Veteran Studio Exec Brings Team to Santa Monica Digital Production Studio

Santa Monica, California—May 9, 2012— Executive producer Leslie Sorrentino, formerly of Animal West and The Syndicate, has joined digital production and design studio Big Block. He brings with him his production team, Flame artist Gizmo Rivera and producer Cindy Chapman, also from Animal West.

The move reunites Sorrentino with Big Block’s managing director Kenny Solomon. The two are longtime business partners and were co-founders of The Syndicate, their award-winning creative design, branding and digital production studio. At Big Block Sorrentino will work closely with executive producer Pete King to develop the company’s client bases in broadcast, interactive, mobile and enterprise work. He will also promote and oversee compositing and finishing projects highlighting Gizmo’s talents, for whom a second new Flame room has been built.

Sorrentino, who is well known for cultivating and earning long-standing client relationships, has enjoyed a senior level career in the advertising and visual effects industry for more than 20 years. He has worked with top agencies, networks and studios on award-winning commercials, branded design, television, feature films and music videos.

At Animal West, Sorrentino was executive producer on Samsung “Living Room” directed by Jody Hill for Leo Burnett, K-Swiss “Kenny Powers MFCEO” directed by Jody Hill for 72andSunny, BlackBerry Torch “Love What You Do” directed by Henrik Hansen and Laban Pheidias for Leo Burnett Chicago and Doner’s Superbowl rebranding for Dodge Ram directed by Klaus Obermeyer. His credits at The Syndicate include the Rolling Stones feature film Shine a Light and the Clio Award-winning Freixenet “The Key to Reserva,” both directed by Martin Scorsese.

Earlier in his career Sorrentino was director of new business at 525 Studios, the pioneering Hollywood digital post production company, and executive producer at Post Logic Studios, where he was responsible for visual effects production on the memorable Taco Bell “Talking Chihuahua” campaign for TWBA Chiat/Day.

In addition to his time at Animal West, Gizmo has worked at The Mill Los Angeles, Hydraulx and A52. Gizmo’s Flame wizardry and on-set experience also extend to character development for such feature films as Avatar, Wolverine and Skyline. His creative esthetic and technical integration of complex CG can be seen in commercials for Samsung “Living Room” directed by Jody Hill for Leo Burnett, TaylorMade “Green Noise” directed by Jon Huet for NYCA; Old Spice “Scent Vacation” directed by Tom Kuntz for Wieden+Kennedy; Gatorade “LaDainain Tomlinson: Re-Swagger” directed by Joe Pytka for TBWA\Chiat Day; and Audi “Boldly Designed World” and “Spring Cleaning” directed by Stacy Wall for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

Prior to joining Big Block Chapman’s career spanned multiple post-production disciplines working as a producer at Animal West, Comma Music and Beast Editorial. She has worked with top advertising agencies such as Fallon, Leo Burnett, Wieden+Kennedy and 72&Sunny on campaigns for Apple, Nike, Target, Toyota, K-Swiss, Charter Communications, TaylorMade, Samsung and DirecTV.

Solomon said, “I’m delighted to have Les and his team here at Big Block. They are a powerhouse that will further allow us to meet the growing expectation from agencies that studios can handle every aspect of their projects, from conceptual design and visual effects to live action direction and software coding. It’s definitely a value proposition for our clients, but it’s also been our experience that being able to provide all of these services contributes to a higher level of involvement and final quality.”

Sorrentino added, “I am fired up to be collaborating with Kenny again. Big Block is so ahead of the curve with a huge range of creative and technical resources and a great core dynamic. We can’t wait to offer that to our clients.”

Recent projects at Big Block include design and animation for “Peep Show,” a cheeky interactive and experiential campaign for MINI and Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners that appears on JumboTrons and bus stop video screens and incorporates a live car reveal at a Hollywood Blvd. installation. Big Block took a holistic approach to Jeep “Turn of a Wheel,” which was entirely designed and directed by their in-house talent and Ford “One of a Kind” for Y&R Canada, designed and directed by Big Block’s creative director Mark Glaser.

ABOUT BIG BLOCK
Big Block is a digital production studio specializing in digital automotive content, VFX, design and finishing for feature films, commercials, web, gaming, mobile and enterprise platforms. Big Block provides integrated end-to-end services, from concept and design to live action direction and coding to meet its clients’ creative challenges.

A key component of Big Block’s focus is Big Block Interactive, its interactive and software development group, which generate new techniques to evolve and extend client brands across the creative landscape. A prime example is Drive-A-Tron, Big Block’s proprietary driving simulation software, which precisely replicates the physics of driving in any live action or CG environment in real time 3D.

