chelsea

Alex Gibney's Commercial Directorial Debut for Gatorade with TBWA\Chiat\Day Featured on Creativity Online

2012-03-01T12:55:00.001-05:00

Oscar-Winning Documentarian Alex Gibney's commercial directing debut for Gatorade with TBWA\Chiat\Day is being featured today on Creativity online. The first of the two spots, "Jordan" is highlighted, and clicks through to the second spot in the new campaign, "Lochte."

Please check them out here if you haven't seem them yet:

http://creativity-online.com/work/gatorade-jordan/26513

Magnolia Releases Official Trailer for "Marley," Chelsea Director Kevin MacDonald's Forthcoming Documentary

2012-02-22T17:55:00.001-05:00

Magnolia, which acquired the rights to Kevin MacDonald's new feature documentary, "Marley," just a few weeks ago on February 6th (Bob Marley's Birthday), has released the first official trailer to North American audiences. The film will open nationwide on 4/20.

Check it out below:

"Marley" had its world premiere at the Berlinale International Film Festival earlier this month, and will have its North American premiere next month at SXSW 2012.

For more details on Kevin MacDonald's "Marley," check out this story and more from the Hollywood Reporter after the jump, here.

Great New Work from Bruce Hunt for Subaru, "Carwash" and for Leggo's "Pasta Love's Leggo's"

2012-02-16T18:18:00.001-05:00

Check out great new work from Bruce Hunt out of Australia for Subaru, "Carwash" and Leggo's, "Pasta Loves Leggo's!"

Chrysler's Top Super Bowl XLVI Spot, "It's Halftime in America" Garners Much Praise and Attention

2012-02-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

The internet is ablaze with talk of Chrysler's "It's Halftime in America" Spot, directed by Chelsea Director David Gordon Green for Wieden + Kennedy. Check it out on YouTube, just one of many places to view the spot right now. Additionally, stay tuned here as we aggregate news about the spot from around the internet. Congratulations to all who played a part in bringing this poignant and touching spot together.

1. Creativity's Pick of the Day
http://creativity-online.com/work/chrysler-halftime-in-america-super-bowl-xlvi/26167

2. Adweek
http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/5-best-commercials-super-bowl-xlvi-138088

3. Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203315804577205141969749270.html?mod=e2tw

4. New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/us/politics/republicans-see-politics-in-chrysler-super-bowl-ad.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

5. The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-news-blog/2012/feb/06/super-bowl-2012-commercials-football?INTCMP=SRCH

Lauren Greenfield Wins Best Director, U.S. Documentary, at Sundance 2012 for "The Queen of Versailles"

2012-01-30T18:38:00.001-05:00

Lauren Greenfield has won the award for Best Directing, U.S. Documentary at Sundance 2012 for her film, "The Queen of Versailles." We are all very proud of her achievement!

Lauren Greenfield’s Documentary, “The Queen of Versailles” Picked Up at Sundance By Magnolia for Theatrical Release

2012-01-24T11:16:00.002-05:00

Lauren Greenfield’s Documentary “ The Queen ofVersailles,” which premiered on Thursday night as the opening film atSundance, has been picked up by Magnolia Pictures last Friday for theatricalrelease! Press for the film so far has been extremely favorable. "TheQueen of Versailles" was only the second film picked up at theFestival, and is slated for a summer theatrical release. Magnolia presidentEamonn Bowles said of the film in a recent statement, “’The Queen of Versailles’ brilliantly encapsulates thesalient issues of the American economic downturn, while also being one of the mostjaw-droppingly entertaining films I’ve seen in a very long time," and goeson to say of the director, “Lauren Greenfield is an exceptionally talentedfilmmaker with a wonderfully humanistic touch, and she has found a trulymagnetic, charismatic star in Jackie Siegel." Lauren said in a statementFriday, “I am really excited to be working with Magnolia, who we huddled withlate into last night… I feel like we have found a true kindred spirit, whocares as much about our film as we do. I am really looking forward to workingwith such a smart, impressive team.” We are very excited and proud of Lauren.

Sources:the Los Angeles Times and the Hollywood Reporter

Image Courtesy of Lauren Greenfield / INSTITUTE

Chelsea Director Lauren Greenfield’s Documentary, “The Queen of Versailles” Premieres Opening Night of Sundance to Rave Reviews

2012-01-20T11:01:00.002-05:00

Last night, the 2012 Sundance Film Festival kicked off with the world premiere of Chelsea Director Lauren Greenfield’s new feature-length documentary, The Queen of Versailles, co-executive produced, in part, by Chelsea co-owners Allison Amon and Lisa Mehling.

We are delighted to note that reviews for Lauren’s documentary so far have been extremely positive. Keep an eye on the list below for links to reviews as they become available. Congratulations to Lauren Greenfield on her new film.

Reviews for Lauren Greenfield's The Queen of Versailles.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117946861/

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/01/sundance-queen-of-versailles-rich-mansion-florida-film-siegel.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/20/us-sundance-opening-idUSTRE80I23920120120

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/20/lauren-greenfield-s-new-documentary-like-real-housewives-of-sundance.html

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sundance/53334595-177/sundance-film-greenfield-festival.html.csp

Image Courtesy of Lauren Greenfield / INSTITUTE

A Night On the Town

2012-01-18T09:59:00.003-05:00

Last week, some of the good people from Arnold Boston joined Chelsea in New York for a night out on the town, following a successful CDC shoot. Spotted on the Bowery from left, Chelsea East Coast Sales Rep, Denise Blate, Arnold CD Bill Girouard, Chelsea Producer Shanah Blevins, Arnold Exec. Producer Carron Pedonti, Chelsea Director Christopher Quinn, and Arnold Management Supervisor Faye Doyle.

Chelsea's Allison Amon, Lisa Mehling, and Director Lauren Greenfield Packing their Bags for Sundance 2012, where "Queen of Versailles" Premieres on Jan. 19th

2012-01-06T12:03:00.002-05:00

Sundance Film Festival 2012 is just around the corner (Jan. 19th – Jan. 29th), and Chelsea’s very own Lisa Mehling, Allison Amon, and Director Lauren Greenfield, (whose new film, The Queen of Versailles, will debut as the Opening Night Documentary this year) are gearing up for the journey to Park City in just a couple of weeks. Anthony Vagnoni, author at SourceEcreative, caught up with industry players attending and/or participating in this year’s festival.

Check it out, and see what Allison has to say about Sundance, after the jump: http://www.sourceecreative.com/news.php?ID=6232

Happy New Year from Chelsea!

2012-01-03T11:26:00.000-05:00

2012, here we come!

Happy New Year from all of us at Chelsea.

While we are sorry to see the holiday season come to an end, it's never too late (or too soon) to relive some of the holiday cheer of 2011. And what better way to do so than to revisit some of the great work that our friends over at Smoke & Mirrors did for Pepto Bismol's holiday campaign, directed by Chelsea's very own, comedically-gifted Director Jack Cole for Publicis NY?

Follow the links below to check out a series of behind-the-scenes walkthroughs of their awesome CG work on Pepto Bismol's "Turducken" spots.

Smoke & Mirrors CG Blog, Pepto Bismol "Turducken" Deconstruct Part 1

Smoke & Mirrors CG Blog, Pepto Bismol "Turducken" Deconstruct Part 2

Smoke & Mirrors CG Blog, Pepto Bismol "Turducken" Deconstruct Part 3

Smoke & Mirrors CG Blog, Pepto Bismol "Turducken" Deconstruct Part 4

Smoke & Mirrors CG Blog, Pepto Bismol "Turducken" Deconstruct Part 5

Enjoy, and please look forward to so much more exciting news to come from Chelsea in 2012.

Happy Holidays from Chelsea

2011-12-23T11:36:00.000-05:00

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more." - Theodor Seuss Geissel from "The Grinch"

From the Chelsea family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

Save the Date: Michael Muller's "Shark Shoot, Fiji" on Travel Channel this Sunday, December 18th!

2011-12-12T15:29:00.000-05:00

Shark Shoot, Fiji this Sunday, Dec. 18th, 9 PM Eastern

Tune in to the Travel Channel this Sunday, December 18^th,for Chelsea Director Michael Muller’s special Shark Shoot, Fiji at 9:00 PM Eastern. We can’t wait to sink ourteeth into this special! And, with Michael’s love, and knack, for shootingsharks, his appetite for adventure, and his cutting-edge underwater lighting,it promises to be some of the most incredible underwater shark footage you’veever seen! Travel Channel describes it thusly:

“Hollywood photographer, MikeMuller, and his crew of explorers travel to Fiji and take a

Hollywood high-techstudio underwater to capture photos of 8 species of sharks.”

Michael Muller

Check your local listings, but rest assured, this sharkspecial is not to be missed! We think this is all you’ll need to tide you overuntil next year’s “Shark Week!”

http://www.travelchannel.com/schedule

"Adventures in the 80s" at BAM, Curated by David Gordon Green

2011-12-07T16:46:00.001-05:00

Beginning tonight at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), a selection of five unforgettable films from the 80s will be screened, curated by director David Gordon Green, chair of the BAM Cinema Club (and esteemed Chelsea director). The program, affectionately dubbed “Adventures in the 80s” will feature Risky Business, Adventures in Babysitting, Uncle Buck, After Hours, and Something Wild. These five classic films were handpicked by David, which all served as inspiration for his forthcoming comedy, The Sitter, starring Jonah Hill, as failed college student Noah Griffith, and 3 of the most lawless children imaginable on an unforgettable romp through New York City.

The Sitter, which premieres nationally this Friday, December 9^th, will be screened this evening at BAM Rose Cinemas for BAM Cinema Club members at 7:00 PM to kickoff this week’s “Adventures in the 80s.”

Check out BAM for more details on “Adventures in the 80s,” here: http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=3887

And check out The Sitter here: http://www.thesittermovie.com/

"How'd They Do That?" Part II: Speedo Dir. by Michael Muller

2011-12-02T18:33:00.001-05:00

Our second installment of our blog series “How’d They Do That?” features Michael Muller’s visually captivating spot for Speedo featuring the inimitable Michael Phelps.

“I had been shooting stills for Speedo’s print campaign for 5 or 6 years,” Muller recalls, “and it’s only a natural progression that I was becoming interested in motion.” Take a look at how the finished product turned out here:

But, in order to tell the story of this spot, we must begin at the beginning. Over the years of work with Speedo, Muller had developed a great relationship with Olympic Gold-Medalist, Michael Phelps, and worked with him in the water on a regular basis.

Muller is no stranger to working in the water, and he is no stranger to innovation and invention either, which has placed him in a category all his own when it comes to underwater still photography. “I had been searching for years for a light that would perform underwater in a way that was effective and similar to the way that a photographer would use a light on land. I tried every underwater HMI, every single source light that was on the market,” but they simply did not produce the type of light that Muller knew was achievable. Muller got together with a team of engineers, and invented his own light, a patent-pending 1200 watt underwater strobe, that allowed him to capture the sorts of still images that he wanted, and set him apart, showing the world a style of underwater photography that had not been seen before.

