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• MAY 4, 2011Beast LA Hires Senior Producer Yole Barrera
 
MAY 4, 2011

Beast LA Hires Senior Producer Yole Barrera



Los Angeles, CA  – Beast, one of the nation’s top editorial houses, has announced the appointment of Yole Barrera to Senior Producer of its Los Angeles facility. Barrera, a seasoned post production veteran, joins Beast after freelance work at various commercial facilities that include Spot Welders, Rock Paper Scissors, Arcade Edit and Jigsaw. Some of her notable credits include the 2011 MTV Movie Awards, the first HD commercial in Utah for Lagoon and numerous spots for auto manufacturers such as GM, Honda, Ford and Jaguar to name a few.

“I’m delighted to have Yole as part of my team again,” said Los Angeles Executive Producer Sybil McCarthy. “We shared a great rapport when we worked together in the past and I always admired her ability to handle the toughest jobs, while still making clients feel very special.”  

In addition to her experience as an editorial producer, Barrera also possesses extensive visual effects and finishing experience garnered at facilities such as Arsenal FX, Steele Studios and Beast’s sister company Method. Says Barrera, “I loved being on the VFX side and learning the values of what an "online" really is. The VFX side also broadened my eyes to be able to understand all levels of the business from offline edit to final delivery of projects. I truly have a passion for editorial and that’s what brought me back to this side of the business.”

Barrera got her start in the industry as an office manager at Spot Welders and later moved into producing. Since then, she has gone on to work with some of the top directors, producers and agencies in the business.


• MAY 25, 2011Producer Jessica Marie Stanchak Joins Beast NY
 
MAY 25, 2011

Producer Jessica Marie Stanchak Joins Beast NY



New York, NY – Beast, one of the nation’s top editorial houses, has announced the addition of producer Jessica Stanchak to its New York facility. Some of her current clients include Febreze (Grey), Garnier (Publicis), Olay (Saatchi&Saatchi), Athenos (Droga5) and P&G (BBDO). Stanchak joins Beast after a stint as an editorial producer at jumP Editorial. Prior to jumP, Stanchak served as assistant producer at Ogivly & Mather, where she produced TV, online, radio and new media content.

“Jessica’s full of amazing positive energy,” said Beast executive producer Elizabeth Krajewski. “But at the same time she has a buttoned-up, calm approach to producing that makes her an ideal fit for the culture at Beast. She’s a wonderful addition to the Beast family.”

Stanchak got her start in the industry as an intern for the series “A Current Affair.” Her first post production position came as a production coordinator at Ogilvy & Mather, where she quickly moved up to assistant producer. She worked on major accounts such as American Express, IBM and Kraft and later became the lead producer for Maybelline’s worldwide campaigns.

“Beast is one of the most respected editorial houses in the country and I’m excited to be part of the team,” said Stanchak. “I look forward to working with everyone!”

• APR 21, 2011Beast SF Introduces Motion Graphics Arm
 
APR 21, 2011

Beast SF Introduces Motion Graphics Arm



San Francisco, CA – Beast, one of the nation's top editorial facilities, has added a motion graphics division to its San Francisco location - Allied. Fronted by Joe Macken, who possesses over 10 years of post production experience, and Ben Kopman, a Berkeley native with over 10 years of experience in 2D and 3D motion graphic design, Allied's motion graphics service offering will bolster Beast San Francisco's already strong editorial service offering.

Allied's addition allows Beast to service a wider variety of projects. "The creation of Allied gives us an opportunity to work on larger, more project-oriented jobs. It's an exciting opportunity," said Macken. Allied's formation also gives Macken and Kopman a long sought-after opportunity to work together. "We've been friends for a long time and have very complementary styles, so working together is something we've always wanted to do," offered Kopman.

Says Beast Executive Producer Jon Ettinger, "This is a market-driven initiative that acknowledges the organic growth in motion graphics and design in San Francisco. It's an exciting evolution for the San Francisco community and the post production community at large."

• FEB 8, 2011Beast and CareerBuilder Partner for Super Bowl
 
FEB 8, 2011

Beast and CareerBuilder Partner for Super Bowl



Chicago, IL – Beast, one of the nation’s top editorial facilities, recently completed work on “Parking Lot,” a :30 for CareerBuilder that debuted during Super Bowl XLV. The spot features an embattled office worker attempting to simply park his car in the company lot when his chimpanzee colleagues throw a monkeywrench into the mix.