Big Block was launched by business developer Scott Benson, executive producer Kenny Solomon and creative director Mark Glaser, whose collective experience with the production of branded content make them uniquely suited to meet the challenges of creative communication.

Big Block is housed in the newly renovated Art Deco Ilona Building on Wilshire Blvd. in the heart of Santa Monica.

For more information, please call 310-954-9400 or visit: www.bigblockLA.com

Big Block contact:
Kenny Solomon
Executive Producer/Managing Director
631 Wilshire Boulevard 2nd Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-954-9400
kenny.solomon@bigblockLA.com

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Santa Monica, California—December 14, 2011—Digital production and visual effects studio Big Block has had a highly prolific year-end, producing innovative digital automotive content and virtual stunt driving for broadcast and interactive projects for MINI, Chrysler, Toyota, Ford and Fiat.

Drive-A-Tron, Big Block’s proprietary driving simulation software, was integral to the projects, enabling virtual cars to seamlessly interact with any live action or CG environment in real time 3D. Originally authored by Big Block creative director Mark Glaser, Drive-A-Tron was recently upgraded by Big Block’s software group: a front end IT division in Santa Monica supported by 1,200 networked programmers and developers in India, all under the leadership of software development director Gary Vick.

The latest iteration of Drive-A-Tron features a new physics engine whose attributes include precise vehicle modeling, real-time 3D and 2D applications, a high-performance rendering pipeline, advergaming applications and social network integration. The software is engineered to replicate the physical properties of specific vehicles—body, engine, drive train and suspension—down to the dynamic deformation of tires on the irregular surfaces of any terrain. An important creative tool as well, Drive-A-Tron offers cinematic parameters such as lens options, camera angle and height.

Glaser was literally behind the wheel and directing camera moves for the wide sliding turns seen in MINI’s new campaign. The six 15-second spots, “Picture-In-Picture,” “Colors,” “Volume,” “Input,” “Widescreen,” and “Brightness,” are a clever take on wordplay and graphics, focusing on the features of the line’s newest models. CAD data and engineering specs from the auto company’s product specialists were downloaded to Drive-A-Tron, whose car steering wheel interface allowed real-time virtual stunt driving in Big Block’s screening room. There, agency creatives from Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners in Sausalito, California, were able to review multiple performances of the sporty CG MINIs in real time with Glaser and Big Block executive producer Pete King. Drive-A-Tron set the stage for the equivalent of a live action shoot, without a live action budget, in a theater.  The clip can be viewed at: http://vimeo.com/33568405

“The Big Block team was great to collaborate with and helped us bring our MINI TV campaign to life. Their Drive-A-Tron technology made the cars’ motion and driving look killer,” said Steve Mapp, Creative Director, at Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners.

Big Block also rolled out Drive-A-Tron for Chrysler’s Street Racing Team (SRT) in a large venue presentation at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Big Block created a heart-pounding 60-second, all-CG intro for the public debut of hyper-charged versions of the new Jeep, Challenger, Charger and Chrysler 300. The virtual muscle cars are a perfect storm of spirited performance and nimble handling as their matte surfaces are torqued away to reveal racecar red and chrome SRT badging. The clip can be viewed at: http://drivesrt.com/

Currently Big Block is in production on a web-based game for Toyota in conjunction with its sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup soccer championship. Gamers will be able to move Toyota cars across a field in soccer play. The advergame will launch in January 2012 on a Toyota microsite and will be made available as iPhone, Android, and iPad apps, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter.

Also in the production pipeline are vehicle demos for Ford’s Digital Team via Team Detroit. Big Block’s visual effects artists created CG versions of the 2012 Taurus, Lincoln, Flex and Edge and composited the models into extended HDRI plates shot in Palm Springs, California, by Glaser. The vehicles’ advanced technology and design are shown in fly thorough and fly around scenes.

“Drive-A-Tron began as a production tool, but by collaborating with our clients we have enhanced our software beyond realistic driving for commercials and games into full scale motion simulation for manufacturer-specific testing and training,” said Scott Benson, President at Big Block. “Drive-A-Tron easily hooks into social media platforms so our auto brand clients can expand their marketing reach beyond the confines of a single location event or broadcast campaign. We believe our combination of creative talent and IT infrastructure is unique in this industry and we’ve only begun to tap into its potential.”

Big Block recently delivered the Fiat 500 and 500 by Gucci campaign featuring Jennifer Lopez for Doner Southfield, Prettybird and the Chrysler Group. Full CG car replacement with matched lighting, car beauty, day-for-night, and title design and animation were all handled by the Big Block team.

