ALAN HANSEN JOINS THE LAB SYDNEY TO HEAD-UP DI GRADING

The Lab Sydney today announced details of their further expansion plans with the addition of post-production specialist Alan Hansen as Senior DI Colourist and the purchase of an extensive multi-million dollar Digital Intermediate (DI) infrastructure complete with colour grading theatrette.
Hansen, who will be pivotal in the creation and set-up of the Lab’s new DI theatrette, brings over 28 years of experience with him to the Lab including his extensive knowledge of the film industry, from colour timing, film Laboratory supervision and sales, telecine department management to more recently, the set-up of digital intermediate suites through to the colour grading and mastering of features. His recent DI credits include Catch a Fire, Kokoda, Little Fish, Clubland and The Water Diary.
Says Hansen said: “The move to the Lab is the most exciting of my career. I was looking for a new challenge with a company that could help me fulfil it. The opportunity to set up the DI suite and theatrette at the Lab and to drive this business forward was exactly what I was looking for. I spoke to Michael Eder and Phil Watts and they explained the Lab’s expansion plans and how DI was to play a major part in these and I was hooked.”
Lab Client Services Director Michael Eder commented: “Alan is widely recognised as one of the top DI graders in Australia. He has a very well established track record, excellent relationships with key directors and his portfolio is of the highest calibre. His experience with the Baselight kit was a perfect fit for the DI grading facilities we will be offering.”
As part of a major expansion plan, the Lab is in the process of building a custom made DI suite which will house the latest in DI grading equipment including a Northlight 2 film scanner, Baselight 4 Colour Grading System and a purpose-built theatrette utilising a Barco 2K projector.
Says Hansen: “The equipment and facilities that are going to be installed at the Lab are second-to-none. The kit and set-up is by far the best amalgamation of systems in this region and beyond. Having used many alternatives, the Baselight product is still my first choice by far, particularly the Northlight scanner which has proven itself to be the absolute best in its class. After two and a half years on the market it continues to outperform all other scanners and now with the release of the Northlight 2, the Lab will be delivering the best quality scans available The new theatrette gives the Lab’s clients all the benefits and support that come from being part of a big locally owned group with very much a boutique feeling. Our goal is to fill the suite with local and international feature film and television projects. The reaction we have had from the market so far is very exciting with several slated productions keen to discuss our exciting new offering.”
The new Lab reel which includes work showcasing Alan Hansen is out in October.

ASHTON GIVEN THUMBS UP BY AUSTRALIAN DIRECTORS GUILD

Republic Films director Darren Ashton has received the Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG) nomination for Outstanding Acievement in Directing in a Feature Film, for his mockumentrary comedy, Razzle Dazzle – A Journey Into Dance.
The feature film which opened in cinemas this year, starred Kerry Armstrong and Ben Miller, and has screened at The L.A. Films Festival, Berlin Film Festival and the Edinburgh Film Festival.
THE ADG awards are unique as they are peer voted.
The Awards came about as the ADG recognised there were no Australian awards for Directors that were voted solely by Directors. Only productions screened for the first time between July 1 2006 and June 30 2007 have been eligible for entry.
“The Guild has been overwhelmed with the number of entries received – Australian Directors have really embraced these awards,” New Executive Director of the Australian Directors Guild Drew Macrae said. “The ADG through its Inaugural ADG Awards at the 2007 Atlab ADG Conference, are for the first time providing the opportunity for the work of
Directors to be judged solely by their peers.
“As a TVC director, to be nominted by my peers in the ADG’s inaugural year is a privilege,” said Ashton.

CURIOUS FILM’S ALAN WHITE DEBUTS IN US WITH ‘BROKEN’