Editor John Dingfield from Beast Chicago reteamed with creatives Matt McIntyre and Jeff Martin, who produced last year’s CareerBuilder campaign for Super Bowl XLIV, to work on “Parking Lot.” Director Bryan Buckley of Hungryman joined the team this year. “Bryan Buckley is one of the best directors around, so it was great working with him and the rest of the team,” commented Dingfield.

The commercial had its share of challenges. “Only one chimp could appear in frame at a time and they never appeared in frame with the actor, so a lot of editing and visual effects were involved” said Dingfield. “Bryan normally does two-camera shoots, but for the effects sequences he used a C camera to ensure that good performances were captured at multiple angles. As a result, layers and layers of footage were shot, resulting in some scenes with nine or ten layers of film that had to be married together.”

Dingfield’s biggest challenge was getting the footage comped together in order to see what was happening. “With so many layers of footage you don’t know what you have until you put it all together, offered Dingfield. “The creatives at CareerBuilder were very patient and collaborative, which made this a really enjoyable campaign to work on.”

In addition to “Parking Lot,” Dingfield edited two other as yet unreleased spots for the campaign, all of which were shot on the RED Camera.

CREDITS

Title: Parking Lot

Client: CareerBuilder
Richard Castellini - Chief Marketing Officer
Cynthia McIntyre - Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Jeff Martin - CD/Copywriter
Matt McIntyre - CD/Art Director
Ben Latimer - Producer

Production: Hungry Man
Bryan Buckley - Director
Kevin Byrne - Managing Partner/Executive Producer
Cindy Becker - Executive Producer
Dan Duffy - Executive Producer
Mino Jarjoura - Executive Producer
Steve Ruggieri - Production Supervisor

Crew:
Scott Henriksen - Director of Photography
Craig Owens - Assistant Director
David Skinner - Production Designer
Kathy Knowles - Casting Director LA
Fay Erin Casting - Casting Director NY
Brian Malott - Asst. Production Supervisor

Animals:
Steve Martin's Working Wildlife
Steve Martin - trainer
Chris Edrington - trainer
Keith Bauer - trainer

Editorial:
BEAST
John Dingfield - Editor
Lauren Scheuer - Producer
Matt Glover - Assistant Editor
Melissa Thornley - EP

Visual Effects:
The Mill
Gavin Wellsman - Lead Flame
Fergus McCall - Color
Danny Morris - Flame
Gigi Ng - Assistant Flame
Albert Cook - Assistant Flame
Suzanne Dyer - Assistant Flame
Rosalind Paradis - Assistant Flame
Brian Houlihan - Jr. Assistant Flame
Randy Krueger - Jr. Assistant Flame
Jeff Robbins - Smoke
Keith Sullivan - Smoke
Tristian Wake - Smoke
Jeff Dates - CG
Sandor Tolado - CG
Dan Roberts - Producer
Zu Al-Kadiri - Producer

Sound Design:
MachineHead
1641 20th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
310 392 8393
Stephen Dewey - Sound Designer / Foley
Patty Chow Dewey - EP

Music:
Emoto
1615 16th St., Santa Monica, CA 90404
Ph 310 399 6900
Business Trip: Odd Couple Arrangement
Arranger: Paul Bessenbacher
Executive Producer: Paul Schultz
Business Trip: Original Music
Composer: John Adair
Executive Producer: Paul Schultz
Parking Lot: Original Music
Composer: Ryan Elder
Executive Producer: Paul Schultz
Fire Safety: Original Music
Composer: Paul Bessenbacher
Executive Producer: Paul Schultz

Audio:
Another Country
515 N State st 25th Floor, Chicago IL 60654
312-706-5800
John Binder – Mixer
Louise Rider - Assistant
Tim Konn - EP
Cathi Fremer: Associate Producer

Cast:
All Spots
Griffin Creech / Paradigm Agency - Lead
Geoff Bolt / JE Talent - AVO
William Grisco - Body Double

Business Trip
Dale E. Turner / Innovative Artists - TSA Agent

• JAN 24, 2011Mark Anderson Joins Beast Chicago As Smoke Artist
 
JAN 24, 2011

Mark Anderson Joins Beast Chicago As Smoke Artist



Chicago, IL – Beast, one of the nation’s top editorial facilities, has announced the hiring of Mark Anderson as smoke artist for its Chicago facility. Anderson joins Beast after a two-year stint at Crash + Sues Minneapolis, where he worked with a diverse list of clients such as Target, Best Buy, AAA, Subaru and FedEx to name a few. His credits include an extensive amount of finishing and VFX work.

