Frame Rate

Parc Entertainment, a full-service video production company in Birmingham, has earned a Silver Award at the 4th Annual Davey Awards. The winning entry was a promotional video for Tiffin Motorhomes highlighting their custom-built Powerglide chassis.

Lewis Communications, Tiffin’s ad agency, hired Parc Entertainment to produce the video that takes the viewer through the process of building a motorhome chassis from start to finish.

“The final product was met with resounding approval when it debuted at a national dealer’s meeting this past July,” said Clint Till, President of Parc Entertainment. “That made us extremely proud, because we always strive to exceed the expectations of every client.”

Tiffin Motorhomes will be using the final video on their website and in exhibitions at dealer shows throughout the country.

The Davey Awards honors the finest creative work from the best small firms, agencies and production companies worldwide. The competition is judged and overseen by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), a 200+ member organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts. This year the Davey Awards received over 4,000 entries from across the US and around the world.

Watch the full video.

Saturday, February 23 marked the 50th anniversary for the Birmingham ADDYS - the awards celebrating the best in local advertising. Each year the event centers on a certain theme and I thought this year’s selection was especially meaningful - “Never Settle.” Those two words should serve as great inspiration in whatever role you might play at your workplace. It’s a charge for each of us to select nothing but the best; to keep striving for ideas that are truly innovative and original. I know I will remember this mantra as I write and develop creative strategies for my clients. Wherever you are, whatever you do, never settle. Continue to fill up pages full of ideas. Don’t be ashamed to wad up those pages, throw them away, and start again. It’s all in a process to find the most creative idea out there.

With the recent news of this year’s Oscar nominations, it seems that two films are standing shoulders above the rest - There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men. I’ve heard and read from several sources that No Country for Old Men is definitely one of the best films this year, but There Will Be Blood has come out of nowhere it seems to make a strong showing (I only saw the first trailer for the film about a week or two before the nominations). These two films are certainly raising the hype for this year’s awards, but in my opinion, the nominations really don’t have the buzz that other nominated films have had in the past. Perhaps that’s because several films experienced limited releases. Others are lower budget; some are indie films; and some simply failed at the box office.

But there’s another albatross hanging around the neck of this year’s award show and that’s the on going writers’ strike. It seems that there’s not much else to talk about in Hollywood in recent days (despite the tragic and untimely death of Heath Ledger). Speculation still abounds as to whether the show will go on, since the Golden Globes were forced to scrap their traditional glitz and glamour broadcast. Will this make a difference in the mind of the viewer? Did you honestly miss sitting down at home with a bowl of popcorn to watch the Golden Globes? Will you tragically pine away for the Oscars if they don’t show this year? For me, I can take it or leave it.

In an article from USA Today, it was reported that the percentage advertisers are spending on billboards is actually up, proving that the medium is not an aging dinosaur. In fact, several wonderfully creative outdoor ads received recognition at a recent awards ceremony in Cannes. You can read a more detailed description of the ads in the USA Today article.

Along the same vein as “Project Greenlight” comes a new reality show from Fox, called “On the Lot“, produced by Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg. The series, which premieres tonight at 9/8c features several aspiring filmmakers as they compete for a $1 million movie development deal. Each filmmaker will have to produce their own short film, which will then be screened for the American public on a separate “premiere” episode. Although the show will feature judges like Carrie Fischer and Brett Ratner, America will have the final say on who moves on toward the development deal.

This is a reality show that I can really sink my teeth into. I only got into “Project Greenlight” at the tail end of its short run and I really enjoyed it. I’ve also caught bits and pieces of a reality show that documented the experiences of NYU film students as they tried to complete their student films. Not having premiere movie channels at my house makes it difficult for me to see this kind of programming, but any show dealing with the ins and outs of moviemaking is always interesting to me.

I plan on watching the series premiere of “On the Lot” tonight and was wondering who else might tune in. I am a little worried that the show will follow the same trashy format as other reality predecessors. I hope the show will concentrate on the craft and art of filmmaking, rather than contrived drama, like crew in-fighting and personal drama. The last thing I want to see on this show is the director hooking up romantically with some script supervisor and then commenting on it during the sit-down “confessional.”

I was on a shoot last night and unfortunately missed a majority of the Academy Awards broadcast. Honestly, I wasn’t eagerly anticipating this year’s awards, as there weren’t that many mainstream films on the ballot. MSN Movies has a rundown of the best and worst from Oscar night, but I wanted to give you a chance in this forum to sound off about this year’s Academy Awards. All opinions are welcome.

“Working Creatives Unite” - This was the battle cry for the 49th annual Birmingham ADDY awards, held last night at B&A Warehouse. Representatives from the top Birmingham ad agencies were on hand to receive recognition and honor for the year’s work. One could not find those responsible for such horrible ads as “Call Goldberg…” and one most certainly did not see the Suzuki Man on hand. What one could expect to find was a collection of Birmingham’s most talented minds. Seeing their work on display can only inspire an individual to strive for new creative heights in his or her own marketing and advertising campaigns. If you can, contact the Birmingham Ad Federation and inquire as to how you might be able to purchase a winner’s book from this year’s ADDYs. All of the award-winning entries are inside and will serve as a great resource book when faced with the task of creating a new marketing campaign for your business.

Lewis Communications took home many awards, including “Best of Show: Print” and ”Best of Show: Electronic.” Several Lewis employees took home industry leader awards, including “Creative Director of the Year” - Spencer Till, “Art Director of the Year” - Carter Lewis, “Copywriter of the Year” - Stephen Curry, and “Photographer of the Year” - Stuuert. Receiving the award for “Designer of the Year” was Erin Wright of Asylum, and receiving “Illustrator of the Year” was Travis Tatum. O2 Ideas received the “Mosaic Award” celebrating diversity in advertising, and Brandon Dawson of UAB received “Best of Show” in the Student category.

In all, it was a great evening, filled with wonderful music, excellent food, and inspiring company. For all of those involved in the creative industry, please consider joining the Birmingham Ad Federation. If you operate a business and are in need of advertising counselors, I would strongly advise you to consider some of the above-mentioned agencies and designers.