A dark and confronting indie flick called ‘Broken’, starring the ever-so-sexy Heather Graham, marks Curious Film director Alan White’s arrival as a director to watch in Hollywood.
Broken is Alan’s first American film – a brazenly intense tale of disillusionment exploring the destructive nature of addiction to drugs and love. The film opens to US audiences next month and reflects Alan White’s evolution as one of Australia’s most outstanding directors.
The story unfolds at an all-American diner, where Graham (Boogie Nights, Austin Powers) works as a pissed-off waitress named Hope. As she reflects on her past mistakes with ex-boyfriend Will, a heroin addict played by Jeremy Sisto (Waitress, Law & Order), she is confronted with a series of temptations symbolic of the seven deadly sins, when Will turns up unexpectedly with a gun.
“Broken is about finding a peace within yourself, with all your flaws, and not putting so much hope on being successful in societal terms. The temptation of the dark side is something that is personal to me and I think there are powerful lessons to be learned from the violence of addictions,” says Alan.
Shot over 19 days, Broken is an intense psychological journey that reflects Alan’s ability to take ordinary events and make them extraordinary – a technique he applies to both his commercials and films, which are always based on innate human truths.
Critics have described Sisto’s performance as “believably needy” with a “manipulative intensity”, and have hailed the feature as “a fine film about a functional addiction that allows you to lead a semblance of a life, albeit one of not-so-quiet desperation”.
Written by Jeff Lester and Drew Pillsbury, Broken launched at the AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles last November. Since then, the film picked up Best of Show at The Accolade Film Awards and was selected to screen on the opening night of this year’s VisionFest film festival in New York.
Broken is Alan’s third film, following two Australian features Erskinville Kings, which stars Hugh Jackman, and Risk, starring Claudia Karvan and Bryan Brown.
Alan has two other film projects up his sleeve and continues to work as an award-winning, Emmy-winning commercials director. He is currently available in Australia and New Zealand, where he is represented by Curious Film.

JWT MELBOURNE HIRES AWARD WINNER

JWT Melbourne’s new executive creative director Richard Muntz proved he has an eye for spotting talent with the recent appointment of creative team James Orr and Carly Williams.
Last month, Orr was named Top Student for News Limited AWARD School in Victoria. This week, he was named ‘Best In Australia for 2007’, outdoing the winners from Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart.
“James Orr is the best student in the history of AWARD school,” said Muntz, who as well as being ECD of JWT Melbourne is also the New Limited AWARD School co-leader.
“That opinion has nothing to do with the fact that I recently hired James and partner Carly Williams at JWT,” he added.
Orr and Williams paired up as a team during the course. Muntz says he hired the pair primarily for their talent but also for their flexibility.
“James and Carly distinguished themselves by appearing as a footstool and a coffee table in the posters promoting AWARD School. I thought that showed the type of willingness to adapt to any situation that busy agencies are looking for,” said Muntz.
One of the first things Orr will be asking for is some time off – his prize includes a trip to the Caxton Awards in Byron Bay next month.
Muntz has also added to the agency’s digital line up, hiring web specialist Gideon Cheok. Having studied at Monash University, Cheok is highly skilled in web framework and aesthetical design. He joins JWT from Studio Equator, where he was working on graphic design, environmental design and front-end work for multi-media websites.

CB DROPS INTO THE FURNACE

As part of an occasional series on creative agencies - sponsored by Filmgraphics - CB drops into The Furnace, Sydney, which is creating great work on a wide range of clients, including Skins, Solo, Electrolux, Westinghouse, Rabo Bank and TAC. CB caught up with creative director Rob Martin-Murphy and head of art Paul Fenton at the agency's yet to be refurbished future premises in King Street, Sydney.