And so, over the course of their still photography sessions, Muller and his photography assistants, dive-certified to the highest level, began, with no additional budget to speak of, to take a Canon 5D underwater with them to shoot film during their ongoing still shoots with Phelps. Muller approached friends at Greenhaus GFX, a boutique graphic, to cut the footage together and do the effects for the spec spot for his reel.

“As chance would have it, it was at about that time that Speedo, never a big television advertiser, called me asking if the spot could work for the Times Square JumboTron. Thus began Muller’s Directorial career, bringing the same sense of dynamism and kinetic energy to found in his print work to motion.

Of the experience of directing underwater, Muller says, “It’s a bit like being in space, in zero gravity. Even though I have to return to the surface to give direction, shooting underwater is ballet-like. It’s really very liberating, it’s a very organic experience. A lot of beautiful things happen underwater when you are unable to verbally communicate.”

Speedo was a finalist in the 2011 PromaxBDA Sports Media Marketing Awards, in two categories: “Best Spot” and “Best Partnership with an Athlete.” Please enjoy this brief behind the scenes film that captures the spirit of experimentation and collaboration of the spot.

Lauren Greenfield's New Documentary "The Queen of Versailles" Selected to Premiere on Opening Night at Sundance 2012

2011-12-02T18:00:00.001-05:00

Lauren Greenfield/INSTITUTE

Wednesday November 30^th, 2011, saw the announcement of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival 2012 competition lineup. And at the forefront of that lineup is Chelsea Director Lauren Greenfield’s new documentary feature The Queen of Versailles, selected for the documentary competition. In addition to being selected, it is an incredible honor that Lauren’s new documentary has been selected to be the documentary film shown at the festival on opening night, Jan. 19^th, 2012 at Eccles Theatre. Lauren’s new documentary feature, in development over the last two years, tells the story of a wealthy couple triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America – a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles – when their business empire falters due to the economic crisis. Their rags-to-riches-to-rags story reveals the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream. Chelsea partners Allison Amon and Lisa Mehling are among the credited producers on the upcoming film. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival will be the world premiere of The Queen of Versailles, and it will set the tone for a decidedly more critical lineup of documentaries accepted into the festival this year. “The films are more eclectic than ever and better than ever,” said John Cooper, in a phone interview with the New York Times today, “…The documentaries are more comprehensive, with issues examined in an all-encompassing way and not just in microcosm.”

“Lisa and I are thrilled to hear that Sundance not only placed the film in competition, but also selected it to be screened on the opening night of the festival,” said Chelsea’s Allison Amon, “Lauren is such a talented Director, and we are, as always, so pleased to be working with her.” Additionally, Lisa Mehling had this to say, “Given the passion that Lauren has put into this film, it’s fantastic that it has not only been selected, but also championed by Sundance.” We are proud to announce the acceptance of Lauren Greenfield’s The Queen of Versailles into the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and the honor that it has been selected as the first documentary shown during the upcoming Festival.

Amongst the flurry of press that has followed in the wake of the announcement of this years' competition entrants on Wednesday, the following New York Times piece featured a photo from Lauren's documentary, and a bit about the film, in addition to detailing the rest of the lineup. Check it out after the jump, here.

Getting the Band Back Together!

2011-12-02T12:59:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday from Chelsea!

Chelsea director Rick LeMoine and producer Greg Schultz are together again, and rocking out on location in LA with DDB Chicago.

Getting the band back together: Rick LeMoine (left) and Greg Schultz (right)

Chelsea Comedy Director Jack Cole's new Campaign for Pepto Bismol featured in the New York Times

2011-11-30T13:53:00.001-05:00

Today, Wednesday, November 30th, the following article was published in the New York

Times' Business Day: Media and Advertising section about the launch of Pepto Bismol's new holiday campaign, directed by Chelsea's hot comedic talent, Jack Cole for Publicis New York. The campaign launched Monday, November 28th across platforms, with television spots and web content.

The campaign highlights foods commonly found at holiday parties, featuring everything from Shrimp Cocktail, to Turducken, to Chocolate Fondue Fountains, with the tagline “Pepto Covers Them All: Eat, Drink & Be Covered.” Jack deftly directs each spot, bringing his unique comedic voice to the brand, and reminds us that Pepto Bismol is the perfect companion to the decadent foods of the holiday season. The tongue-in-cheek campaign pokes fun at many holiday clichés. Expect to see plenty of different iterations across media of this side-splittingly funny campaign throughout the holidays, and a lighter, more jovial side of the familiar household brand.

The New York Times article, which discusses the new campaign, Pepto and Publicis' strategy, and the charitable efforts that Pepto Bismol has made to counterbalance the comedy of overindulgence by combating hunger, has been reprinted below for convenience, and here is a link to the original article at the New York Times website as well: New York Times: "Too Much Holiday Food? This Campaign's for You".

Keep an eye out for this great campaign from Chelsea's own Jack Cole this holiday season. Below the article, take a look at a sampling of the spots if you haven't yet seen them! Enjoy:

Too Much Holiday Food? This Campaign's for You

A feast in a scene from one of Pepto-Bismol’s new holiday commercials.

By Andrew Adam Newman

Published: November 29, 2011

PEPTO-BISMOL, the brand of stomach remedies, traditionally has highlighted the symptoms it relieves, with commercials in the 1970s featuring pained-looking actors whose torsos expanded as if reflected in funhouse mirrors, and the promise that the pink product “coats, soothes, relieves.”

Another campaign, which ran from 2003 to 2007, featured five nauseated actors doing a Macarena-like dance, with each chanting and pantomiming a symptom the product promised to relieve: nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea. The campaign ended with the tagline, “Pink does more than you think.”

A new campaign takes a decidedly more appetizing approach, however, showing revelers at holiday parties gathered around spreads of food, while only hinting at the fact that overindulging may cause gastrointestinal distress.

In one of the new commercials, an actress near a large tray of shrimp says to an actor, “Every year, so much shrimp cocktail — where do you think it all comes from?”

With a smile, he responds, “Elves.” The spot then cuts to a fishing boat on stormy seas where a crew of Santa’s helpers struggles with ropes and sloshing water. When the commercial returns to the party, the woman, giggling, says, “Stop it,” followed by this on-screen text: “7.3 billion shrimp. 46 million holiday parties. Pepto covers them all. Eat, drink and be covered.”

The commercial, by Publicis Worldwide, New York, part of the Publicis Groupe, began running on Monday.

Other commercials adhere to the same format of holiday gatherings and highlighting data about food consumption. Web videos, meanwhile, feature a wisecracking elf from the fishing boat answering questions posed by characters from the commercials, such as “How many chocolate Santas are consumed annually?” (19 million).

•

Pepto-Bismol spent $8.9 million on advertising in 2010, according to the Kantar Media unit of WPP.

Among stomach remedy liquids — a category distinct from antacid brands like Prilosec, Prevacid and Tums — Pepto-Bismol has a commanding 48 percent share, ahead of private label or store brands, with 29.2 percent; and Phillips, with 22.4 percent, according to data for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 30 from the Symphony IRI Group, whose totals do not include Wal-Mart. Among stomach remedy tablets, Pepto-Bismol has a 72.7 share, ahead of private labels, with 22.8 percent.

“Pepto-Bismol is in about 40 percent of households, which is one of the highest percentages for Proctor & Gamble household brands,” said Patrick Lockwood-Taylor, the vice president of the North American personal health care division at P.& G., citing consumer research by the brand. “But only about 7 percent of people claim to have used it in the past 12 months.”

Associating the brand with holiday festivities is meant to spur purchases and to remind consumers to be sure that, when they are distressed from overeating, they have the product on hand.

“What we’re trying to bring alive is that this is a product to use postcelebration, and to bring the brand more front-of-mind, so people use it more,” Mr. Taylor said.

Pepto-Bismol also featured parties in a holiday campaign last year, in a commercial and Web videos featuring the comic actor Ken Jeong, who appears at subdued gatherings where he chides people for “underindulging,” then brings in a table of rich food, a D.J. and a disco ball.

Elizabeth Ming, a spokeswoman in Procter’s digestive wellness division, said the brand used to advertise steadily throughout the year, but now took a “pulsed marketing approach where we focus our spending and our efforts around times when we know people are celebrating.”

•

In the last year, for instance, the brand ran commercials and videos tied to Cinco de Mayo. And, on the Fourth of July, for the second consecutive year, Pepto-Bismol served as a sponsor of a Coney Island event where overeating is never inadvertent: the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest.

While the commercials make light of overeating, in a charitable effort tied to Thanksgiving, Pepto-Bismol addresses the opposite: hunger.

A Facebook campaign called “Feast for All” ran from Nov. 8 through Nov. 25 and featured the actor Eric Stonestreet of “Modern Family.” When Facebook users clicked the “like” button on a photo of the actor with a roast turkey, the brand donated eight meals to Feeding America, a nonprofit group. The goal was to garner 250,000 clicks for the equivalent of two million meals.

Feeding America calculates that every dollar donated to the organization provides food — much of it donated, too — for eight meals. For every click Pepto-Bismol would donate $1 — a total of $250,000 if the goal were met. While Pepto-Bismol ended up barely making it halfway to its goal for clicks, it announced it would donate the full $250,000 anyway.

Procter’s marketing efforts generally are tied directly to highlighting a brand’s attributes, like the Loads of Hope programwhere a mobile laundry is dispatched to disaster areas to wash clothes with its Tide brand. The Power Relief program also is dispatched by Procter to disaster areas to distribute Duracell batteries and flashlights, while the company’s Dawn dish soap is donated to groups that use it to clean birds fouled by oil spills.

While the recent Pepto-Bismol charitable effort did not showcase the product itself, it still reflected well on the brand, according to Carol Cone, managing director for brand and corporate citizenship at Edelman, the marketing and public relations firm.

“It’s very well aligned,” said Ms. Cone. “Those of us who tend to overeat on Thanksgiving because everything is so delicious can think, ‘I have too much in my belly, but here’s a brand that’s doing something for people who don’t.’ ”

*A version of this article appeared in print on November 30, 2011, on page B2 of the New York edition with the headline: Too Much Holiday Food? This Campaign's for You."

And now, without further ado, take a look at a couple of the spots here:

Happy Thanksgiving from Chelsea!

2011-11-23T12:47:00.001-05:00

We here at Chelsea have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, so from the Chelsea family to yours, we wish you a Happy Holiday.

(If you haven't been on Google lately, here's their Thanksgiving greeting, which we've included here, because, really, who hasn't made a turkey out of construction paper like this in kindergarten? Brings back memories, doesn't it? Go ahead, click on the link below, and then click on the turkey, it's fun!)

http://g.co/doodle/hqny5k

Proud to Announce Pat McGoldrick Elected to AICP East Board

2011-11-16T12:02:00.001-05:00

Chelsea is proud to announce that one of its own, Executive Producer Pat McGoldrick, has been elected to the AICP (Association of Independent Commercial Producers) East Chapter Board of Directors. The AICP stands to represent, govern, and inform members of the commercial production industry, and is represented nationally by boards and committees from each discipline and each region of the United States. Those that serve on the AICP are industry professionals elected by a group of their peers.