Big Block recently hired VFX supervisor and senior Flame/Inferno artist Glen Bennett to oversee all aspects of the production process, from the design and implementation of shooting boards to the execution of CG, compositing and finishing. Bennett has worked at renowned studios in Los Angeles and London on a myriad of high profile commercial, feature film and graphics projects for more than two decades. Most recently at Company 3, Bennett has also worked at Sea Level VFX, Method, Asylum Visual Effects, The Syndicate and Click 3X.

ABOUT BIG BLOCK

Launched in 2011, Big Block is a digital production studio specializing in digital automotive content, VFX, design and finishing for feature films, television, web, gaming and mobile platforms. A key component of Big Block’s car-centric focus is Big Block Interactive, its interactive and software development groups, which will generate new techniques to enhance and extend Big Block’s brand across the creative landscape. Drive-A-Tron, Big Block’s proprietary driving simulation software, precisely replicates the physics of driving in any live action or CG environment in real time 3D, a significant next-generation leap from hand-animated vehicle motion.

Big Block was founded by business developer Scott Benson, executive producer Kenny Solomon and creative director Mark Glaser, whose collective experience with the production of branded content across multiple media platforms make them uniquely suited to meet the challenges of creative communication.

Big Block is housed in the newly renovated Art Deco Ilona Building on Wilshire Blvd. in the heart of Santa Monica.

For more information, please call 310-954-9400 or visit: www.bigblockLA.com

Big Block contact:

Kenny Solomon

Executive Producer

631 Wilshire Boulevard  2^nd Floor

Santa Monica, CA 90401

310-954-9400

kenny.solomon@bigblockLA.com

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At Big Block Bennett will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the production process, from the design and implementation of shooting boards to the development and execution of CG, compositing and finishing.

Bennett will also provide on-set supervision, working closely with directors and agency creatives to ensure that elements and plates are shot correctly for VFX sequences.

Most recently Bennett was at Company 3, where he worked on commercials for Apple, Mercedes, Fiat, Yamaha, Dodge, Amex, Nike, K-Swiss, Chrysler, Mazda, Hyundai, MINI, AT&T and Samsung.

Bennett has also worked at Sea Level VFX, Method, Asylum Visual Effects, The Syndicate and Click 3X on commercials for Chevy, Canon, Ford, Guitar Hero, Bud Light, DirecTV, BMW, Skittles, Disney, Lexus, Geico and Rolex.

Among his feature film credits are “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” “Terminator Salvation,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” “National Treasure,” “King Kong,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Apocalypto.”

Bennett’s music videos have featured Sting, Metallica, Jay Z, 50 Cent, P.O.D., Justin Timberlake, Foo Fighters and Santana. His work on Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” was nominated for an MTV Award for Best Special Effects in a Music Video in 2002.

A graduate of Southampton College of Art & Design in Southampton, England, Bennett began his career at London’s top post production company Rushes. As a pioneer user of Flame at that time, he collaborated on the artistic and technical development of what has become a worldwide film and television industry standard and helped to create groundbreaking commercials and music videos of the day.

Bennett was then recruited by 525 in Hollywood, the premier post production house in the world at that time. There Bennett had the opportunity to work with directors Mark Romanek, Wayne Isham, F. Gary Gray, Paul Hunter, David Myers and Dayton/Faris, producing some of the most creative and memorable music videos to date.

Signs Exclusive Deal with Commercial Directorial and Design Duo
Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro, AKA Aggressive

Santa Monica, California—October 5, 2011—Digital production and visual effects studio Big Block has signed an exclusive deal with Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro, the directorial and design duo known as Aggressive. Aggressive will be represented under the Big Block banner for direction and design for commercials, advertising and broadcast design.

Big Block and Aggressive have already delivered their first collaboration on branded content for a major international client, which was just revealed at the Oracle OpenWorld technology conference in San Francisco.

The East Coast-based Aggressive, winners of the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Best Music Video for Juanes “Me Enamora,” will be a creative complement to Big Block’s focus on digital production for commercials, feature films and television. Shapiro, the son of Hungarian emigres, and Moscow-born Topaller, who has lived in Israel and Belgium, bring an international sensibility and entrepreneurial drive to the new venture.

The up-and-coming pair created Aggressive five years ago, building on their talent for motion graphics and typography with compositing, visual effects and ultimately live action direction for music videos for some of the world’s best-known artists. In addition to the Grammy-winning video for Juanes, Aggressive has directed and created visual effects for videos for Stone Temple Pilots, Megadeth, Bloc Party and Kerli (“Walking on Air,” nominated in 2008 for Best Pop Video, MTV VMA Award), as well as an as-yet-unreleased video for Michael Jackson’s “Behind the Mask.”