MADDOCKS TO MOVE TO CLEMS SYDNEY, WORTHINGTON TO JOIN COLENSO AUCKLAND

In a move that will create waves on both sides of the Tasman, Colenso BBDO Auckland ECD Richard Maddocks (top left) will take up the executive creative director role at Clemenger BBDO, Sydney, replaced by Auckland based Nick Worthington (bottom left), who has been lured from the regional creative director role at Publicis Mojo Auckland. Both appointments are effective early next year.
After eight years at Colenso BBDO, Maddocks leaves the agency in the number one position in New Zealand for the third consecutive year in the Campaign Brief creative rankings.
Maddocks began his career in Australia before moving to Mojo NZ in the mid 90’s. At the end of 1999 he joined Colenso BBDO, firstly as a writer and eventually advancing to Creative Director in 2004.
One of the most awarded creatives in Australasia, Maddocks’ creative leadership has resulted in numerous awards at Cannes, One Show, Clio, and Award. Colenso BBDO is currently ranked the number one creative agency in New Zealand and number two in Australasia. Maddocks himself sits at number 3 on the Campaign Brief Australasian Creative Director rankings. Within the past twelve months Maddocks has led both the successful regional Fonterra and Vodafone NZ pitches.
“This is the single most important appointment to be made at Clemenger BBDO Sydney for the future,” said Jim Moser, Managing Director of Clemenger BBDO Sydney. “In the end our global search brought us to our own network where we found Richard to fit the brief perfectly: An Australian. A proven creative leader. Highly awarded. Embracing of new media/all channels and a great cultural fit."
Maddocks says his first priority is getting to know the clients: “It’s all about doing great work. That’s our number one focus. And the only way to do that is to understand your clients' business problems. If we don’t know that, then what are we trying to solve with an idea?
“I’m really looking forward to getting over there and working as Jim’s partner to lead an agency that’s consistently producing great ideas for our clients. Clemenger BBDO has an outstanding history as one of Australia’s defining advertising agencies. I’d love to be able to play a role in adding to that history, especially in the context of integration and new media. The integration between BBDO, Proximity and the rest of the Clemenger group is one of the most exciting opportunities we have,” he added.
Maddocks' replacement Nick Worthington is a real coup for BBDO in this region. "We are extremely fortunate to be able to attract someone of Nick's calibre to our group,” said Colenso BBDO Chairman Roger MacDonnell. "He is currently rated one of the top three creatives in the world, with ten gold lions, eleven D&AD pencils and ten gold British TV awards to his credit. He is re-joining BBDO as he spent a number of years at AMV BBDO in London."
"Richard has been a fabulous partner for me," said Brent Smart, Colenso BBDO Managing Director. "We have done some great work together and had some spectacular wins in the last two years and I know he will go well in Sydney. I'm now looking forward to a great partnership with Nick".
UK born Worthington's reel features ads for Levis, Polaroid, Dulux, Wrangler, Bonningtons and The Economist. He has been Executive Creative Director at Publicis Mojo for the last three years where he has been responsible for local campaigns for Steinlager and Speights and international campaigns for Diet Coke and Schweppes.
Adds Clemenger Group Executive Chairman Robert Morgan: "These moves reflect our passion for creative leadership in this part of the world. With Nick Worthington in Auckland, Duster in Wellington, James McGrath in Melbourne and Richard Maddocks in Sydney - we now have the best creative leadership across Australia and New Zealand."

TRANS TASMAN SHAKEUP: MADDOCKS SET FOR CLEMS SYDNEY, WORTHINGTON FOR COLENSO AUCKLAND

CB hears a major trans Tasman creative shakeup is about to be announced, with Colenso BBDO Auckland's highly awarded ECD, Aussie expat Richard Maddocks (top left), set to transfer to Clemenger BBDO Sydney to take the vacant ECD position, while Maddocks' role will be taken by the even more awarded Nick Worthington (below left), currently regional ECD at Publicis Mojo, who is based in Auckland. For Worthington it will be a return to the BBDO fold, having been lured to Auckland from AMV/BBDO London nearly fours years ago by then Publicis worldwide CD, David Droga.
For other networks, the combination of Maddocks in Sydney, Worthington in Auckland and James McGrath in Melbourne will be creatively hard to beat.

BURNETT'S BUNDY SPOT WINS NATIONAL GRAND PRIX FOR AUSTRALIA AT KINSALE

Results have finally been posted for the renowned Irish booze-athon that is the Shark Awards at Kinsale. Leo Burnett, Sydney finished the top-ranked Aussie agency at the Gunn Report ranked festival. Creative team Steve Coll and Mark Collis won the National Grand Prix for Australia with the new Bundy TVC, plus a Silver in International TV. The WWF 'Prank' spot (click on the video below), from Kate Burt and Nils Eberhardt, also picked up a rare Gold in International Radio.

CLEMENGER SYDNEY ECD GIG DECISION IMMINENT

CB hears Clemenger BBDO, Sydney is very close to announcing its new executive creative director, who will be filling the vacuum left by the transfer of Danny Searle to BBDO Singapore back in June. CB hears rumours around town that he is a highly awarded Aussie expat who has been away for a decade.