The news of Pat’s election signals a “changing of the guard” of sorts, as Chelsea Partner & Executive Producer Lisa Mehling steps down from her three-year incumbency. She held one of five seats which were vacated earlier this year, and we are honored to announce that our very own Pat McGoldrick has been elected to represent Chelsea and the interests of our industry by serving on the AICP East’s Board of Directors.

“It's really an honor to be elected by my peers to represent our particular corner of the production Universe. I'm looking forward to looking out for all sides of our business as so many of my friends and mentors have done before me,” says Chelsea Executive Producer Pat McGoldrick, of his election to the AICP East Board.

David Gordon Green creates new Animated Series “Good Vibes” to Premiere on MTV Tomorrow

2011-10-26T16:01:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, Oct. 27^th, at 10:30 PM / 9:30 Central, tune in to MTV to catch the premiere of Chelsea Director David Gordon Green’s new animated series, “Good Vibes,” immediately following the hotly anticipated return of “Beavis and Butt-head.” Whether you choose to watch the the nineties’ favorite delinquents tomorrow night or not, be sure to tune in afterwards for Green’s new “Good Vibes.” Check out the teaser trailer below.

Get More: Good Vibes, Full Episodes

David Gordon Green was the Creator of the show with Alex Lee (of Simpson’s / Futurama fame) helming the Art Direction, and industry veteran Tom Brady (not the Pats QB) as one of the Executive Producers. The show tells the tale of Bayonne, New Jersey transplants Mondo and his mom, Babs, to the fictional California Beach town of Playa Del Toro. Woodie, voiced by The OC’s Adam Brody, plays Mondo’s new best friend, and last great hope for cool on the opposite coast. Other voice talents include the likes of David Gordon Green’s friend and favorite (and star of his Eastbound & Down) Danny McBride, as well as the talented Debi Mazar, Jake Busey, and Josh Gad as Mondo.

Make no doubt about it, “Good Vibes” is like a raunchy, animated Superbad meets The Simpsons, but underneath it all, it’s got a lot of soul, and boils down to fresh starts and truly meaningful friendships. We’re looking forward to MTV’s new Thursday lineup, and we’re excited to watch David Gordon Green’s first foray into animation come to life.

And as a bonus, if you have the time, check out the “Beach Party Begins Launch Special” from MTV. If you’re short on time, however, Chelsea’s own David Gordon Green is interviewed (albeit briefly) at 16:55 into the special… Chelsea is psyched, and definitely feeling the “Good Vibes!”

Get More:
Good Vibes, Full Episodes

Introducing a New Chelsea Blog Series: “How'd They Do That?”

2011-10-25T15:31:00.000-04:00

Today, Chelsea would like to introduce a new feature to our blog, aptly titled “How Did They Do That?” offering a behind-the-scenes look at some of Chelsea’s most visually stunning spots. Does anyone remember Discovery’s “Movie Magic?” Or, for the twenty-first century crowd, think of it as more of a DVD “making of” featurette. You know, the one you fork over an additional $5.00 for the “Special Edition?”

Part 1 of our new Series, "How'd They Do That?" is a look at Bruce Hunt’s phenomenal spot for Hyundai, “Water.”

The spot, done for Disciple / Innocean and produced by Revolver, Sydney, tells the story of the rigorous testing period that Hyundai undergoes before releasing a new model, and the water imagery evokes that lengthy testing process. But “how, exactly, did [Bruce] do it?” Take a look at the spot below – remarkably, it was all shot in camera.

With a reputation throughout the industry as an FX visionary, the agency approached Bruce to discuss a new water nozzle technology they had uncovered via the magic of YouTube. After a quick demo, Bruce could see, as did the agency, that the technology could be adapted to illustrate Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design philosophy for the new i45. “They wanted to tell the story with water, completely in-camera, so we did,” Hunt recalls.

For the behind-the-scenes action on this beautiful spot, take a look at their BTS footage below.

They flew in the rigs direct from Canada, where the technology was invented. “We had a long, involved, design period to find the proper imagery that worked, and designed it, squashed, like a piano roll,” Bruce said of the design period.

“…But, water accelerates, the images stretched from top to bottom… And so, we watched as the computer controlled rig did exactly what it wasn’t supposed to do – images broke up.”

And so, after consulting directly with the inventor of the technology, “it worked beautifully for the rest of the shoot,” Hunt recalls. Bruce and his crew pushed the new water technology to previously untested heights, and the results are simply breathtaking. The spot was shot on the Phantom HD for High Speed, and 35 mm.

“The strangest thing was to do it in camera, now so uncommon, and to have committed to all the imagery and timings beforehand,” Bruce, no stranger to incredible special effects, said of the experience.

Congratulations to Bruce Hunt and Hyundai on a great spot, and thanks for tuning in to our first installment of “How'd They Do That?”

Jack Cole Directs Launch Video For New YouTube Space Lab

2011-10-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, October11^th saw the launch of YouTube Space Lab, a new competition aimed atgetting young adults (ages 14-18) fired up about outer space. YouTube’seducational branch, in collaboration with Lenovo, Space Adventures, and NASA, alongsideEurope (ESA) and Japan’s (JAXA) space agencies, challenge young people todesign experiments to be conducted in outer space. Judged by such experts inthe field as Stephen Hawking, the winners’ experiments will be conducted at theInternational Space Station and streamed live on YouTube sometime next year.

Chelsea DirectorJack Cole directs the launch video for YouTube Space lab, entitled “YouTubeSpace Lab - What Will You Do?” Cole skillfully and playfully captures the senseof adventure and wonder evoked by outer space. In the video, we watch anordinary children’s bedroom come alive, as a Lenovo laptop streams a YouTubevideo of a shuttle launch. Slowly, everyday trinkets of childhood and youngadulthood begin to lift off the desk, as though being jettisoned into zerogravity. In the blink of an eye, all semblances of Earth’s gravity are gone,and everything in the room weightlessly takes flight, from a bowling ball to atoy space shuttle orbiting the child’s globe. The film concludes with theevocative words “Your experiment, 250 miles above Earth, for the whole world tosee.” And so, in Chelsea Director Jack Cole’s capable hands, a challenge ismade to young people everywhere for a chance to showcase their intellectualcuriosity that is literally out of this world. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/spacelab

Chelsea West’s Allie and Susan Run Circles (literally) Around Ice-Cream-Eating Chelsea East

2011-10-12T13:45:00.000-04:00

Chelsea West’s Allie and Susan Run Circles (literally) Around Ice-Cream-Eating Chelsea East

On the heels of Chelsea East’s latest installment of their gelato/ice cream tour of New York, two of the multi-talented young ladies over at Chelsea West are making us look bad…

Allie (left) and Susan (right) spent their Columbus Day weekend running the Long Beach Half Marathon. Allie’s official time was 2:11:32, and Susan was right behind her at 2:23:40. No hard feelings, Susan, because here at Chelsea, everyone’s a winner. Except, perhaps, Chelsea East, who’s really going to have to step their game up before the next time we meet. New York Marathon, anyone?

Game on.

(But seriously, congratulations to you both!)

Charles Mehling Rocks London with Kate Moss

2011-10-10T17:34:00.000-04:00

Chelsea Director Charles Mehling has been busy rocking out in London, where he has just finished shooting a campaign for Rimmel London for JWT. The English cosmetic company is celebrating 10 years with London Supermodel, Kate Moss as their brand ambassador.

On Thursday, September 15^th, Rimmel London celebrated at Battersea Power Station, ushering in the launch of Kate’s first cosmetic collection for the brand, entitled “The Kate Moss Lasting Finish Collection.” The party was awash with London celebs, including, but certainly not limited to, Rimmel Spokeswomen, Georgia May Jagger, Solange Knowles, and Alejandra Ramos.

Charles Mehling directed each spot in the campaign with his signature rock and roll panache. The centerpiece of the multiplatform campaign is a new 4 minute film featuring The Vaccines playing their hit single “If You Wanna,” with special guest star Kate Moss herself rocking out on drums and guitar. Very cool. Check out the film below.

I Scream, You Scream...

2011-10-10T14:02:00.000-04:00

…Chelsea screams for Ice Cream! Consider this the fourthinstallment of our high-stakes Gelato Competition, though we must confess, weopted for good old fashioned Ice Cream this time around.

For today’s tasting, we chose Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. VanLeeuwen is a food truck success story, as they have recently opened threeretail locations, one in Manhattan, and two in Brooklyn. And that’s in additionto their ice cream trucks, which, pun intended, just keep on trucking!

For today’s tasting, lovely New York Office Manager andProduction Assistant, Pietra, took advantage of the beautiful fall afternoon totake a walk to the shop. In accordance with some of our previous tastings, westuck with the classics, Vanilla, Chocolate (Mast Brothers!), Pistachio, andCookies & Cream. Not a bad line up, though they do have some very exoticflavors to choose from! Think Corn, and Pumpkin. Sounds delicious.

The Ice Cream was hand packed by default in very Chelsea-esquerecycled brown paper pint containers. Bonus Points for Van Leeuwen! As for theice cream itself, the results were favorable. Pietra’s favorite was the MastBrother’s Chocolate, which, if you know Pietra, should come as no surprise. Andapparently, Drew owes Pietra a Mast Brothers (of Brooklyn) Chocolate Bar($11.99, and yes, they’re worth it!). It’s his own fault, but he will make goodon his promise. Dan heavily touted the Cookies & Cream, and noted that VanLeeuwen was better than most gelato establishments that Chelsea has sampled inthe past.

All told, based on flavor, with bonus points foraesthetically pitch-perfect packaging, Chelsea rates Van Leeuwen a 9, althoughLisa notes that “If we had tried the roasted banana, I’m sure I would have givenit a 10.”

Michael Muller Double Header

2011-10-05T12:30:00.000-04:00

Two exciting bits of news regarding Chelsea’sown director/photographer Michael Muller.

First off, Michael Muller has been nominated for two awardsfor his work on Speedo at the Promax SportsMedia Summit and Awards event this year. Very exciting stuff, and a great spot,worthy of praise.

In addition to Michael Muller’s nomination, heand veteran street artist Sage Vaughn have teamed up on art exhibit “OpposingInstincts” at The Outsiders in London. If you happen to be in foggy Londontown, be sure to check it out from October 6^th to October 29^th. Muller’s dynamic photography has beencombined with Vaughn’s colorful street sensibilities to create a show that istruly exhilarating. Details after the jump.

The Outsiders London - "Opposing Forces"

Alex Gibney's "Catching Hell" Premieres on ESPN

2011-09-29T12:19:00.000-04:00

All corners of the internet are atwitter (pun intended) with reactions to Chelsea Director Alex Gibney's "Catching Hell" which premiered on ESPN on Tuesday night.

