion photography, as well as her intrepid investigation into what comprises male sexuality.

The boys, not unlike models, are draped in elegant scarves. However, their bare chests are exposed, and so too are their vulnerabilities as not yet fully developed men. The series addresses a question that is increasingly relevant as the age of sexual activity lowers and advertising continues to press against the barrier of exploitation: How young is too young?

nyc photography/photographers: JENS UMBACH

Jens Umbach has been busy shooting editorials:

• Erin Featherston in her New York atelier, for the spring issue of British Vogue.
• Moby for the March issue of Galore.
• Antonio Perez of Kodak for the January 2008 issue of Conde Nast Portfolio.
  

nyc photography/photographers: JIMMY COHRSSEN

Jimmy Cohrssen recently travelled to Asia and Europe to work on:

• New boutiques for Bathing Ape in Tokyo.
• Kengo Kuma's latest project in a private house in Tokyo - a gem!
• The recently opened Peninsula Hotel, Tokyo.
• The Citroën showroom in Paris, which was a cover and feature story for the January 2008 issue of Interior Design.
• The Nespresso boutique on the Champs-Elysees.
• The Tag Heuer and latest Hermes boutiques in Paris, for Casa Brutus.

nyc photography/photographers: SEBASTIAN GOLLINGS

Photographer Sebastian Gollings recently shot for a variety of clients, including:

• Australian Vogue "It must be love" feature about chocolate for the magazine's February 2008 issue, as well as a Prada Shoes story for its April 2008 issue.
• Men's perfume and other fashion still-life stories for GQ.
• A shoe piece for the upcoming spring issue of Poster Magazine.
  

nyc photography/rental studios photo: PRIMUS

Nestled in the heart of one of Manhattan's most charming neighbourhoods lies the answer to the shooting needs of some of the world's most discerning photographers. Primus was designed by two photographers who wanted a space that was part of the creative process, a location with all the amenities of a studio but without the price of renting an architect's loft.

It's classic downtown New York at it's base; industrial metal doors, old world steel window shutters, and 100 year old maple floors etched with the history of the artists that used to haunt Soho. Every wall treatment, every fixture and detail has been chosen for it's unique look and flexibility, all the while offering an equipment room as well a library of flats and backdrops to augment it even further.

The amenities that make it stand out from other rental locations are those of a full service studio; freight elevator, A.C., steamer, racks, fax, wi-fi, etc. It is a space that keeps re-inventing itself every time you point a camera at it.

nyc photography/rental studios photo: NEO STUDIOS

Neo Studios continues to provide stylish studios to a growing number of clients. Recent bookings include:

Adidas Y-3 for fashion week, Gregory Heisler, Todd Oldham, Kenneth Cole, Bergdorf Goodman, Russian Vogue, German Glamour, Seed Reps, Bruno Gaget, Ocean Drive Magazine, and Nautica, among others.

Neo recently added more Broncolor in-house lighting, created all-inclusive digital packages, and continues to provide a friendly service to its expanding list of customers.

nyc production/tv/ video production: SHOTSHOTSHOT

ShotShotShot is a visual and conceptual creative studio producing animation and live-action for broadcast and entertainment.

The studio opened its Austrian main base and its Brooklyn satellite in 2006, and has already won the UTV Music Video Award 2007 for the video Souvenier, by Monk.

The team is made up of a musician and two architects who seek to employ their different understandings of concept and design to provide purposeful creative solutions.

ShotShotShot recently worked on music videos, architectural animations that included a project at the New York Times office building in Times Square, and a commercial for Microsoft.

ShotShotShot is permanently on the look-out for new challenges to improve and extend its knowledge and abilities.

nyc production/tv/ video production: BRENDAN ROCHE DESIGN

Brendan Roche is a multimedia designer and artist. Working predominantly in motion graphics design and animation, Brendan operates as an independent company and does onsite freelance work.

Brendan provides conceptual design, 2D and 3D animation, and video and sound editing, and has created work for major television networks, postproduction shops, ad agencies and others.

Along with motion graphics Brendan also provides design solutions for his clients in the areas of Web and print. Aside from design, Brendan works as a painter, printmaker and failing dog trainer.

nyc production/photo production: VILLANI PRODUCTIONS

Villani Productions provides clients with a wide range of services including art direction, creative consulting and photo shoot production. Founder Richard Villani has over 20 years of experience across the publishing, advertising, photography and production industries.