AFA SNARES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FROM CAANZ

The Advertising Federation of Australia has snared Mark Champion, currently CEO of the Communications Agencies Association of New Zealand (CAANZ) and Chairman of the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority, as its new Executive Director.
AFA Chair Belinda Rowe announced today that Mr Champion would take over the role from retiring AFA Executive Director, Lesley Brydon, on 3 December.
Commenting on the appointment AFA Chair Belinda Rowe said: “We are delighted that Mark has accepted the role. He has been a leader in the advertising industry in New Zealand. He knows the advertising business and has experience in running a similar industry association, which is exactly the background we were looking for.”
“As CEO of CAANZ, which represents creative, media, direct marketing and digital agencies, Mark has extensive knowledge of the broader communications industry.
“Importantly, his experience as Chairman of the NZ Advertising Standards Authority, regarded internationally as a best-practice self-regulation system, will be particularly relevant as regulations on advertising continue to tighten.”
Champion came to CAANZ four years ago from Air New Zealand where he held the position of Corporate Communications Manager. Before that he held a similar role with Vodafone New Zealand with responsibility for media and government relations as well as internal communications.
His earlier career was as a radio and television journalist where he advanced to become an Executive Producer of television current affairs programs.
Commenting on his appointment Champion said: “The role of Executive Director of the AFA is a huge challenge and a very exciting one. I look forward to the opportunity to deliver industry leadership and value for the membership and to contribute wherever possible to the prosperity of the wider communications sector.”
Initially, it is anticipated that Lesley Brydon will stay on to assist the new Executive Director and AFA Board during the transition.

NOBBY FOR DROGA 5

While sources claim that David Nobay will become a partner in Droga 5, which currently has offices in New York and Los Angeles, Nobby himself continues to deny it (joking he's available to direct commercials via Goodoil from November 1, the day he leaves Saatchi), as does Droga via an email to CB overnight.
The plan, according to the same sources, is for Nobby (pictured above left with Droga at a CB Lunch last year) to work on international business with Droga, and to set up a Droga 5 operation in Australia early next year.
Meanwhile, the red herrings abound, with a new one being that he's joining Goodby Silverstein, tasked with opening up an office for them in Sydney, a rumour no doubt fuelled by the visit of Jeff Goodby (for the Caxtons in Byron Bay) next month.

LANGLEY TAKES THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR GIG AT BMF SYDNEY

After only six months as associate CD, Simon Langley has been promoted to creative director of BMF Sydney, the agency fresh from celebrating its sale to the Photon Group.
“In the short time Simon has been here, he has demonstrated all the makings of being a great CD," says executive creative director, Warren Brown.
For Langley, this breaks a successful decade long partnership with Richard Morgan, together they have won numerous awards at top shows like Cannes, D&AD, One Show, Clio and AWARD.
Says Langley: “What attracted me to BMF when I came back from London, was the culture and their desire to do world class work. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of that and look forward to this exciting opportunity. One of my first challenges will be finding a fantastic art director to work with Richo.”
Adds Brown: “Simon is a top bloke, he knows how to inspire others and when to listen, which are the most important qualities a Creative Director can have. He also understands the importance of teamwork and the culture of BMF, which makes him a natural choice”.
With addition of Langley, BMF now has four creative directors: Dylan Taylor for Direct, Chris James for Interactive and Helen Cowley for Retail.
Says Brown: “Promoting Simon to a CD will strengthen BMF’s creative offering and I have absolute confidence in him to help raise the creative bar across all of our clients in the years to come."

FAIRFAX DROPS CANNES REPRESENTATION

Fairfax Media has decided not to renew its representation role for Cannes and have formally advised Australia's Terry Savage (pictured), chairman of the Cannes Advertising Festival.
Says Elizabeth Ross, Fairfax Trade Marketing and Insights Director: "After four years of an excellent association with Cannes, we believe it is time to refocus Fairfax Media's activities more on the Australian creative community. We see a significant strategic opportunity to promote more creative impact in print, and we want to put more of our energy into that and other related initiatives to focus on the creative industry here. Our thinking is quite advanced and we are excited about what we can do in the months ahead."
Savage told CB he was already talking to three large Australian media organisations keen to take up the glamorous role and might be able to announce an appointment within weeks.