If you missed what all the buzz is about, you'll have another chance.

Tune in:

-ESPN2 Thursday, Sept. 29 at 11 PM
-ESPN Classic Friday, Sept. 30 at 10 PM
-ESPN Classic Saturday, Oct. 1 at Midnight, 8 PM and 10 PM
-ESPN Classic Sunday, Oct. 2 at Midnight, 8 PM and 10 PM
-ESPN2 Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8 AM
-ESPN2 Saturday, Nov. 12 at 5 AM
-ESPN Sunday, Nov. 13 at 9 PM

Trust us, catch "Catching Hell." The film is a great watch, diehard baseball fan or not.

Liz Von Hoene's "Le Blanc Noir"

2011-09-29T11:50:00.000-04:00

Chelsea Director/Photographer Liz Von Hoene’s new photographyshow, Le Blanc Noir opened last Thursdayevening at The Gallery @ Stockland Martel. The reception had great attendance,and Liz’s show was simply stunning. Her work conveys a sense of beauty andwhimsy, hand in hand, which is bewitching to behold. Good times, good wine,great hors d’ouvres and great conversation were had by all. Stockland Martelsure knows how to throw an opening party! Thanks on behalf of Chelsea to allwho attended to support our talented director, and we look forwarded to seeingmore of her work in the near future.

The Gallery @ Stockland Martel is open by appointment only. Check out Stockland Martel’s website at http://stocklandmartel.com/ Congratulations again to Liz Von Hoene.

Chelsea LA's Summer Days:

2011-09-16T09:59:00.000-04:00

With everyone back to school and back to work, Chelsea LA holds on to the last days of summer...

Chelsea Director Nadav Kander Photographs Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill for New York Magazine

2011-09-02T11:00:00.000-04:00

Photograph/director Nadav Kander shot Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill for New York Magazine's cover and article about Moneyball starring Pitt and Hill. The film is an adaption of Michael Lewis's 2003 book about Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's (Pitt) struggle to turn an impoverished team into world champions.

Read More: Brad’s Pitch: Why an A-list actor was willing to go to bat for Moneyball—an adventure story about sabermetrics.

Jonah Hill and Brad Pitt on the cover of the August 29 issue of New York magazine, as photographed by Nadav Kander.

Brad Pitt. Photo by Nadav Kander for New York magazine.

Jonah Hill. Photo by Nadav Kander for New York magazine.

Robb Bindler Tackles Philadelphia Eagles for Comcast

2011-08-30T11:21:00.000-04:00

Boyhood dreams came true as Chelsea's Comcast crew filmed field level near the endzone. Here are some pictures of director Robb Bindler and crew from the shoot:

Robb Bindler giving the thumbs up.

Digitas's Paul Cammarota and Nic Mordecai pose on the Eagles's field pregame.

DP David Morrison all smiles during the game.

Chelsea East's Gelato Tasting Part 3

2011-08-11T17:05:00.000-04:00

While temperatures reach the 100s in New York, Chelsea East continues to keep cool with gelato tastings!

For this tasting, we chose Ciao Bella, a noted Nolita shop that has since gone national. We ordered chocolate, espresso, pistachio, Oreo cookie dough and vanilla. Lisa especially enjoyed the pistachio while Pietra, our staff production assistant, thought the espresso was smooth and flavorful. There was not a scoop of Oreo cookie dough left over!

To get the true flavor we insisted on purchasing the hand packed pints. While we would've given the gelato a 7, we're docking it to 6 because the server gave us lip for having to hand pack! And so, Ciao Bella receives a 6/10.


Pietra and Celia serving Ciao Bella	.

Chelsea Signs Director Jack Cole For U.S. Spot Representation

2011-08-11T15:59:00.000-04:00

Chelsea proudly announces the addition of director Jack Cole to their roster. Cole’s flare for creating visually striking films across a broad spectrum of genres attracted clients such as Reebok, Panasonic, Subaru, and most recently Stride Gum.

“I had a great experience working with Chelsea shooting the last Stride spot,” said Cole. “When the offer to sign up to the ranks officially came along it was a no-brainer. I’m really looking forward to working more in the States and hope I can offer something a little different by bringing this particular Englishman’s eye to the table.”

Tom Christmann, Executive Creative Director at JWT, worked with Cole on Stride. “Jack can direct ostriches to run through walls. He can direct nineteen-year-old girls to wrestle rams. And yet he still hasn’t let those talents go to his head and is a pleasure to work with. Amazing,” said Christmann.

Jack began his directing career as one half of duo Liff. Their work was nominated for the Newcomer Award at the Soho Rushes Shorts Festival, screened at the onedotzero Film Festival, and short-listed for the Nike Young Directors Award. In 2005, Shots Magazine New Directors Reel featured Liff. Their short films received international acclaim, most notably “Practice Makes Perfect”, nominated for the TCM Classic Shorts Award at the London Film Festival.

“Image making has always been what I do,” said Cole. “From spending hours drawing A-team cartoons as a kid to painting graffiti in English suburbia while fantasizing I was in New York as a teen. Now as a ‘grown-up’ I chase ostriches, rams and actors around film sets. I see it all as an extension of the obsession I’ve always had to create pictures.”

“Visualist comedy directors are few and far between. Add in Jack’s stills background and you have a very potent director,” said Chelsea co-owner Lisa Mehling. “I am so pleased to add Jack to the Chelsea roster.”

Shoot Magazine features Cole signing with Chelsea.
Jack Cole Reel

Chelsea West Dines at Red Lobster

2011-08-10T15:26:00.000-04:00

After working hard on Neil Abramson’s Red Lobster spots, Chelsea West wined and dined at a local Red Lobster restaurant.

Here are some pictures of Chelsea West staff with their entrees:

Denise, Assistant Controller.

Carol, Controller.

Allie, Production Coordinator.

Adam, Bidder/Production Manager.

Thea, Allison's daughter.

Susan, Office Manager

Leslie, Head of Production

Delicious!

Q&A With Chelsea Director Kevin MacDonald

2011-08-02T14:54:00.000-04:00

Oscar winner Kevin MacDonald sat down with Huffington Post to discuss his new film, Life in A Day, which opened in theaters July 29, 2011.

In the Q&A, MacDonald discusses his inspiration for the YouTube global film experiment and what he took away from the unique experience. "I got [a] sense of this tremendous life force, that people -- even when they're in their last hours or days of life, confronting death -- they still have this sense of wanting to live, of life being special and wonderful," said MacDonald.

The rest of the interview can be found here.

Former Chelsea Intern Rahel Araya Awarded with GroupM Scholarship

2011-08-02T11:53:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to former Chelsea intern Rahel Araya! GroupM North America has named Rahel and two other honorees in the GroupM Diversity Scholarship program it established with City College of New York as part of an ongoing effort to promote diversity and inclusion within the media and advertising industry.

Adage featured Rahel and the scholarship program on June 30. Click here for the article.

Best of luck to Rahel in the coming semester!

GroupMNorth America's HR Director Tim Cecere (left) and CEO Rob Norman (center) join Salwa Sayed (second left), Rahel Araya and Cory Rainford, the first GroupM Scholars.

Five Times the Fun: Summer on the East Coast

2011-07-28T09:15:00.000-04:00

Dan’s five things are less specific and more mood pieces, so enjoy the songs and pictures and combine them in your head for a vision of Dan’s summer plans.

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Pietra:

Here's a collage of Pietra's picks:

Five Times the Fun: Summer on the East Coast

2011-07-26T18:17:00.000-04:00

Chelsea folks are a fun bunch, that much is clear, but what do they do for fun? Particularly in summer, the funnest season of all? In the blazing sun or blasting AC, here’s a list of Chelsea staffers’ top five summer plans, starting with our New York office.

To start us off, here are Lisa's and Pat's lists! Stay tuned for more staff summer plans!

Lisa:

"Reading, reading, reading. On my list are:

Alan Hollingsworth- The Strangers Child

Bruce Chatwin- Patagonia

The Long Goodbye- Megan O'Rourke

The Faith- Jennifer Haith

Tender Is The Night- F Scott Fitzgerald

Harry Potter-- The First One (read with my kids)"

Pat:

CHELSEA DIRECTOR BRUCE HUNT AND RP& CREATE FORCEFUL ELEGANCE FOR ACURA

2011-07-22T09:12:00.000-04:00

Chelsea director Bruce Hunt created four new television spots for Acura’s latest campaign: “Aggression in its Most Elegant Form.” Hunt’s work balances pristine visions of the vehicles with raw demonstrations of speed and power, creating an abstract and beautiful canvas to highlight Acura’s 2012 line-up.

In “German,” Hunt offers a clever play on the typical sports sedan commercial, using the traditional visual cues associated with German luxury cars, then revealing the Acura RDX compact SUV. In “Meant,” we see an Acura TL sedan being taken through its paces while a list of its most sophisticated features is read in voiceover. And in “Smart,” Hunt creates a slow burn, having us hear the smart features of the new Acura MDX, then abruptly demonstrating the one feature that can save a life. “Truck” will be released in the coming weeks.

Hunt’s other recent work includes feature film 2nd Unit director duties, in particular on Guillermo del Toro’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, opening nationwide on August 26th, 2011.

"Meant"

"German"

Chelsea's Michael Muller shoots "True Blood" for "Entertainment Weekly" Covers

2011-07-18T10:00:00.000-04:00

Michael Muller shot three covers for Entertainment Weekly’s June feature on HBO’s True Blood, which premiered season 4 on June 26th. The American Gothic inspired covers feature Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) posing with each of the men in her highly complicated love triangle: Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard), Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), and Alcide Herveaux (Joe Manganiello).

Keep your eye out for upcoming EW issues with Michael’s other iconic painting inspired work featuring the True Blood actors.

Chelsea Discovers Best Way to Beat Summer Heat

2011-07-14T17:12:00.000-04:00

Chelsea has been pondering ways to cool down from NYC’s sweaty subways and sweltering summer sun—without turning our offices into AC tundra. The only possible answer is of course gelato. Over the summer, Chelsea NY will explore downtown Manhattan's best gelato and rank them based on texture, packaging, and most importantly – taste!

Eager to start our adventure off right, we popped into two gelaterias this week: Il Laboratorio del gelato on Ludlow St and Grom on Bleeker St. Our only two constant flavors are vanilla and pistachio.

Laboratorio gelato in their fantastic packaging.

Our intern, Evan, delivered bourbon pecan, pistachio, vanilla, espresso, and chocolate hazelnut in baby blue lunch box coolers. Very chic!

Kudos for Laboratorio for creative flavoring. Everyone enjoyed the decadant bourbon pecan gelato. The chocolate hazelnut was not that creamy and very thick, almost like a fudge. Unfortunately, the pistachio and espresso came prepacked instead of freshly scooped. This definitely took away from the gelato. The pistachio was weak and the espresso very grainy – almost like they used the beans and not the coffee.