Richard has worked with various clients in South Africa, St. Tropez and Paris. His clients have included The United Nations, Armani Exchange, Nine West and The Queen Mary II. Magazine clients include Out Traveller, Esquire, Interview, US & French Vogue and Vanity Fair, among others.

Villani Productions has a deep network of the industry's top talent and support. A multi-disciplinary approach provides unparalleled service, and the company is involved at every step of the creative process to ensure clients' needs are met both to budget and to deadline.

nyc production/photo production: CREATIVE CHAOS

Creative Chaos rolls into spring 2008 marking it's twelfth year of production, casting and art buying in cooperation with the fashion industry's heavyweights.

This season's Creative Chaos includes the S/S '08 Missoni campaign, shot by Camilla Akrans and featuring supermodel Bianca Balti, H&M's spring and summer campaigns, and the S/S '08 Sportmax campaign, shot by Dusan Reljin showcasing star newcomer Ali Michael.

nyc production/photo production: CASTING & PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL

With more than 20 years of experience in castings and productions worldwide, working with the best photographers in the business, CPI is not only a casting and production company! From branding to marketing and public relations, CPI strives to give it's clientele a top-notch, personalised service.

An exciting project that one of its renowned photographers, Mr. André Rau, is currently working on involves a book on Morocco ordered personally by His Majesty Mohammed VI. It will cover an array of subjects, from celebrities to models, designers with a pied a terre in Morocco to a contemporary look at the country's architecture and culture.

Other projects are also in progress in Tunisia and the UAE.

nyc production/photo production: GEORGE PRODUCTIONS

Established in 1997, George Productions is a New York-based production company that provides a full-range of production services both locally and internationally. Clients include Missoni, L'Oreal, Cerruti, Microsoft, BMW and Tag Heuer.

The company's principal, Kim Handley, has 25 years of experience in production. Kim takes an independent approach to every project; "Each client has different needs, expectations and requirements. There's never one job exactly like the other."

The primary goal of the latest New Balance campaign, (shot by Mark Newton and produced by George Productions), was to have a strong, distinctive cast. The client wanted to use real athletes; the photographer wanted them to be edgy-looking, with personality and energy. The tremendous results can be seen in this Showcase.

nyc photography/photo production: MISSION PHOTO PRODUCTION

Founded by Mary Pratt in 2000, Mission Photo Production Inc. offers full photo production services that are tailored to meet every clients' specific needs.

During car shoots for clients such as Mercedes, Land Rover and Volkswagen, 'specific needs' can range from devising complicated schedules, where cars get swapped between the East and West coasts without having to factor in any costly down-days, to shutting down heavily trafficked bridges or hoisting cars onto rooftops and saltwater-splashed cliffs.

Pratt grew up in Switzerland and is fluent in several languages. She is experienced in handling multi-country shoots, having done so for IBM, XL Capital, UBS and, most recently, Microsoft. The latest project encompassed 20 destinations in 15 countries, covered over the course of four trips.

"Production", says Pratt, "with all its intricate details, is like assembling puzzle pieces to form one big beautiful picture. Over and over, I find it to be a fun challenge."

nyc photography/photo postproduction: INDUSTRIAL COLOR

Industrial Color is the largest digital capture/post-production company with offices in NY, LA and Miami. Either studio or location, they can handle any shoot. Their technicians are the best in the industry and undergo the most rigorous certification program in the business.

Their client list reads like a who's who in the photography, editorial and advertising world. To name a few, clients include Saks Fifth Avenue, Victoria's Secret, GAP, Nike, Showtime and NBC. Jill Greenberg, Arthur Elgort, Max Vadukul, Miles Aldrige, James White, Richard Pierce and Walter Chin are among some of the photographers who call Industrial Color their digital team.

The company owns and maintains state-of-the-art equipment, including backs, cameras and hardware, which are tested, cleaned and calibrated before every shoot.

nyc photography/photo postproduction: ZERONE INC.

[zerone] ended a busy 2007 with an on-location retouching of the launch campaign for the all-new Kia 'Mohave' with photographer Georg Fischer in Los Angeles. Other recent projects include:

• Brochure front/back covers for all Acura models, photographed by Thomas Strogalski in California and Alaska.
• VISA 'Numbers' campaign, photographed by Christian Stoll.
• A catalogue image for the Toyota 'Sienna', and billboard and catalogue images for the new Toyota 'Sequoia'. The car had to be shot separately in the studio for confidentiality reasons and then put on location in post. All photographed by Michael Ruppert.
• Personal and editorial work for photographer Phil Toledano (editorial to be released in Interview, March '08).