SONG ZU NEW WEBSITE NOW LIVE

Song Zu's new

website

has gone live this week. Check out the latest work by Sydney's new composer team, Eden, Nathan and Haydn, including

Coca-Cola 'Happy Mouth'

Australian Electoral Commission and Tip Top as well as a selection of their non-advertising work; take a peek at the newly renovated studios as featured in Inside Australian Design Review; meet Presley the studio Shar Pei / Staffy cross and newly appointed CEO / Top Dog.
Song Zu thanks Emma Maxwell Design and Red Box / Digital for a truly excellent job.

BWM SNARES UK DIGITAL GURU

BWM Sydney has enticed leading European digital specialist Simon Smith to move to Australia and join as its Director of Digital Communications.
Smith (pictured second from right with BWM partners Jamie Mackay, Rob Belgiovane and Paul Williams) is a multi award-winning European digital titan, who has been at the forefront of the digital industry for the past 12 years across entertainment categories including gaming and music as well as media and advertising. He is widely acknowledged as leading the creative and strategic development of Digital Interactive Television (DiTV).
The newly created position continues to be evidence of BWM’s dedication to challenge the industry norm.
Smith describes the role as the ‘digital gene’ integrating digital capabilities into the heart of the agency and is quick to point out this should not be confused with normal digital silo of banners and web sites.
Paul Williams, CEO of BWM said: “The UK digital market is more mature than Australia’s, not just in terms of availability and take-up of technology but more importantly in the way digital technology is transforming the way that brands behave and communicate. Simon will add his first-hand experience of that market into BWM’s planning and creative departments.
“We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Simon, who will bring his futuristic thinking and experience to our business and to our clients’ business. Simon will infuse digital thinking through our whole business.”
Smith was most recently the Founder and Creative Partner of Weapon 7, a digital agency purpose-built to develop DiTV. Since its inception in 2001, Weapon 7 set the benchmark for creative and engaging use of digital communication, for clients including adidas, Coca-Cola, Nokia, Daimler Chrysler, Nissan, Xbox, EA and UIP, EMI stars Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue.
Weapon 7 has the honour of introducing the DiTV category into the D&AD awards, and has been instrumental in developing an evaluation model for Digital Communication in conjunction with Hall & Partners. Weapon 7 was sold to Omnicom at the end of 2006.
Williams said: “Simon’s entrepreneurial approach and years of experience not only in digital but also across content, entertainment and advertising will emphasise the digi-centric thinking in our business and in our clients’ business.”
Smith said: “BWM currently has a perfect mix of three elements that make a world-class agency. Great clients, an independent pioneering culture and an inbuilt quality for delivering loved, beautiful and award winning campaigns. These conditions don’t come together very often. This really is going to be fun.”

BMF SELLS FOR $25m +

The Photon Group has bought 100 percent of BMF Sydney in a deal worth over $25m, with further payments to BMF partners Warren Brown (pictured) and Matthew Melhuish based on the agency's performance over the next three years, the end of their contracted period.
BMF joins BWM Sydney as the main ad agencies in the group. Photon acquired 51% of BWM mid last year.

NOBBY TO LEAVE SAATCHI'S

Saatchi & Saatchi Australia's Executive Creative Director, David ‘Nobby’ Nobay is leaving the agency in November to pursue a new challenge, details of which should be known in the coming months.
“Saatchi & Saatchi feels very privileged to have had more than four extraordinary years with Nobby to firmly position the agency as the No. 1 creative agency in Australasia, including three successive years as Campaign Brief’s Agency of The Year,” said Saatchi & Saatchi Chief Executive Simone Bartley.
Nobay is currently ranked number one CD in Australasia on the CB Creative Rankings.
Says Nobay: "To say I've enjoyed my time at Saatchi & Saatchi in Australia would be a gross understatement. It's no secret that I love the culture and people here enormously. Saatchi & Saatchi is a unique place to work and offers an environment that has helped me create the best work of my career. Moving on is a painful decision: I'm leaving behind mates, more than colleagues and clients, but, ultimately I knew it was time for me to face a new challenge. The good news is that I won't be traveling too far from the Mercantile Hotel!"
“Nobby is committed to remaining at the agency until November, to give plenty of time to overlap with the new incoming Executive Creative Director and complete major ongoing projects,” Bartley said.
Simone Bartley said that she expected the new ECD would be announced shortly: “We are well into an international search and are in discussions with a number of local and offshore candidates.”