Overall, we ranked Laboratorio a 6/7 out of 10 for creative flavoring and packaging.

Intern Sara Haile (left) and Staffer Pietra Impastato (right) show off Grom's gelato.

For our second gelateria, we chose more traditional gelato: nocciola, vanilla, chocolate, and tiramisu. Grom packages their gelato ecofriendly biodegradable bags. We love how green they are!

Grom’s gelato is so smooth and creamy. It was hard for us to pick a favorite flavor – they were all very delicious.

Our rank for Grom: solid 8.5 out of 10.

Director Colin O'Toole Joins Chelsea's Roster

2011-07-13T18:40:00.000-04:00

Chelsea welcomes visual effects and documentary director Colin O'Toole to our roster. Known for his high concept special effects and unvarnished real-life moments, O'Toole has created insightful work for clients such as Nike, Playstation, Alfa Romeo, Adidas, and Reebok.

The diversity of O’Toole’s commercial work is mirrored by the diversity of his larger body of work. Deeply involved in the music world, O’Toole has shot a number of music videos, particularly for cult musician Ian Brown and Polydor Records. His love of music also lead to the creation of Let Us Be Golden, O’Toole’s documentary hit at this year’s Edinburgh Film Festival. Moving from film to television, O’Toole was also co-director on the recent BBC 4 series Drivetime, and he won a D&AD award in 2009 for his PSA “Pick It Up,” for the Home Office Anti-Knife Crime campaign.

Colin O'Toole Reel

Chelsea's Alex Gibney interviewed on NPR about his new documentary "Catching Hell", which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, and will be screening at upcoming Silverdocs & Chicago International Film Festivals

2011-07-12T16:32:00.000-04:00

In Game 6 of 2003's National League Championship Series, a Chicago Cubs fan reached for glory ... and caught hell. In his new film , Oscar-winning Director Alex Gibney records the fallout of a fateful flub. Along with half a dozen other Cubs fans, Steve Bartman stuck his hands out for a fly ball hit by Florida Marlin Luis Castillo just as Cubs outfielder Moises Alou also went after it. But Alou didn't quite make it. Instead, the ball glanced off Bartman's hand and into the crowd.

Bartman reaches to catch the ball that will change his life forever.

Gibney tells NPR's Neal Conan that Bartman was immediately singled out after the incident. "The entire stadium focused their ire on him and almost tried to kill him," Gibney says. When he saw just how furious everyone got over someone doing the most innocent thing a fan could do, Gibney says he knew there was a story there.

Superstition plays such a huge role in sports that Bartman's name is now inextricably connected to the Cubs' loss. But Gibney says there's also something darker going on. "Very often, we look to find scapegoats," he says. "Bartman was a perfect scapegoat." That day changed Bartman's life forever.

Click here to listen to the rest of the June 22 NPR interview.

Neil Abramson heads north for Red Lobster

2011-06-03T15:20:00.000-04:00

The "set"

Chelsea director Neil Abramson recently wrapped a new Red Lobster spot for Grey NY, and we had the pleasure of working a little outside of our usual turf, heading all the way up to Alaska for a scenic shoot. We thought we'd share a couple snaps of the gorgeous locations, not to mention the crew that made it possible. Thanks to the Grey team for a wonderful shoot.

The full team

New trailer: Alex Gibney's The Magic Trip

2011-06-02T14:24:00.000-04:00

After a well-reviewed premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this past winter, Alex Gibney's documentary The Magic Trip is heading into wider release, and you can now check out the trailer, embedded above.

Along with co-director Alison Ellwood, Alex put together 16mm footage that author Ken Kesey and his Merry Band of Pranksters took on their road trip, famously chronicled by Tom Wolfe in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. The film includes rare footage of culture figures from Timothy Leary to The Grateful Dead, much of it never before seen by audiences. The Magic Trip will be available to view on demand in July, and will hit theaters in select cities this August.

Lauren Greenfield examines "Beauty Culture"

2011-05-25T16:53:00.000-04:00

Lauren Greenfield's Girl Culture

More great news for Chelsea director Lauren Greenfield, who earlier this month was honored by the Art Directors Club and the Webby's: her photography and a short documentary film are being shown in the new "Beauty Culture" exhibit which opened this weekend at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.

In addition to snapshots from some of Lauren's most well-known projects including Girl Culture, she was commissioned to shoot a 30-minute documentary for the exhibition that the New York Times called "one of the show's highlights." The film plays every hour at the exhibit and includes footage that ranges from toddler beauty pageants to female body builders, interviews with photographers featured in the show as well as a Harvard Medical School professor, as well as models, actresses including Jamie Lee Curtis.

"The whole point of [the exhibit] from my approach is deconstructing the world we live in and understanding what's behind these pictures in the magazines — understanding what we're seeing," Lauren told the LA Times. "We are so influenced by these things and most of the time we don't question them. It's [as common] as the air we breathe."

We couldn't be more excited for Lauren, who was honored at the opening gala on Friday. The exhibit opened to the public on Saturday and will run through November 27. For those of you who will be in L.A. soon, we hope you get the chance to stop by, and if not you can check out Lauren's reel over at the Chelsea website.

On set with Charles Mehling and Olay

2011-05-04T10:33:00.000-04:00

Last week was a fun one here in the NYC Chelsea offices, with Charles Mehling in town from Paris shooting his third Olay spot for Saatchi & Saatchi NY. Courtesy of EP Pat McGoldrick, here's a behind-the-scenes shot from Friday's shoot, featuring Charles (center) first AC Pete Morello (right), and model and Olay spokeswoman Emily Caillon (background). Thanks to Emily and the Saatchi team for a fantastic shoot, and stay tuned for the final product.

Watch: Johan Kramer's Bye Bye Super 8 in full

2011-04-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

As we mentioned before, Johan Kramer's touching short film Bye Bye Super 8 - a tribute to the Super 8 film he grew up using - premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last week. You can now watch the full short online - take a look above, and enjoy.

Lauren Greenfield honored by Art Directors Club and the Webby's

2011-04-28T11:52:00.000-04:00

Lauren Greenfield's stunning film and fashion photography for New York Magazine has received honors from both the Art Director's Club and the Webby's.

Last year Lauren was invited to be New York Magazine's featured photographer for the Spring Fashion Issue, and shot during fashion week in New York, Paris, and Milan. The resulting portfolio, a mix of gripping behind-the-scenes and runway shots, was used for both an 11-page featured spread in the magazine and a short film for the website. The photos are now set to receive a Gold Cube for Magazine Editorial photography at the upcoming Art Directors Club awards in New York, and the film will be an Official Honoree at this year's Webby's.

Needless to say we're all very excited for Lauren and "Fashion Show" - check out the film above and see more of her work at the Chelsea website.

Watch: trailer for Johan Kramer's Bye Bye Super 8

2011-04-22T17:52:00.000-04:00

We posted a couple of days ago about all the Chelsea action at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and with three screening times still left for Johan Kramer's lovely short Bye Bye Super 8, wanted to give you a peek at the trailer.

Check out the clip above, and click through to the Tribeca website to pick up tickets for a screening.

Trio of Chelsea directors come to Tribeca Film Festival

2011-04-20T17:09:00.000-04:00

Everyone over here at Chelsea is proud to announce that the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, kicking off this week, features exciting contributions from three of our directors, Alex Gibney, Johan Kramer, and David Gordon Green.

Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) will be screening his new documentary Catching Hell, which follows the infamous foul ball that sealed the Chicago Cubs’ loss in the 2003 National League Championship Series with Alex’s signature incisiveness and eye for complex human emotion. Audiences will have the opportunity to discuss in person with Alex after the April 24 screening, when he’ll be sticking around for a post-screening conversation as part of the Tribeca Talks series. In 2010, Alex scored a hat trick at Tribeca, which featured three of his projects from that year: feature film My Trip to Al Qaeda, "Sumo," a section of the blockbuster ensemble documentary Freakonomics, and ‘the hottest ticket of the festival,' Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer.

In this year’s Narrative Shorts competition, Johan Kramer is screening his latest project, and it’s one that’s close to his heart: Bye Bye Super 8 is a sensitive tribute to the film that has the most beautiful colors in the world, and the medium in which Kramer first honed his filmmaking skills.

On the heels of his latest film premiere with Your Highness, David Gordon Green comes to Tribeca as a member of the jury deciding on awards for the Narrative Feature competition, and as a panelist for the Tribeca Online Film Festival, where he’ll be participating in an online Q&A from April 20^th through May 1.

Click through to the Tribeca site to pick up tickets, find out more about the films, or submit a question for David.

Bottoms up at BBDO

2011-04-13T16:21:00.000-04:00

Denise Blate Roederer, Theresa Loguercio, and Pietra Impastato

Too bad this doesn't happen every time we hold a screening - last week we visited BBDO to screen some new work from Chelsea and Lair directors, and after things wrapped up we were met with an unexpected round of tequila shots, compliments of Joe, the BBDO bartender. Pictured above are Chelsea's Denise Blate Roederer and Pietra Impastato, along with Lair head of production Theresa Loguercio (middle) - Partner/EP Lisa Mehling was behind the camera on this one. Cheers to a very good screening.

Rick LeMoine's second MGD 64 spot "Hands" now airing

2011-04-11T17:57:00.000-04:00

On the heels of "Toast" being named a SHOOT "Top Spot of the Week," Rick LeMoine's second spot for MGD 64 is now making the rounds and it's just as hilarious as the first. Check out the above clip for "Hands," airing now.

David Gordon Green and longtime collaborator Danny McBride profiled in The New York Times

2011-04-07T11:27:00.000-04:00

Everyone has been talking about David Gordon Green's new comedy Your Highness, and with the movie opening nationally this week, The New York Times has profiled David along with friend and co-conspirator Danny McBride, who also stars in the film alongside James Franco, Natalie Portman, and Zooey Deschanel. As it turns out, David and Danny actually came up with an early idea for the movie years ago - take a look at this excerpt from the article:

In the 15 or so years it took them to get from Winston-Salem to Hollywood, Danny McBride and David Gordon Green found ways to pass the time. Since meeting as undergraduates at the North Carolina School of the Arts, Mr. McBride, who plays the mullet-haired, showboating pitcher Kenny Powers on HBO’s “Eastbound & Down,” and Mr. Green, the director whose films include the stoner comedy “Pineapple Express,” have established a tradition of brainstorming preposterous titles for hypothetical film and television projects, then inventing premises to fit those titles.

Recalling a bygone example, Mr. McBride said, “It’s called ‘The Face of Danger,’ so Steve Danger is a plastic surgeon, and he solves crimes by changing his face with plastic surgery.”

It was during one such alcohol-fueled session, while they worked on Mr. Green’s 2003 feature “All the Real Girls,” that a similarly ridiculous reverie came to them.

“It was going to be called ‘Your Highness,’” Mr. Green said. “And the poster was going to be Danny in a chain-mail leotard, with a joint in one hand and a sword in the other. And it was going to say, ‘Put this in your pipe and smoke it.’”