[zerone] is currently working on a project for Mercedes-Benz Trucks with photographer Ivo von Renner.

nyc photography/photo postproduction: GLOSS POSTPRODUCTION

In the last couple of months Gloss has expanded and moved into its new location on 35 W31st Street, Suite 901, New York. The company's next step for 2008 will be a studio in Los Angeles - the address will be announced on the website soon.

In the March issue of PDN there will be an article about Gloss postproduction - check it out!

Current work includes a project for the new Toyota Corolla catalogue with Thomas Strogalski for Saatchi&Saatchi, LA. The current campaign has also been retouched by Gloss with photographer Oliver Paffrath for Burrell/Chicago.

Gloss NYC also offers CGI: featured in this Showcase is one of the company's latest projects with Kai-Uwe Gundlach for BMW Magazine.

nyc photography/photo postproduction: IMPACT DIGITAL

Impact Digital, a retouching company known for its award-winning work, including a Gold Effie in 2006 for the Air Jordan XX Nike Campaign, has a new home - in January, the company moved into its custom-built 30,000 sq. ft. Tribeca facility to support its growing operations that include high-end retouching, pre-media, CGI/3D, software development and a tier 3 Datacenter.

Working as an art studio with extensive production capacity, Impact Digital is able to achieve high quality, artistry and consistency on very large projects. They specialise in "bringing global brands to the highest visual level and managing projects that range from high-profile international campaigns to the experimental work of individual photographers".

The company integrates with Industrial Color, its sister organisation. Industrial Color is the largest digital capture operation in the world with 50 employees and offices in New York, Los Angeles and Miami.

nyc photography/equipment rent photo: B&H PHOTO VIDEO

B&H has been serving the imaging market since 1973 and is a 'US Authorized Dealer' for all major brands. The company is the world's leading retailer of imaging products, serving professionals and consumers from its NYC retail store and through its state of the art website.

Millions of satisfied customers are a testimony to their integrity and high quality service before, during and after the sale. B&H maintains a knowledgeable and courteous customer service staff, who are assisted by the best support systems.

The company has the world's most extensive inventory of more than 225,000 photo, video and pro-audio products, including every available accessory at discounted prices and ready for rapid delivery. B&H also carries a large assortment of computer equipment, peripherals, software, components, and accessories, as well as a large variety of MP3 players, binoculars and scopes. B&H has been awarded for the 6th consecutive year the Circle of Excellence Platinum Award, as one of the "Very Best Performing E-tailers" for 2007.

nyc service/wardrobe: RRRENTALS

Renting wardrobe instead of buying and returning seems to be the new trend, making stylists' lives much easier. rrrentals offers a large selection of contemporary lifestyle fashion for men, women and children.

The company was established by long-time stylists who understand the needs of the industry, and who have made the rrrentals wardrobe a great resource for any shoot.

The company was recently used for the new Keds campaign with Mischa Barton, Avon Cosmetics, Citi Smithbarney, Playboy, Macy's.com, Getty Images stock pictures, and many, many more.

nyc locations/hotels: 60 THOMPSON

Set in the heart of Manhattan's SoHo District, 60 Thompson is the classically understated, luxury-driven lifestyle hotel that defines Thompson Hotels.

Since opening in 2001, the 100 room, small luxury hotel designed by famed interior designer Thomas O'Brien has become an established downtown hotel, known around the world for its subtle, sophisticated style and exceptional service.

Its acclaimed restaurant, Kittichai, is a favourite amongst New Yorkers, interna­tional foodies and top chefs alike. Completing the full Thompson experience are the beautiful Thom Bar and A60, the guest and members-only rooftop lounge, providing a modern, chic environment for the ultimate New York City stay.

nyc media/magazines: RESOURCE MAGAZINE

Created by stylist Alexandra Niki and producer Aurelie Jezequel, Resource Magazine launched in October 2007. It is designed "For the Professional Photo Productionist" and has hit the streets to widespread acclaim.

The publication is available free of charge in industry-related locations - studios, labs, and equipment/prop rental houses.

Dedicated to the life behind the photos, Resource explores various facets of this captivating business by touching on both the mundane and the illustrious of studio life. Enjoy!