KODAK AWARD NEW DIRECTOR FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

The KODAK AWARD New Director of The Year finalists have been announced, four of whom are from Australia:

Maia Horniak, Pod Film, Sydney
Kris Moyes, Revolver, Sydney
Josh Baker, Sydney Film Company
Mark Molloy – EXIT, Melbourne
Surapong Ploensang – Phenomena, Bangkok

Finalists were selected from an impressive collection of entries from eight separate countries from around the Asia Pacific Region.
The overall winner will be announced at the upcoming KODAK AWARD New Director of The Year Cocktail Party on September 26th at 6.30pm, The Water Bar at BLUE Sydney in the presence of VIP guests, the AWARD Award Judges.
AWARD Members are also invited free of charge but must RSVP to secure a ticket. Limited tickets are available for purchase, visit www.awardonline.com for further details or email kodaknewdirector@awardonline.com
The winning KODAK AWARD New Director Of The Year will receive a prize of 10 x 400’ loads of 35mm Kodak Motion Picture Film valued at approximately AUD 4,000.00. This prize will allow the filmmaker to express him/herself with high quality film images and subsequently build upon and enhance their show reel.
The winner will also be introduced and recognised at the AWARD Presentation Evening to be held on November 30th 2007 at CarriageWorks, Eveleigh Railyards, Sydney.

POD FILMS' NEWEST DIRECTOR CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

Pod Films' newest young director, Maia Horniak continues to receive accolades for her film and TV work. Latest in a run of industry nods is her selection as Finalist at KODAK AWARD New Young Director of the Year. The winner of this award will be announced at a cocktail function at The Water Bar on September 26.
This nomination follows an impressive round of international film festival appearances for Maia with her short film, Loveproof. As well as being picked for the Official Selection at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, Cinema des Antipodes, Loveproof was included in the Official Selection at the 10th Bermuda International Film Festival, qualifying her for the Short Film Oscar® by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For more information or to view her showreel contact Anna Richmond at Pod Film 02 8204 1500.

PRICE IS RIGHT FOR THE FOUNDRY, MELBOURNE

After seven years at Grey, Annie Price has taken an associate creative director’s role at The Foundry, Melbourne. Says Price: "It’s a fantastic opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to being a part of The Foundry’s growth and success. I love the philosophy of the place and the people. Their client base and the work they’re producing is really exciting. It’s a challenge I’m up for (and there is life outside St.Kilda Road!)."

LEWIS, VESTER FOR DE PASQUALE

Brisbane based agency de pasquale has hired a new Creative Director and Head of Art to bolster its creating offering.
Bevan Lewis (pictured), ex Deputy Creative Director of M&C Saatchi, Singapore, will take the lead as Creative Director. Lewis previously held positions as Creative Director with JWT in both East and South Africa, and more recently at Leo Burnett and Euro RSCG in SE Asia.
The agency has also hired senior art director Lars Vester as its new Head of Art, and as creative partner to Lewis.
Vester joins dp after stints at George Patterson Y&R in Brisbane and most notably at Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne.
Cos Luccitti, who has been performing the dual roles of Creative Director and CEO since his appointment to head of the agency five months ago has his sights firmly fixed on where the agency needs to go: “I can now devote all my time on pushing this business (and my client’s business) to a whole new level. I’ve made some significant organisational and people changes over the last few months, but we are now through the storm. I’ve got some of the best thinkers in the country around me now.”

CUTTING EDGE SIGNS SHARON PEARSON AND SCOTT MACLEAN

Cutting Edge Sydney has made two new appointments: Executive Producer, Sharon Pearson has joined the team at Chippendale. With over 20 years in the advertising industry, the last nine of those with Frame Set Match, Pearson is well known and highly regarded by her peers. Says Pearson: “I am extremely impressed with the Cutting Edge business and their growth into the Sydney market. I share their tenacious approach to outstanding client service and I’m looking forward to working with the marketing team of Ray Smith and Justine Douglas”.
She is joined by Senior Commercial Colourist, Scott Maclean, also formerly of FSM. Maclean says he is excited about working on what is regarded the best telecine in the world – the Spirit 4K.
Says CEO Ray Smith: “We’re thrilled to have Sharon & Scott on board. Sharon will be an integral cog in the management of our Sydney facility and her expertise within the post sector is a great asset to us. These are great strategic appointments for Cutting Edge and they cement our continued commitment to the Sydney market. Along with a planned facelift for Chippendale, it certainly heralds a new era for our company.”