Read the rest of the hilarious profile over at the Times, and check out the trailer for Your Highness below, hitting theaters tomorrow:

Colin O'Toole directs superstar DJ Tiesto and Mark Knight's new video "Beautiful World"

2011-03-25T12:18:00.000-04:00

Just in time for the weekend, we have an amazing new music video from Pulse@chelsea's Colin O'Toole, who has previously directed for artists including Ian Brown and Deadmau5. The project is for the infectious new dance single "Beautiful World" - listed as one of MTV UK's top playlist tracks - by DJ Tiesto and Mark Knight.

Alongside the high-energy, uplifting music, O'Toole puts footage of the DAZL Diamond Peewee Boys, the world's first all male cheerleading squad hailing from south Leeds, England, and recently featured in the 'Wonderland' series on the BBC. The combination is unexpected and captivating, if we do say so ourselves - check out the clip above, and enjoy.

Rick LeMoine's "Toast" spot for MGD 64 named Shoot Top Spot of the Week

2011-03-24T14:28:00.000-04:00

Rick LeMoine's hilarious new spot "Toast" for MGD 64 and Saatchi & Saatchi was just named Shoot's Top Spot of the Week. Take a look at the full spot above, and see below for Shoot's summary of the spot:

The best man at a wedding taps lightly on his glass to get everyone's attention as he prepares to make a toast to the happy couple. But no one is listening, leading the guy seated next to him to lend a helping hand.Turns out the best man was clanking on a glass containing a feeble 64 calories of wine. Who's going to listen to that? His new found buddy taps silverware lightly on his bottle of Miller Genuine Draft 64, which is more than enough to bring the crowd to silence, now waiting for the best man's toast. Alas, the toast is as feeble as his wine.

Cheers to Rick and the whole "Toast" team for the write-up.

Robb Bindler on set with longtime collaborator Maryse Alberti

2011-03-09T14:24:00.000-05:00

Chelsea director (and native Texan) Robb Bindler set up shop in his hometown of Dallas last week, starting in on a six-day shoot for Choice Hotels and Doner. Robb -- pictured above on set with renowned DP Maryse Alberti -- is keeping the production close to home, using a Dallas-based cast and crew and showcasing locations throughout the city. Stay tuned for the final product.

Jack Cole brings back the Stride ram

2011-02-28T14:28:00.000-05:00

We're excited to announce that Pulse@chelsea director Jack Cole has teamed up with Stride and JWT NY for a second time, this time for "Library," featuring the infamous (and hilarious) Stride ram - check out the spot above.

Watch: thirtytwo's video for Wanda Jackson and Jack White's debut single

2011-02-17T15:58:00.000-05:00

"First Lady of Rockabilly" Wanda Jackson has just released the rollicking new video for Thunder on the Mountain, directed by none other than Pulse@chelsea's thirtytwo. Shot in a Nashville record pressing plant, the video marks the debut single from Wanda's Jack White-produced new album The Party Ain't Over, and over here at Chelsea we can't get enough of it -- check out the full clip above.

D.A.R.Y.L. direct Katy Perry's Project for T-Mobile

2011-02-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

Some exciting news from across the pond: Pulse@chelsea directors D.A.R.Y.L. were recently commissioned by Saatchi & Saatchi London's Life's For Sharing T-Mobile campaign to direct documentary footage of the incredible process behind Katy Perry's Project and the video shoot for the singer's "Firework" video.

For the project, Katy invited young people from all over the world with the potential to become "fireworks" in their own right to share their spark via the web for a chance to be in the Firework video, culminating in a truly inspirational 4 day video shoot in Budapest. See the above video for D.A.R.Y.L.'s 3-minute documentary of the whole process, which has since been a key part of both brand and product ads.

Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle - in theaters today

2011-02-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

Right on the heels of Life in a Day's much buzzed-about Sundance premiere, Chelsea director Kevin Macdonald has another new release in theaters with The Eagle, starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell. Check out the trailer above, and catch it now in theaters - nothing like swords and sandals for an antidote to the freezing weather.

Watch: Tosh.0's hilarious parody of Robb Bindler's Visa spots

2011-02-09T14:49:00.000-05:00

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so we're going to take this new clip from Tosh.0 as a major compliment. Watch the above clip for comedian Daniel Tosh's hilarious spoof of Robb Bindler's Visa spots featuring the "Never Miss a Superbowl Club," this time around with die-hard WNBA fans. See below to re-watch the original:

Robb Bindler - Visa - 50 Superbowl's from Chelsea Pictures on Vimeo.

Borgato & Berte document the New York Times "Habits"

2011-02-03T11:15:00.000-05:00

We posted back in December when directing duo Borgato & Berte were in town shooting for the New York Times, and, as promised, it's time to take a look at the final product. The spot, "Habits," shows off both the digital and analog ways we all take in the Times every day, whether it's on an e-reader during the commute or spread across the breakfast table on a lazy Sunday. The (beautifully shot, we might add) spot is airing now, so check it out above and keep an eye for B&B's future work.

Lauren Greenfield shoots for Delta and Wieden and Kennedy

2011-02-01T12:22:00.000-05:00

Take a look at Lauren Greenfield's moving spot for Wieden and Kennedy and Delta for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Check out the above clip to learn about the power of the pink dress, and see Lauren's signature photographic style and deeply personal documentary work.

Kevin Macdonald and Alex Gibney screen at Sundance this week

2011-01-24T15:07:00.000-05:00

Sundance is always one of our favorite weeks of the year, and this year sees the premieres of some seriously exciting projects from two of Chelsea's own: Alex Gibney's joint directorial project with Allison Ellwood, The Magic Trip, and Kevin Macdonald's collaboration with YouTube, Life in a Day.

For The Magic Trip, Alex and Allison compiled never before seen footage from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest author (and subject of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test) Ken Kesey's trip to the 1964 New York World's Fair with his infamous band of merry pranksters, a psychedelic bus, and a seemingly bottomless supply of LSD. Needless to say the results are captivating -- both as further insight into the mind of a polarizing figure, and as something of a time capsule of the 1960s.

Kevin Macdonald's Life in a Day also centers around around real life footage, though in a completely different way. Sponsored by YouTube, this unprecedented project enlisted users across the globe to capture a moment of their lives on camera, all on one day: July 24, 2010. The word was spread, and the world responded with more than 80,000 submissions; over 5,000 hours of deeply personal, powerful film clips were uploaded from contributors from Australia to Zambia, resulting in Life in a Day, a compilation of the most compelling images honed by Macdonald, executive producer Ridley Scott and his team, and a crew of talented editors. The film’s 2011 Sundance Film Festival premiere will coincide with its world premiere, thanks to a live broadcast from the festival at 5PM PST on Thursday, January 27 on the Life in a Day YouTube channel - check out this clip from the movie below, and get online with us to watch the world premiere!

Pulse directors thirtytwo profiled in Shots

2011-01-19T17:32:00.000-05:00

Fresh off a Grammy nod for No Distance Left to Run, their documentary following the comeback of Blur, the directing duo (made up of Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace) shot a new spot for Fallon and BBC Radio, and was just profiled in Shots. Check out an excerpt of their interview below:

Tell us how you met and started working together...

We met at university in Liverpool, England. However we later found out that our paths had crossed years before when we both attended the same Saturday morning kids club at the Victoria Cinema in Cambridge in the early eighties. So in a sense we were first brought together by films [including Pete's Dragon, Supergirl and one of the Herbie films - possibly Goes Bananas] years before we even spoke to each other!

Tell us about the Radio 4 Film Season brief...

As huge film lovers we absolutely loved the creative on the Radio 4 Film Season as soon as we heard about it. It was a relatively fast job - we were in Nashville working when it came through, the brief was to take iconic images from famous films and put them into real life situations. So the finished film would be a series of vignettes that nod towards moments or images from films.

We spent our entire return journey compiling lists of films [sadly this is probably what we would have been doing anyway - after so long working together you run out of things to talk about so a typical time-passing conversation might be to 'Name 10 films with titles that include parts of the body', 'Jaws, Head, Funny Face, My Left Foot...' and so on. Sad but true]. Anyway, we were straight off the plane and into a meeting at Fallon, which went really well.

The creatives, Gary Anderson and Tony Miller, are also film enthusiasts so the job was really good fun. We had to take out a few of the more obscure references and put some easier ones in, but on reflection it was a good balance. As directors it was a good opportunity for us to do something a little more considered compositionally as a lot of our work to date has a more immediate, documentary feel.

How would you describe your shooting style?

A lot of the stuff we have shot leans towards a direct, immediate documentary style, handheld intimate photography, concerned with capturing moments, interactions and relationships in a way that is real. But we are also very concerned with how it looks - finding a balance between realism and aesthetic. There is a design to it but it's not as detectable as a big art-directed shoot.

Tell us about Slowing the Pace for Kronenbourg...

That job was great fun, a chance to meet a living legend. Lemmy was every bit as grizzly and uncompromising in person as we'd hoped. The best thing is that we were actually in the studio directly influencing the re-recording of Ace of Spades - which didn't always go down too well, but was, nonetheless, totally amazing. We've been really lucky with our first two commercials in that the creative was so great. The script by Ian and Matt from BBH was fantastic and we were so happy and appreciative that they went with us for it.

What are you working on at the moment and what's happening in 2011?

Two feature-length projects, another documentary and our first feature. They're both at early stages so we can't say too much, but we're really excited about them. Hopefully this year will see some of our long-form project plans come to fruition and we'll continue to work in commercials and music video.

You can read the full feature - Face to Face with... thirtytwo - on the Shots website, and in the meantime, take a look at their spot for the BBC's Radio 4 Film Season:

Jack Cole shoots for Stride in LA

2011-01-19T14:34:00.000-05:00

chelsea's Los Angeles offices kicked off 2011 with Pulse@chelsea director Jack Cole (above, on set) shooting his new spot for Stride and JWT New York, hitting airwaves soon.

Behind the Scenes: Borgato & Berte shoot for The New York Times

2010-12-22T15:02:00.001-05:00

It's been a great couple of weeks here at Chelsea in the lead-up to the holidays - we've been lucky enough to have our new directing team Borgato & Berte right here in New York shooting their upcoming spot for The New York Times. Try as we might to be top notch hosts at our NYC office, we couldn't do much about the frigid weather that came to town about the same time B&B did - it never got too far above 25 degrees all week! The shoot was still great, though, and just required a little extra bundling up - see the photo on the left of the duo with Chelsea line producer Jonathan Gribetz (middle). The spot should be hitting the airwaves soon, and we'll post the final cut here on the blog, too!

Getting in the holiday spirit with Rick LeMoine and Acura

2010-12-09T14:45:00.001-05:00

Over here at Chelsea, we've been in the full swing of the holiday season since, oh, the week before Thanksgiving. And we're not alone! Our very own Rick LeMoine recently shot several holiday spots for Acura, and we can't get enough of them. Below, check out "Elf":

Rick LeMoine - Acura - Elf from Chelsea Pictures on Vimeo.