Aggressive has also designed and directed graphics and visual effects-driven broadcast and web commercials for P&G Anna Sui Cosmetics “Rose,” Penfolds “(RED),” Marc Ecko “Ecko Unltd.,” Toyota “GST,” Topps Attax “Got Mine,” and RalphLauren.com “Virtual Fashion Show” and created visual effects for Adidas “A3.”

To see more of Aggressive’s work, please visit www.bigblockla.com.

Topaller and Shapiro said, “Until now, we’ve been completely autonomous and personally involved in every single aspect of our projects. Now we’re ready to take on bigger challenges in the commercial space and to expand our creative possibilities. We are very excited to be collaborating with Big Block and their wealth of resources. This is the work we’ve been hoping to do.”

Kenny Solomon, Managing Director at Big Block, said, “Aggressive adds a forward facing persona to the Big Block creative team. Alex and Dan’s fearless work in concept and design, motion graphics, CG integration and live action direction adds a unique, cutting edge approach to our visuals. Our vision is to offer a complete creative solution to our clients from concept to creation and delivery on any platform.”

Big Block Aggressive Press Realase PDF

Digital production and design studio Big Block has assembled a high-powered visual effects and production team, featuring noted VFX Supervisor and Flame Lead Chris Noellert, Executive Producer Pete King and Software Development Director Gary Vick.

Romanek, Tarsem, Jonas Akerlund, Sam Bayer and Mike Mills. He has also consulted
for technology manufacturer FilmLight, RIOT and Company 3 on working paradigms for
color correction and optimal integration of finishing components.

Executive producer Pete King comes from Venice-based A52, where he worked on
Lexus “Wall” directed by Daniel Kleinman for Team One Advertising; Gatorade
“Anthem” directed by Gary Shore for TBWA\ Chiat\ Day and Lego “The Brick Thief”
directed by Blue Source for Pereira & O’Dell. He has also collaborated with commercial
directors Dante Ariola, Peter Thwaites, Christian Loubec, and Lance Acord.
Earlier King was a freelance production manager on global transmedia campaigns for
@radical.media, Crossroads and HKM. Originally from Atlanta, King cut his teeth
working in production in the fast paced world of hip-hop music videos before
transitioning into the commercial industry.

Gary Vick is a results oriented software developer with twenty years of professional
experience. He is known for his expertise in the development of advanced programs for
gaming simulations, core game engine coding, graphics pipelines and complete software
applications. He has worked with Walt Disney Imagineering, PlayStation, XBOX,
Nintendo, Mattel and the U.S. Department of Defense. Vick brings his extraordinary
technical talent, as well as his management and project leadership skills, to Big Block’s
dedicated IT team in Santa Monica, which is backed by over 1200 programmers
overseas.

Big Block’s networked software development group will execute the technology behind
the ideas and vision of the studio’s creative design team with the objective of growing
brands and delivering compelling visual communication and experiences.

ABOUT BIG BLOCK
Launched in 2011, Big Block is a digital production studio specializing in digital
automotive content, VFX, design, beauty & retouching, finishing and live action for
feature films, television, web, gaming and mobile platforms. A key component of Big
Block’s car-centric focus is its software development group, which will generate new
techniques to enhance and extend Big Block’s brand across the creative landscape. Big
Block’s recently completed proprietary driving simulation software parallels the physics
of driving in real time 3D, a significant next-generation leap from hand-animated vehicle
motion.

Big Block is led by business developer Scott Benson and executive producer Kenny
Solomon, whose collective experience with the production of branded content across
multiple media platforms make them uniquely suited to meet the challenges of creative
communication.

Big Block is housed in the newly renovated Art Deco Ilona Building on Wilshire Blvd. in
the heart of Santa Monica.
For more information, please call 310-954-9400 or visit: www.bigblockLA.com

Big Block contact:

Kenny Solomon
Executive Producer
631 Wilshire Boulevard 2nd Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-954-9400
kenny.solomon@bigblockLA.com

Download PDF for this Press Release

Big Block, a new digital production and design studio, has launched in Santa Monica. The venture is headed by business developer Scott Benson, executive producer Kenny Solomon and SWAY Studio founder and creative director Mark Glaser. The partners are backed by a significant institutional investor, which also provides for the launch of a software development group and pending expansion to New York to take advantage of production tax incentives.

Click here to download entire press release