KODAK AWARD NEW DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR COCKTAIL PARTY SET FOR SEPT 26 AT THE WATER BAR

The KODAK AWARD New Director of The Year cocktail function will be held on September 26th at The Water Bar, BLUE Sydney Hotel in Woolloomooloo commencing at 7pm - which is FREE for AWARD members.
Designed to recognise and promote exceptional new commercial directors in the Asia Pacific Region, the KODAK AWARD New Director Of The Year honours outstanding commercial directors whose fresh thinking and creativity sets them apart from the rest.
Guests will have the chance to view the impressive work from the top entrants and the three finalists and the overall winner of the KODAK AWARD New Director of The Year will be announced on the night.
Judges have been extremely impressed with the calibre of the entrants. “There were some outstanding directors on the judging reel that I'd like to work with if our clients' budgets permit,” remarked Ted Lim, ECD Naga DDB Malaysia.
The winning KODAK AWARD New Director Of The Year will be awarded a prize of 10 x 400’ loads of 35mm Kodak Motion Picture Film valued at approximately $4,000.00. This prize will allow the filmmaker to express him/herself with high quality film images and subsequently build upon and enhance their show reel.
The winner will also be recognised at the AWARD Presentation Evening to be held on November 30th 2007 and attended by up to 800 of the finest industry members from the region.
Also in attendance will be VIP guests, the AWARD Award Judges, accompanied by current AWARD Members. Limited industry tickets are available for purchase.
For booking details visit www.awardnewdirector.com or e-mail kodaknewdirector@awardonline.com or telephone Lucy Mckee on 0407 391 229.

AWARD Members: Free entry to the event

** NB; Invited guests must still RSVP to secure a ticket – AWARD Members who do not register will not be allowed entry on the night. Bookings will not be taken after 21st September **

HORSE FLU HITS THE HOUNDS, BUT INDUSTRY FIGHTS BACK

Horse flu has hit the racing industry hard, but not only horse racing. Greyhound Racing, which derives a large part of its revenue from a share of TAB receipts is a surprise victim of the horse flu epidemic.
But the industry is fighting back.
Created by Kindred, Greyhound Racing NSW is running Press ads in the Daily Telegraph to lift the profile of Greyhound Racing and participation throughout the epidemic.
“Most people think that the dogs would be beneficiaries of the horse flu epidemic, but the truth is, we’ve been hit just as hard”, said Tony Richens of Greyhound Racing NSW.
Jamie Clift, MD of Kindred said: “The advertising is designed to put the dogs smack bang in the consideration set of punters who are missing out on their horse racing entertainment. At the moment, racing fans are being starved of their favourite sport. We wanted to remind them that Greyhound Racing provides a fantastic alternative”.
“We’re putting on extra meetings to help fill the gap. The advertising will let people know where and how to find it”, said Richens.

Client: Greyhound Racing NSW
Agency: Kindred, Sydney
Copywriters: Jamie Clift and Daniel Gregory
Art Director: Daniel Gregory

SIREN AWARDS: GREY MELBOURNE SWEEPS ROUND 2

Ben Keenan and Connor Beaver from Grey Worldwide, Melbourne have won the overall and campaign category of Round 2 of the 2008 Siren Awards.
The series of ads target cigarette butt litter by prank calling unsuspecting 'tossers' for Sustainability Victoria.
This unique approach saw Grey, Melbourne become the first winners to take a clean sweep of a Siren Round with one of their campaign winning ads: 'Bin Your Butts - Male', winning the single category for Round 2.
This round's Craft Category Winner went to 'Black Widow Trackers' written by Jo Campbell and produced by Gregg Sinclair from ARN, Sydney.
The Craft category recognises the important role of sound engineers in creating good ads for radio, and encourages them to push the boundaries of sound.
Campbell and Sinclair have won the right to judge the Craft category for Round 3.
Get your entry into the Craft category for Round 3 of the Siren Awards - you can enter as many original commercials each Round as you like and entry is free.