Watch: Johan Kramer Talks Shop on Soccer

2010-11-22T13:30:00.001-05:00

Like so many here at Chelsea, director Johan Kramer is a man of many talents - before launching his directing career, he was a pro soccer player for Ajax Amsterdam. For you hardcore soccer fans, he has a great new interview up over at Nalden on all things soccer-related (or football-related, depending on your preference). Follow the link to check it out, and below, here's the trailer for his award winning soccer documentary The Other Final:

Chelsea Welcomes Director Adriano Falconi

2010-11-15T18:25:00.001-05:00

We here at Chelsea are proud to announce that we've signed an exciting new director to our roster with Adriano Falconi! To borrow from the press release:

Adriano Falconi is recognized internationally for his ability to tell a story through visuals, which earned him a spot as one of the 20 Next Directors by Boards Magazine. Since moving to the US in 2000, Adriano has directed a series of hugely successful advertising spots for clients including Mastercard, Jagermeister, Fiat Group, and Puma.

Falconi has also worked as a war photographer in the former Yugoslavia, recently launched work on his first two feature films, and this fall directed Jeremy Irons in a provocative new PSA for the 1 Billion Hungry project. Check it out below, and help us bid a warm welcome to the newest member of Chelsea!

The Reviews are in for Client 9

2010-11-05T15:13:00.001-04:00

We here at Chelsea can stop holding our breath - Alex Gibney's latest documentary Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Elliot Spitzer hit US theaters today, and the reviews are starting to pour in! Below, a sampling of some of our favorites:

In The New York Times Manohla Dargis writes:

For Mr. Gibney, the juiciest parts of this story weren’t the explicit, sometimes banal details, like Mr. Spitzer’s famous black socks. No, the good stuff, as far as Mr. Gibney’s movie and Mr. Elkind’s book theorize, involves the power brokers who — enraged by Mr. Spitzer’s activism as attorney general, specifically in his hard-charging capacity as the Sheriff of Wall Street — might have had something to do with his downfall.

Variety has this to say:

Gibney is characteristically relentless in his research and interviewing...For all the information here, Gibney is unusual among investigative documentarians in that he never forgets he's making cinema. The shooting of interviews via multiple cameras by d.p. Maryse Alberti, particularly when Gibney is grilling the penitent Spitzer, is effective and striking."

The Washington Post raves that Client 9 is a "gripping portrait of a modern political hit..."

...and, naturally,The Village Voice was a bit more blunt:

The prolific documentarian -- Client 9 is Gibney's fourth film this year -- makes a persuasive case that the former governor may have been brought down not just by his penis, but by his deep-pocketed enemies.

We couldn't be more excited for Alex and Client 9, but don't just take our word for it -- get out there and see it for yourselves!

Behind The Scenes with Robb Bindler

2010-10-11T14:07:00.001-04:00

Bindler's latest for Visa is just hitting the airwaves, and will be on this blog very soon, but in the meantime enjoy these behind-the-scenes stills from the shoot. Well, one shot behind-the-scenes and one set of stills that you wouldn't necessarily see in the spots. And we had to include this rather charming shot of some of the production folks and talent. From left to right, Shanah Blevins, Chelsea line producer, Lisa Johnson, Chiat Day executive producer, Don Crisman, Superbowl attendee, and Michele Cardinal from Visa! Gotta say, everyone is looking pretty good, could be some new profile photos in that shot.

DGG's Your Highness - First Stills

2010-10-08T14:08:00.001-04:00

As previously mentioned in this space, David Gordon Green's next feature is Your Highness, which is being described as a "medieval romp". And given what we've heard and seen so far, sounds accurate. DGG's multiple projects have a tendency to shuffle around, so those readers waiting for his Susperia remake and/or Freaks of the Heartland film shouldn't lose heart, as they will most likely come back on the docket. Though his current project is The Sitter, starring Jonah Hill, so it may be a while. But back to Your Highness, as we've collected some stills from around the Internet and want to share them here! Take a look and stay tuned for more, and of course the trailer, which we expect to be coming soon.

Lauren Greenfield Getty Lecture - Sunday, September 26th

2010-09-24T12:44:00.001-04:00

A quick heads up for the LA-based Lauren Greenfield fans, she is giving a talk this Sunday at the Getty after a screening of her acclaimed documentary kids+money. The Getty describes the film as:

A piercing short film by photographer Lauren Greenfield, Kids and Money is a conversation with young people about the influence of money in their lives. Born of the extremes of poverty and wealth that define the Los Angeles landscape, teens and tweens from Pacific Palisades to East Los Angeles address how they are shaped by a culture of consumerism.

And Lauren will be talking afterwards about the film and her larger body of work. It starts at 1:00 pm, admission is free and parking is $15. More details here!

We're Thrilled He's Here! Bruce Hunt Joins Chelsea

2010-09-17T12:44:00.001-04:00

Chelsea is proud to announce the addition of Bruce Hunt to the Chelsea roster. From the press release:

A master of special effects, both Hunt’s commercial and film work showcase cutting edge visuals used in service of the larger story, effects designed for maximum emotional impact. His client list includes Visa, Toyota, Lexus, Nintendo, Volkswagen, Panasonic, and Hyundai among others, in addition to a highly regarded Tourism Australia project with Baz Luhrman. He has been named Director of the Year four times in Australia for his spot work.

There's also the matter of his film work, which is rather significant. He was a second unit director on The Matrix and Dark City, two films with groundbreaking special effects and visual signatures that have been copied ever since (bullet time anyone?). Hunt's own feature, The Cave, was no slouch either, with some serious special effects and Hunt's signature striking photography. To prove it, see the trailer below. We're glad to have him aboard!

KENNY POWERS IS BACK!

2010-09-17T12:39:00.001-04:00

You just have to use all caps for Kenny Powers. No other font choice is sufficient. The David Gordon Green crew has put together another insane season of everyone's favorite washed up ball player, and it starts Sunday the 26th! Green directed 3 episodes of this season, similar to last year, and the saga really just gets crazier and crazier. Let's just the trailer speak for itself...

9:00 PM Premiere on HBO Tonight - Alex Gibney's "My Trip to Al-Qaeda"

2010-09-07T13:24:00.001-04:00

As previously mentioned in this very blog, September is Chelsea month on HBO. And today is the first event! Alex's Gibney's My Trip to Al-Qaeda premieres tonight at nine, after debuting at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Variety gives a pretty great review of the film, which can be read in full here, but here's a key excerpt:

A sobering lecture on the Middle East as well as an interesting exercise in multimedia, "My Trip to al-Qaeda" is director Alex Gibney's documentary version of Lawrence Wright's off-Broadway one-man show, developed while researching his book "The Looming Tower: al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11." With his understated style and soothing voice, Wright offers a savvy primer on the roots of Islamic terrorism and the U.S.' misguided response, while the filmed performance stylistically recalls a more restrained variant on Spalding Gray's "Swimming to Cambodia."

Check out the trailer below and tune your dial to HBO tonight!

Algebra: DGG + ESPN + W+K = Great New Spots

2010-09-01T11:20:00.001-04:00

Actually, the math isn't that complicated. David Gordon Green teamed up with Wieden + Kennedy to make some awesome new spots for ESPN. Simple as that! These latest spots are for the Countdown, one of television's top football pregame shows, and feature the entire cast getting uncomfortably close to some of the NFL's biggest stars. The Countdown team includes Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson, Cris Carter, Chris Mortensen, and Adam Schefter. The two spots we're featuring here (turn on your TV to see the rest!) are "Game Picks", in which the egg scrambling skills of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers are called into question, and "Patcakes", where Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker gets an unexpected breakfast.

Reminder: Life In A Day Shoots Tomorrow!

2010-07-23T12:35:00.001-04:00

Everyone get your cameras ready and your interesting friends in one place, because tomorrow is the shoot day for Kevin Macdonald's "Life In A Day" Youtube project. Make your film tomorrow and you have a week to upload it on to Youtube at www.youtube.com/lifeinaday. The Youtube home page has been having a countdown for the last few days, and email reminders have been flying fast and thick, so it's shaping up to be a serious event! The above video is instructions from the main editor of the project, Joe Walker, with some helpful and inspirational words about making your film. So get ready, get filming, and hopefully we'll see you at Sundance!

The Beast Is Gone: Requiem for a Copier

2010-07-21T12:32:00.001-04:00

So, it's not the most critical news in the production universe, but it's rocking our world in ChelseaNY. Our long suffering copier has finally been traded in for a better, (much) smaller model. This picture, taken by Lisa herself, shows the copier contemplating the stairs, for its final journey to the recycling center. RIP. All part of the natural process of Production 2.0

What A Pair! Directing Duo Borgato & Berte Join Chelsea

2010-07-21T12:05:00.001-04:00

Another superior choice for the Chelsea roster, we are thrilled to announce the signing of Borgato & Berte. A pair of globetrotters, the duo are know for exquisite photography and offbeat moments, which combine to create emotional work of high style. From the release:

Paolo Borgato and Tommaso Bertè met in Milan in 2004, both at the beginning their directing careers, absorbing the lessons of the advertising industry while working on their own projects. They catapulted into the industry spotlight with their PSA for Save The Children. The spot won them the Shots Young Directors Award, and their 2007 spot “Human Machine” won a place in that year’s Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase.

Kevin Macdonald + Youtube = Big News!

2010-07-08T10:35:00.001-04:00

Logging on to Youtube yesterday, you may have noticed a site takeover by a project called "Life in a Day". The idea is that on July 24th, 2010, everyone around the world is going to upload a video documenting their day and answering the questions, "What do you love?" and "What do you fear?" Then a number of videos will be selected and stitched together into a documentary/time capsule about life on Planet Earth on 7/24/2010, and the resulting film will premiere at Sundance 2011. And which Oscar-winning director is at the helm this unprecedented, crowd-sourced, new media extravaganza? Chelsea's own Kevin Macdonald! Which you probably guessed from both the headline of this post and the video of Kevin discussing the project, but it's always fun to have a dramatic reveal.

Shoot coverage is here and Creativity coverage is here. And there is also the CNN story here and the official Google Blog entry is here. And I'm sure there's more to come! You've already seen Kevin talking about the project, so here's the trailer video:

Another Super Cute Kid, Just Because

2010-07-02T15:14:00.001-04:00

Following up on our picture of Orson, here's the photogenic Ruby, daughter of Chelsea director Charles Mehling. Despite looking in the lens in this shot, she is not actually directing, that job was left up to Charles. In this case, a massive 20 day shoot in southeast Asia for Proctor & Gamble in China, the results of which will get posted here in the not too distant future.