"Mark's a triple threat of creative talent, technical wizardry and the kind of dude you want to hang with,” said Beast Chicago executive producer Melissa Thornley. “Not only is he an amazing smoke artist, he can fix your motorcycle if it breaks down. Mark's passion for film and advertising and his enthusiastic attitude are the perfect fit for us."

Prior to his stint at Crash, he spent 10 years at Avenue Chicago where his clients included Disney, Toyota, Crate & Barrel, Coca-Cola and McDonalds among others. A talented artist, he has also served as offline editor and audio engineer in the past. Anderson got his start in the industry shooting and editing videos on dissection of the human body. Anderson joins Beast Chicago editors Angelo Valencia, John Dingfield and Sean Berringer.

"I’m happy to be back after my extended Minneapolis ‘vacation,’” commented Anderson. "I look forward to working and collaborating with the team they have assembled at Beast."


• DEC 16, 2010Beast Moves Fashion Forward With Oxfam America
 
DEC 16, 2010

Beast Moves Fashion Forward With Oxfam America



Editorial facility provides post production services for Oxfam’s gift-giving campaign

Chicago, IL – Beast, one of the country’s top editorial facilities, recently completed work on a holiday gift-giving campaign from Oxfam America via agency Proximity Chicago. A satirical look at fashion, the campaign features a fictitious designer called “the Hidalgo,” played by comedian Chris Wylde, who introduces gift-givers to the Oxfam Collection, a special set of gifts offered on OxfamGifts.com.”

“This is a light-hearted take on gifts that make a difference that will actually turn heads and get people laughing,” said Stephanie Kurzina, Vice President for Development and Communications at Oxfam America.

Oxfam and Proximity Chicago worked with Beast Chicago to produce a series of videos for an integrated marketing campaign that also includes online and TV ads as well as a presence on Facebook and Twitter. “It was truly a collaborative effort,” said Beast editor, John Dingfield. ”We were given a ton of footage and our editors worked closely with Oxfam and Proximity to create the Hidalgo’s story.” In addition to Dingfield, editors Matt Glover, Sean Berringer, Angelo Valencia and Mark Sheridan all lended their talents to the project.


Oxfam ambassadors Scarlett Johansson and Minnie Driver played the part of gushing Hidalgo fans for the campaign videos. “Scarlett and Minnie added the perfect amount of celebrity and comedy to the videos,” commented Glover. “The tongue-in-cheek nature of their performances and their interaction with the Hidalgo were hilarious. It was a fun project to work on that’s for a great cause.” One of the videos was recently featured on the Huffington Post.

• DEC 31, 1969Beast, Company 3 and Method Start the Party with Bud Light and Pitbull
 
DEC 31, 1969

Beast, Company 3 and Method Start the Party with Bud Light and Pitbull



Austin, TX & New York, NY – Beast, Company 3 and Method Studios recently collaborated on a new spot, “Twist,” for Bud Light featuring rapper Pitbull, via agency LatinWorks. In the commercial, Pitbull is served a Bud Light in a swank nightclub. Once he twists off its cap, the party commences. As the rapper strides through the club, servers and patrons alike twist in cartoon-like fashion and morph into energetic clubgoers after coming in contact with a Bud Light.

Beast Austin editor Kevin Garcia was tapped to edit the spot. Garcia was involved early in and throughout the course of the project. “Pitbull had limited availability, so it was imperative to get as much as possible done right during production,” said Garcia. “What was great about this job was that it was shot on the Alexa and edited on Final Cut Pro on set, which allowed us to digitize and do test comps to achieve the director and agency’s vision right then and there.”

Beast worked in tandem with Deluxe Creative Services’ sister companies Method Studios and Company 3 in New York to coordinate the visual effects and color grading for the commercial, making the project a true family affair. “The main challenge for this job was to achieve a distortion effect that resembles the twist of a bottle cap without deforming the talent to a point in where they weren't looking sexy,” offered Method Senior VFX Artist Martin Lazaro. “Our goal was to make the twist effects work in a very dynamic party environment, where the camera is moving constantly and people are dancing simultaneously.”