To hear the winning spots go to www.sirenawards.com.au

CAMPAIGN BRIEF SEPTEMBER WRAP
The September edition of Campaign Brief magazine will feature a special wrap and CD featuring all the audio of the Cannes Lions 2007 and Siren 2007 Winners.
This is a huge edition which no creative can afford to miss. We'll take you inside the jury room and back stage at Cannes, and feature interviews with the winners of Radio Lions Grand Prix, Paul Reardon and Jonas Peterson. Everything to help you develop your next winning campaign!
This year's much anticipated radio edition presents a unique cover, designed by last year's Radio Lions Grand Prix winner Paul Reardon, and hand illustrated by James McCready. Something which has never been done before. Make sure you get your copy!

CAXTON SPEAKERS CONFIRMED

An eclectic mix of local speakers has been lined up to join international guest Jeff Goodby from Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco at this year’s Caxton weekend in October:
Richard Maddocks, ECD, Colenso BBDO, Auckland
Mick Hunter, Managing Partner, Brain Surgery, Sydney
Rebecca Carrasco, ECD, Colman Rasic Carrasco, Sydney
Matt Eastwood, Executive Creative Director, DDB Australia, Sydney
George Stent, Stent Research & Planning
Dennis Koutoulogenis, Senior Writer, BMF, Sydney
Annabel Crabb, Political Sketch Writer, Sydney Morning Herald
Belinda Rowe, CEO, Zenith Optimedia, Sydney
David Thomason, General Manager Marketing, Meat and Livestock Australia

Winners of the Caxton Awards will be announced at the 2007 Caxton Seminar to be held at The Byron at Byron Resort, Byron Bay from 26 - 28 October 2007.
Places are filling fast, so to guarantee your place at Caxton 2007 contact Justine Kendall on 61 2 9281 8788 or email justine@twodeforce.com.au

GLUE SOCIETY TO HELP RE-VAMP OUTDOOR CREATIVE AWARDS

The Glue Society has been commissioned by the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) to help lift the profile of the industry’s creative awards, now in their third year.
Their appointment follows independent research about the awards’ standing among its target audience – the creative community.
The research, conducted by The Seed, showed low awareness of the outdoor industry’s existing creative awards – known as the ONE (Outdoor, Noticeable and Effective) Awards. However, the creatives who responded were nevertheless supportive of awards programs in general.
OMA Chief Executive Helen Willoughby said the industry was delighted to have the creative talents of the Glue Society on board: “The team at the Glue Society are well known for their innovative thinking and delivery of well-timed, attention seeking campaigns,” Ms Willoughby said.
“We want to draw on those talents to give our outdoor awards that ‘cutting edge’ necessary to make them a ‘must enter’ event on the annual calendars of the creative community.”
Michael Simons, Regional Executive Creative Director for Draft FCB, will continue as the Chair of the judging panel and will help oversee the re-positioning project.
The OMA aims to launch the new look creative awards before the end of the year.

PETCH FOR SAATCHI SINGAPORE

Coinciding with the move by Juggi Ramakrishnan to BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore has put new creative leadership in place, starting with the promotion of Richard Copping to Creative Director and the hiring of Andrew Petch (pictured, with Saatchi worldwide CD, Bob Isherwood at the CB Villa Part in June) as Associate Creative Director. In addition, John Kyriakou will be joining the Agency as Regional Creative and Management Partner for the UOB regional business.
Says Saatchi Singapore CEO Mike Rebelo: “The promotion of Richard from Head of Art to Creative Director is a natural evolution for Richard and for Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore. Richard has played a key role with many of our clients, and has been a big driver of the many creative awards our Agency has won. It is now the perfect time for Richie to help accelerate our creative ambitions.
"The appointment of Andrew Petch as Associate Creative Director is a critical hire for us. Andrew is coming from Saatchi & Saatchi London where he was the global creative lead on Sony Ericsson. Prior to that Petchy worked at Publicis London and at BMF in Sydney where his 'Tongue' television campaign for Toohey's Extra Dry beer won a stack of international creative awards. Petchy is a great guy, an amazing creative and fiercely passionate about digital and media innovation.
"We have also hired John Kyriakou to be the Regional Creative and Management Partner on UOB. John is a very seasoned creative director and very experienced in this market when he was the ECD of JWT Singapore around eight years ago and is currently Creative Director at JWT in Toronto. John's role will be leading and managing the regional creative product on the UOB account from our offices in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.”