New York-based QuietMan has long been known as one of the most innovative VFX houses in the business. But increasingly the company is being sought out by high profile agencies and clients for their conceptual ideas and input, and their full service capabilities which range from pre production, through the directing of the actual shoots, and on into post production and finishing services.

This versatility is currently on display in a new campaign for the iconic MSG Networks featuring a multi-screen outdoor installation to promote the venue.

QuietMan Founder and CD/Lead Flame Artist Johnnie Semerad was approached by Eric Silver, ECD of the Amalgamated agency, to work on a complex project featuring three components – web, installation and TV. The TV component was initially viewed as merely helping point audiences to the web portion of the campaign, and at the initial presentation, Johnnie was honored by being the only non-Amalgamated person present.

With a long history of collaboration with Silver that includes high profile campaigns for Budget Car Rental, Johnnie is well aware of the challenges involved in a branding campaign such as this, and was immediately up-to-speed when it was decided to focus on the TV component and QuietMan’s input instead.

This resulted in a busy one-day shoot at Madison Square Park where the team installed 20 monitors and used 15 extras to keep the energy up. The 5-camera shoot included 2 shooting time-lapse, “and even a little rain helped with the look and gave us a gorgeous sunset,” reports Johnnie.

With the shoot completed, Johnnie and his QuietMan team then tackled editing and post, and the creative challenge of telling two different stories within the same campaign; first, the story of MSG Networks on the monitors, which displayed various content – ranging from sports to concerts - from the MSG Networks; second, the story outside the monitors of the installation of the huge TV wall, with passersby stopping to look and interact with the screens.

The team also faced a logistical challenge; with a 5-camera shoot, there was a huge amount of footage to sift through for the live action component; and then the team was also given a huge amount of footage from MSG Networks, from which they had to cull material and then edit it down for the monitor display.

Ultimately, the team managed to do both the traditional shoot edit and the stock footage edit within a week-and-a-half, partly because, with their long experience in handling such jobs, QuietMan smartly began cutting the ‘inside monitor’ footage before the live shoot got under way.

It also helped greatly that QuietMan is so well-versed with handling branding campaigns that often require a sensitive touch. As Johnnie notes, “MSG Networks already has its loyal diehard fans and season ticket holders, but everyone also wants to get the casual viewer, so it’s a balancing act. You have to consider both elements, and appeal to both – and hopefully we did exactly that.”

Watch "NY Plays."

Credits:

Client: MSG Networks
Spot Title: NY Plays
Air Date: 10.3.11

Agency: Amalgamated
ECD: Eric Silver
AD: Jay Morrison
Copy: Howard Finkelstein
Account Director: Kevin O’Brien
Account Executive: Kelsey Post
Senior Producer: Karen McKibben

Prod Co: QuietMan
Director: Johnnie Semerad
DP: Mike Berg
EP: Carey Gattyan
Producer: Jess Pierik
Live Action Producer: Brian Yeater
Asst Production Supervisor/Live Action: Justin Realmuto

Editorial Co: QuietMan
Editor: Kevin Palmer
Producer: Jess Pierik
Assistant Editor: Nick Link

Post/Effects Co: QuietMan
VFX Artist(s): Johnnie Semerad, Matt Stroub & Nic Seresin
Producer: Jess Pierik

Audio: Sound Lounge
Mixer: Rob Sayers

Shoot Location: Madison Square Park