Company 3 colorist Tom Poole communicated with the the Method team to ensure they had the most the range for the VFX work. “I gave the spot a cinematic look,” commented Poole. “Yet I still maintained lots of detail in the club, emphasizing the golds and blues.”

The facilities all had a great rapport with LatinWorks. “I enjoyed working with everyone at the agency, especially Michael Mclaughlin, who I’ve collaborated with on many projects,” stated Garcia. “(Creative Director) Rafael Serrano and President and CCO Sergio Alcocer were also very involved in the process.  It was a great team effort for a successful crossover campaign.”

CREDITS

Title: Twist

Client: Bud Light

Agency – LatinWorks
CD –Rafael Serrano
Writer – Ana Jejia
AD – Jenna Bixler
Producer – Michael McLaughlin

Production:
Landia
Director – Augustin Alberdi
EP – Juan Pablo  

Editorial:
BEAST
Editor — Kevin Garcia
EP — Mary Ellen Farrar
Producer — Erin Dykman

Telecine:
Company 3
Colorist – Tom Poole
Producer – Katherine Andrews

Visual Effects:
Method Studios
Senior VFX Artist – Jay Hawkins/Martin Lazaro
VFX Artist – Chris Hunt
VFX Artist – Joe Vitale
VFX Artist – Susanne Scharping
Producer – Christa Cox/Graham Dungslinson
Production Coordinator – Heather Saunders

• DEC 31, 1969State Farm and Beast Are in an Empire State of Mind for 9/11 Tribute
 
DEC 31, 1969

State Farm and Beast Are in an Empire State of Mind for 9/11 Tribute



New York, NY – Beast recently completed work on a Behind the Scenes: Empire State of Mind (Part II) 9/11 Tribute for State Farm via agency DDB Chicago. Directed by Spike Lee, the video is a behind the scenes look at the 9/11 tribute campaign he also directed. Beast New York editor Paul Kelly and producer Emma Sanzo worked on the video.

The video features an interview with Spike himself as well emotional comments from New York City firefighters reflecting on the sacrifices that their brothers made during 9/11. Select children, almost all born after 9/11, were also interviewed in the piece and they explained why they love new York. The children interviewed were part of a choir that re-recorded Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind (Part II) for the campaign. The end of the piece features the children singing "Empire State of Mind" to a group of surprised firefighters, resulting in a genuinely emotional moment that was used in the campaign itself.

"Everyone at Beast was honored to take part in this very special tribute, said Kelly.

• DEC 31, 1969Beast Edits Concert Footage for Andrew Bird Documentary
 
DEC 31, 1969

Beast Edits Concert Footage for Andrew Bird Documentary



Chicago, IL – Beast, one of the nation's top editorial houses, recently completed work on director Xan Aranda's documentary "Andrew Bird: Fever Year," which is a portrait of an indie musician in today's music climate and what one has to do to survive. The film made its world premiere at the New York Film Festival earlier this month and its Midwest, Illinois and Chicago premiere took place at the Chicago International Film Festival this past weekend.

Aranda, tapped Beast Chicago editor Angelo Valencia to lead the editorial process for the concert portion of the documentary two years ago. The concert footage was shot on five cameras and 60 tapes during a two-day shoot. "We spent a lot of time loading and organizing the footage in the beginning," said Valencia. "Once we had broken everything down, there were approximately 36 songs to chose from. Xan selected 17 songs from that list and we later pared it down to 10 songs. We're all big fans of Andrew's music and we made our best effort to capture the special moments that are unique to his performances."

"Angelo Valencia and Beast Chicago showed unwavering support in my relentless desire to do Andrew's music justice with the best edit possible," said Aranda. "They hung in there, brought their steady brilliance and signature good humor to this crazy marathon I invited them on. I couldn't be happier with what we made together."

"This job was definitely a labor of love from the very beginning," offered Valencia. "It was especially gratifying that our entire Chicago staff (which includes Matt Glover, Lauren Scheuer, Kendall Fash, Morgan Bradley and Matt Sheridan) had a hand in working on this project."