Lauren Greenfield's Girl Culture at the Getty

2010-06-28T15:13:00.001-04:00

Lauren Greenfield's photography is no stranger to museums, but this is a big show, even for her. Greenfield's monograph Girl Culture is featured in the Getty's newest show, Engaged Observers: Documentary Photography Since the Sixties. Drawing from the work of a very small and influential group of photographers, the show is about photography "situated between journalism and art... essays that delved deeply into topics of social concern and presented distinct personal visions of the world." Chelsea always has a number of Greenfield's books on hand, and Girl Culture is an office favorite. The press release describes Girl Culture as:

a photographic project that delves into the ways consumer society affects the lives of women in America. Of central concern to Greenfield was the exhibitionist tendencies of contemporary American femininity. Visiting girls of all ages at home, in doctors’ offices, and out with friends, Greenfield examined personal issues of public consequence, providing an intense and intimate exploration of girls’ relationships to their bodies and the effects of popular culture on self-image. Many of her pictures and accompanying interviews focus on what she refers to as “body projects,” the daily grooming rituals undertaken in an effort to express identity through appearance. Others look at the social and consumerist influences from which these young women take their cues as well as the difficulty of living up to such expectations.

The Getty is always free, so if you're in LA, there's no excuse!

World Cup Madness - Part 2: The Argentina Story

2010-06-24T15:12:00.001-04:00

We have not been immune to World Cup excitement here at Chelsea, and why should we? World Cup soccer is awesome, and an excellent reason to have beer at lunch. You've seen director Johan Kramer's "Bleed Orange" spots for the Dutch team (which seem to be working, as they power their way through their group), and now take a look at the giant inflatable head of Maradona, the coach of Argentina and a legendary player in his own right. This shot comes straight from the iPhone of Allison Amon, fearless head of Chelsea LA, as she toured around Buenos Aires for a shoot with Neil Abramson. Stay tuned for those spots, and now it looks like we're rooting for Argentina!

Pulse Launches Redesigned Website

2010-06-20T15:12:00.001-04:00

Our favorite Londoners have just relaunched their website, and it is lookin' good. Chelsea partner Pulse Films London have been working furiously for the last few months on a bunch of cool projects, and managed to squeeze in some serious changes, so head over to www.pulsefilms.co.uk to appreciate the hard work.

They Just Keep Coming Aboard! Chelsea Signs Director Robb Bindler

2010-06-16T15:10:00.001-04:00

Another great signing, if we say so ourselves. Veteran spot and documentary director S.R. "Robb" Bindler has signed on to the roster! From the press release:

...Robb Bindler, a documentary and feature director whose commercial clients include Nokia, Visa, Ford, Coca Cola, and Intel. “I remember seeing his documentary Hands on a Hard Body in theaters, and I’ve been tracking his work ever since,” said Chelsea LA partner Allison Amon. In the subsequent years, Bindler worked in advertising and on his own projects, and in 2008, he wrote and directed Surfer Dude, starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey.

Let it also be known that he's a pretty nice guy, and writes funny emails, which are big pluses for this blogger. Check out his reel on chelsea.com and here's the trailer to his (awesome) documentary Hands On A Hard Body.

Chelsea Signs Denise Blate Roederer for East Coast Representation!

2010-06-12T15:08:00.001-04:00

Another Chelsea business update, we've signed a new East Coast Sales Representative! Here's a clip from the press release:

Denise Blate Roederer, independent sales representative, has signed Chelsea and new division Pulse@Chelsea and will be handling all East Coast sales. Blate’s other companies include Lair and Union Editorial. Chelsea partner Lisa Mehling said, “I feel so fortunate to have Denise working with us. Her creative opinion and ability to collaborate with clients has made her a highly respected and universally adored member of the industry.” The director rosters of Chelsea, Pulse, and Lair are a smooth compliment to Blate’s roster at Union Editorial, including some already established working partnerships, like Union’s Sloane Klevin and Chelsea’s Alex Gibney.

She's great and we're thrilled!

Party in the NY Office - Four Floors of Fun

2010-06-08T15:07:00.001-04:00

Or, to save time, we'll just say FFOF, and every time Chelsea and Lair have an office party, the blog will document the FFOF. This was the Pre-Pre-Pre-Party for AICP, to get everyone geared up for the big show the next day. Sangria was on tap, mini-hotdogs were wrapped in pastry dough, and a good time was had by all! Even Chelsea LA was on hand, in the form of Allison and Ezra.

Please Welcome Orson Burke, The Newest (and Cutest) Chelsea Team Member

2010-06-01T16:12:00.001-04:00

File this post under "extremely good news". Our west coast rep, Mr. Ezra Burke, and his lovely wife Jennifer, are the proud parents to young Orson Thayer Burke, born May 27th, 2010, at 8:49 am. Mom and Orson are doing very well, Dad is running out of memory on the camera. Orson's interests include eating, sleeping, being cute, and waking his parents up in the middle of the night. Congrats to all!

World Cup Madness with Johan Kramer & BAM

2010-05-27T13:50:00.001-04:00

Well, madness isn't actually the right word, because Kramer's 2003 film The Other Final, is really a meditative and thoughtful look at the quieter side of international soccer, documenting a match between the world's lowest raking teams, Bhutan and Montserrat, played the same day of the 2002 World Cup. But the film is being including in the Brooklyn Academy of Music's "Soccer Fever!" film series in anticipation of the World Cup, so we have to use "madness" at least once in the post. Anyway, it is playing three time on June 3rd at BAM, in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. Check out the trailer below and here's the link for tickets and info on the BAM website.

Alex Gibney in Time Magazine 'Phenomenon Watch'

2010-05-20T15:58:00.001-04:00

Well, it might not be a regular feature, but it's the subtitle for the piece on Alex Gibney in the lasted issue of Time magazine, and it's accurate. The piece starts by explaining the difficulties of being a documentary filmmaker, and then continues with:

Then there's the curious case of Alex Gibney. The 56-year-old UCLA film-school grad, who won an Academy Award for 2007's Taxi to the Dark Side, has no fewer than four new features hitting screens this year. The most provocative is an as yet untitled Eliot Spitzer documentary, which charts the former New York governor's meteoric rise and scandalous fall and quickly became the hottest ticket at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Check out the full article here and don't forget to check out Alex's Tribeca roundup in the earlier posts!

Her Craft Service is the Best - Leslie Evers, Head of Production

2010-05-16T12:00:00.001-04:00

Just to keep everyone up on the latest office happenings, we are thrilled to announce Leslie Evers as the new Head of Production for Chelsea! An international production guru and all-around superstar, Leslie brings a wealth of experience and set of perfect teeth to Chelsea. You'll find her based in the Los Angeles and out and about wherever Chelsea productions are happening.

EDIT: Check out Leslie's mention on Creativity!

D.A.R.Y.L. - Shoot New Directors!

2010-05-13T15:58:00.001-04:00

It was an exciting day on both sides of the pond when Pulse@Chelsea directors D.A.R.Y.L. were selected to be part of Shoot Magazine's 2010 New Directors Showcase, and even MORE exciting to see their work on the big screen last Tuesday at the DGA theater in Manhattan. Chelsea folks were there in full force to cheer, and D.A.R.Y.L.'s work was met with applause. The directing duo, composed of James Montgomery and Edward Lovelace, showcased their recent work for Myspace. Not presented at Shoot but soon to be released to the world is their first feature length film, Werewolves Across America. You can see their full Shoot profile here, their Shoot video compilation below, and their movie trailer here. Congrats to everybody!

The Tribeca Film Festival - Starring Alex Gibney

2010-04-23T09:56:00.001-04:00

Maybe that's a stretch, but not by much. As referenced in a previous post, Alex Gibney has three films in the 2010 festival, but now he's getting a lion's share of the press too, mostly surrounding his untitled Eliot Spitzer documentary. Listed below is a round-up of some the more interesting articles about his trio of films:

- The New York Times roundup of the festival, featuring Alex

- The New York Post calling Alex's Spitzer doc the 'hottest ticket of the Festival'

- An interview with Alex in NY Magazine about political sex scandals

- Great interview in Movieline with Alex about the Spitzer vs. Tiger Wood's scandals

- Shoot Magazine article / interview regarding Alex's history with Tribeca

- Article about and clip from the Spitzer doc from New York Times Art's Beat

- A quick mention in Variety about HBO buying the rights to "My Trip to Al-Qaeda"

- A summary article from NBC New York

- And, we must confess, the About.com article who's title we borrowed for this post

Congrats to Alex and everyone at Jigsaw Productions!

Alex Gibney's Hat Trick at the Tribeca Film Festival

2010-04-05T11:31:00.001-04:00

The hardest working man in documentary film has scored a hat trick at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and his latest movie isn't even in it! As mentioned in a previous post, Alex Gibney's latest feature length documentary, Casino Jack and the United States of Money, premiered at Sundance and is getting a wide release in May. And here's the trailer, exclusive to Apple

So instead, Tribeca gets a work-in-progress screening of Gibney's Eliot Spitzer documentary, the full length My Trip to Al-Qaeda, and closing night coup Freakanomics, of which Alex directs a section, along with all-star filmmakers Morgan Spurlock, LOKI, and Eugene Jarecki. Click the links for summaries, schedules, and if you're able to score one, a ticket. It's a exciting line up and the Chelsea NY team will be at the Festival in full force. See you there!

Nike and "Johan" from ... Johan

2010-04-02T11:32:00.001-04:00

It is always exciting to see new work from Johan, all the way over in Amsterdam, and this time we get the pleasure of a new commercial and a new film. The ad is another intense spot for Nike's World Cup campaign, building off the BEZET spot from earlier in the year. Check out that post here. Needless to say, this spot also snagged Creativity Top Spot honors.

And on a lighter-but-also-about-soccer note, here is the trailer for Johan's latest film, titled "Johan". It is not an autobiography, we swear, despite being about a crazed soccer fan named Johan. We'll let you know when it heads stateside!

DGG @ SXSW (See Post For Translation)

2010-03-25T11:37:00.001-04:00

Spelled out with full words, the title of this post is "David Gordon Green at South By Southwest", but acronyms actually work better in this case. However you say it, David one of the many attractions at this year's SXSW festival, at a panel appropriately titled "A Conversation With David Gordon Green". Billing itself as "Music+Film+Interactive," the 2010 festival in Austin was an exciting time for everyone, bringing together some of the top names in indie music and film, as well as creative types across a number of industries.

Here is a clip from David's talk, from the SXSW YouTube channel, with mentions of his upcoming film Your Highness, and his script-to-screen ratio:

And for you David superfans, here is a 40 minute video of David's interview with The Voice of Young America radio program, with more info about his work process and upcoming films:

David Gordon Green from Jesse Thorn on Vimeo.

He's A Red Sox Fan, Despite The Photos

2010-03-25T11:33:00.001-04:00

Down in Tampa to shoot a not-yet-released but extremely delicious product, director Rick LeMoine had a birthday! And yes, hard to believe, but he is older than Justin Beiber, but just as much a teen sensation. Helping him celebrate were Joe Girardi, Mariano Rivera, and Chelsea superstar Allison Amon. Also, the Yankee cake is ironic, we swear.