• DEC 31, 1969Beast Helps Febreze Conjure Up a Sweet Scent
 
DEC 31, 1969

Beast Helps Febreze Conjure Up a Sweet Scent



New York, NY – Beast, one of the nation's top editorial facilities, recently completed work on a campaign for Febreze via agency Grey New York. The campaign involves spraying disgusting, smelly environments with Febreze and bringing in unsuspecting blindfolded people off the street and asking them to participate in a scent/fragrance experiment. Hilarity ensues when the blindfolds come off and the people realize where they truly are.

Three spots from the campaign won awards at the 2011 Cannes Lions. Two spots, "Hotel" and "Restaurant," received Film Lions Silver Awards and "The Breathe Happy Social Experiment" came away with a Promo & Activation Bronze Award. Another spot from the campaign, "Susan and Erica," was also shortlisted for a Film Lions.

The initial challenge this campaign posed was sorting through the sheer volume of footage that was shot. Hidden cameras were used in various locations, all set up to capture hundreds of hours of reactions from the unsuspecting volunteers. "This campaign was a journey of discovery," said Editor Michael Elliot who worked on both "Hotel" and "Restaurant." "We were searching for the story arc in the reactions of the participants. Sam Cadman and I worked through the footage to discover where he felt the humor and story emanated from, and then Rob Perillo and Rob Lenois, the Grey Creative Directors, provided a very experienced comic direction to the story, the participants and the role of the product in the mix."

Editor Rebecca Beluk, who worked on "The Breathe Happy Social Experiment" offered, "Grey gave the hidden camera genre a creative twist.  This is a very unique campaign that does things that haven't been seen in a very long time."

Elliot echoed Beluk's sentiments. "James McPherson and the rest of the creatives at Grey were a pleasure to work with. It's really gratifying to see the campaign being recognized by Cannes Lions and the public."


Client: Procter & Gamble - Febreze

Titles: "Hotel," "Restaurant," "Susan and Erica," "Breathe Happy Social Experiment"

Agency: Grey New York
Chief Creative Officer: Tor Myhren
ECD: Noel Cottrell/Per Pedersen
VP/CD: Rob Lenois
VP/CD: Rob Perillo
SVP/EP: James McPherson
Assistant Producer: Angela Ong

Production Company: Station Filmsleuth
Director: Sam Cadman
Managing Partner: Stephen Orent
Partner/EP: Thomas Rossano
Producer: Kate Sutherland

Edit Company: Beast/NY
Editor: Michael Elliot
Editor: Rebecca Beluk
EP: Elizabeth Krajewski
Producer: Jessica Stanchak

Online/Finish: Gryphyn

Graphics: Method Studios

Audio: Sound Lounge
Sound mixer: Glen Landrum and Eric Warzecha

• DEC 31, 1969Beast Drives to End Hunger with AARP and Jeff Gordon
 
DEC 31, 1969

Beast Drives to End Hunger with AARP and Jeff Gordon



Austin, TX – Beast one of the nation’s top editorial facilities, completed work on “Blown Away,” a :30 via agency GSD&M, promoting the Drive to End Hunger, the new three-year food and nutrition program created by AARP, AARP Foundation and NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports team. "It just amazes me — millions of Americans are forced to make a choice between going hungry and medicine," Gordon says. "And six million of those are 60 or over." Gordon will be behind the wheel of the Drive to End Hunger No. 24 car in 22 races during the 2011 NASCAR season (Gordon is currently 13th in the point standings and 121 markers out of the lead for the NASCAR Sprint Cup).

Because of Beast’s established history with GSD&M and director Phil Joanou, Beast Austin editor Sam Selis was selected to work on the campaign. Joanou also selected Beast’s sister company Method to handle the visual effects. Says Selis, “Because of the effects needed, Phil mapped out precisely what he wanted in advance. I edited the spot without graphics initially. (Method VFX Shoot Supervisor) Eric Alba sent me detailed notes to help me visualize where the chalk titles would appear in frame. I also worked closely with (GSD&M) art director Judd Oberly and copywriter Michael Page during the editorial process. It was one of those projects where everyone brought something to the party and it kept getting better.”

Method took on the challenge of matching the live-action plates to the 3D temp stadium that was created as a ground surface. “There were a lot of revisions to the disintegrating chalk titles that Jeff drove over,” said Method CG Supervisor Jason Schugardt. “It was a combination of art direction and simulation getting the effects just right.”

Joanou also chose colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld from Beast’s sister company Company 3  to grade the project. Says Sonnenfeld, “It was gratifying to work on a philanthropic project that benefits so many people.”

Selis echoed those sentiments. “Not only was it great working with the agency and our sister companies, it was especially rewarding to work on a campaign for a worthy cause like the Drive to End Hunger.”  

AARP “Blown Away”

Production
MJZ

Director
Phil Joanou

Creative
Agency – GSD&M
Producer – Sara Cherry
Bryan Edwards – GCD
Victor Camozzi – GCD
CD/Art Director – Joel Davis (Blown Away & Check Out)
CD/Copy Writer – Andy Miller (Blown Away & Check Out)
Art Director – Judd Oberly (Blown Away)
Writer – Michael Page (Blown Away)

Post Production
Beast Austin
Exec Producer – Mary Ellen Farrar
Editor – Sam Selis
Assistant Editor – Jason Uson
Producer – Cara Sturgis

Company 3
Colorist – Stefan Sonnenfeld

Music & Mix – Play (Music – Matt, Mix – John)

Method Studios
Sr. Creative Director – Dan Glass
Sr. Executive Producer – Gabby Gourrier
Producer – Darcie Muangman
Coordinator – Valerie Kenniston
Shoot Supervisor – Eric Alba
CG Supervisor – Jonathan Vaughn
FX Artists – Brett Angellilis, Hiro Okubo, Jeff Willette
Trackers – Tom Stanton, Lauren Van Houten
Lead Compositor – Jan Cilliers
Compositors – Peter Mayor, Sam Jorgenson, Pierre LaQuerre
Conform Artist – Aaron Nietz  

• DEC 31, 1969Beast Helps Namco Bandai Sizzle at E3
 
DEC 31, 1969

Beast Helps Namco Bandai Sizzle at E3



Austin, TX – Beast, one of the country's top editorial houses, produced and edited over 30 videos including a sizzle reel this past June for NAMCO Bandai at E3, (Electronic Entertainment Expo), the popular annual video game conference and show at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

NAMCO Bandai is one of the most respected arcade, mobile and home video game developers in the world. Some of their recent best sellers include Tekken 6 and Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2. Although the company is well-loved and has a great catalog of games, compared to other gaming companies, historically they've had a relatively small footprint at E3.  

For this year's conference, the company decided to go bigger and recruited the services of agency GSD&M, which helped create a multi-lateral approach that included a big social media presence and a huge booth at the conference.

GSD&M partnered with Beast Austin to produce in near real time over 30 videos, which featured, among others, the first winner of the television series America's Next Top Model, Adrianne Curry and rapper Xzibit of Pimp My Ride fame. Beast editor Ariel Quintans served as both director and supervising editor on the project and spent three and a half days of shooting and editing onsite. Quintans supervised a team of editors and two camera crews: the first team shot main interviews, while the second team shot b-roll.

Shooting began the night before the conference and Quintans and his team faced a number of production and logistical challenges.  Balancing the hectic atmosphere of the conference with stacked interview/shooting schedules and rapid turnaround of editorial on each of the videos called for careful orchestration.  But at the end of the three-day event, NAMCO Bandai walked away with a surge of social media buzz to build upon.

• DEC 31, 1969Beast Helps Teach the Art of Storytelling
 
DEC 31, 1969

Beast Helps Teach the Art of Storytelling



Chicago, IL – On Tuesday, August 30, 2011, Beast took part in Women in Film Chicago's (WIFC) latest Build-a-Skill workshop "Editors as Storytellers." A nonprofit membership organization focused on the advancement of women in the entertainment industry, WIFC provides a dynamic network to facilitate the exchange of ideas and opportunities and builds a solid educational platform to accelerate the professional development of its members.

WIFC's Build-a-Skill workshops are intended to add to the skill sets of its members, giving them the unique opportunity to interact with and learn from the best in the business. Focused on practical application, these workshops provide attendees with real-world knowledge from working industry experts.

The "Editors as Storytellers" workshop featured commentary from diverse panelists who are leaders in the industry with careers spanning film, television, and advertising. Moderated by Beast Chicago's executive producer Melissa Thornley, the panel included Beast Chicago editor Angelo Valencia as well as Jan Maitland - Utopic, Graham Gangi - Radar Studios, and Sharon Zurek - Black Cat Productions. "It was great sharing stories and opinions about the craft of editing, something that is not only our job, but also our passion," offered Valencia. "I really enjoyed being in a room with people who are genuinely interested in the art of storytelling."

Topics discussed included how to work with a director, the editorial process and how to craft a story. A lively Q&A session covering Avid vs. Final Cut Pro also took place.

"It was so gratifying to be around so many people who are interested in the craft of editorial," said Thornley. "It was inspiring."

• DEC 31, 1969Beast Helps Pro Skaters Tame "Streets of Fury"
 
DEC 31, 1969

Beast Helps Pro Skaters Tame "Streets of Fury"



San Francisco, CA – Beast recently completed work on Mountain Dew's :90 "Streets of Fury" via agency Tracey Locke. Shot in Los Angeles during the Dew Tour, the spot features pro street skaters Paul Rodriguez III (son of stand-up comedian Paul Rodriguez), Theotis Beasley and Keelan Dadd.

Produced by Rehab, shot by Eric Noren and edited by Beast San Francisco editor Tim Brooks, the spot was completed on a limited budget. Taking on a martial arts movie theme, the spot was replete with exaggerated acting and hand gestures. The spot is also chock full of amazing street skating and cool slo-mo shots that highlight the incredibly technical tricks the skaters were doing. Says Brooks, "I'm a huge fan of street skating, so working on this spot was a labor of love for me. Paul, Theotis and Keelan are some of the best street skaters around, so I had a great time editing this spot."

Brooks was flown out to New York to cut the spot with Andy Cummings from Tracey Locke and enjoyed the experience. "Andy and I are of the same mind so cutting the spot was a fun, easy process," offered Brooks. "It was also great working with producer Kiri Carch. We both worked together very closely to make this all happen."

The spot was finished at Beast by Eric Pascua and Dave Burghardt. Mark Pitchford from M Squared did the mix.


• DEC 31, 1969Beast Promotes Lauren Scheuer and Secures New Representation
 
DEC 31, 1969

Beast Promotes Lauren Scheuer and Secures New Representation



Chicago, IL – Beast, one of the nation’s top editorial houses, has announced the promotion of associate producer Lauren Scheuer to producer at its Chicago facility. Scheuer recently joined Beast as an associate producer and has quickly risen up the ranks to become a full-fledged producer. Her recent clients include Walgreens, Samsung, Special K, Coors, Allstate and Hallmark.

Like Beast Chicago executive producer Melissa Thornley, Scheuer is energetic and passionate about editorial. “Lauren is a freak of nature...I mean force of nature...actually both,” offered Thornley. “She is as talented as she is passionate about film editorial. It's a fun challenge to keep up with her and since she runs half marathons, it's often impossible.”

“The people at Beast have been very supportive and have given me the time and resources to become a great producer,” said Scheuer. “Beast is such a great company to work for. It's large enough to be able to provide the type of services that our clients expect but it’s also a tight-knit family and I think our clients can feel that.”

Beast has also secured new representation with the firm Renee & Melissa, which specializes in building long-term relationships with traditional and digital advertising agencies in the Midwest for production and post production companies.

“We are thrilled to be working with Renee & Melissa,” said Thornley. “They are the dynamic duo of the Chicago market. Their strategic thinking, lightning quick reflexes and positive energy are not only contagious, they are good for business.”

• JAN 6, 2012Beast Edits and Directs a Six-Week Viral Campaign for Western Union
• DEC 6, 2011The Cutting Room
• DEC 1, 2011‘Imported from Detroit' Chrysler ad takes top prize at D Show
• NOV 11, 2011Tv Archetypes: The Misfit
• SEP 30, 2011Beast’s Valencia edits music doc screening at CIFF
• AUG 22, 2011Beast Editor Stewart Shevin Tallks to SHOOT About the Industry
• JUL 18, 2011Beast Helps Febreze Conjure Up a Sweet Scent
• JUN 30, 2011Diving Into Reeking Squalor to Test an Air Freshener
• JUN 27, 2011Beast Editor Rebecca Beluk Works on Cannes Lions Winner for Febreze
• MAY 18, 2011Beast Scores Four AICE Wins with Two for Stop Human Trafficking Spot
• MAY 4, 2011Beast LA Hires Senior Producer Yole Barrera
• MAY 2, 2011SHOOT Announces Selected Helmers For 2011 9th Annual New Directors Showcase
• APR 5, 2011NCAA Donors Choose Bouncing Ball
• FEB 17, 2011Old Navy Replaces Mannequins With Music