Mighty:Pictures, the New York-based creative boutique, has created an edgy, hilariously risqu?¬¨¬© 15-second spot heralding the highly anticipated new DVD release of “Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes,” a Spike TV property.
The four-year old company, headed up by partners Charlie Sadoff and Mary Matyas, has long been associated with the show, explains Sadoff. “This is the fourth ‘Ren & Stimpy’ spot we’sve been called upon to create for the Paramount shows DVD release,” says Sadoff. “We’ve also produced the trailers for each of those DVDs, as well as a number of longer format TV spots.’
Ironically, although this commercial is just 15-seconds long, it’s likely to be one of the most memorable of all of Mighty:Pictures’s work for the franchise. As risqu?¬¨¬© as ‘Ren & Stimpy’ has been over the years, this spot is even more over the top – and loaded with sexual innuendo. Mighty:Pictures’s biggest challenge was keeping it within broadcast standards – without loosing that edge. The process began with the company receiving all the new DVD release material.
“The client worked with show creator John K., and briefed us, conveying all their talking points and what they wanted to emphasize, and then – once again – trusted us to run with it,’ notes Matyas. “After we came up with the concept, M:P writer, Howard Kleinman, a devoted ‘Ren & Stimpy’ fan who written numerous trailers and spots for the show, scripted the copy.’ Mighty:Pictures designed the graphics, created the effects, selected the music and then their staff editor, Andrew Romero, cut the spot. They also did all of the sound design in-house, cast the voice-over talent and supervised the mix.
The result? An eye-popping, visual treat that features this animated duo, along with a busty babe in a blue bikini. Describing the spot, Sadoff reports that, “It loaded with sexual innuendo. It very funny. We ended up titling the spot “To Protect the Innocent,”” he says. “We wanted to build some excitement about the fact that these ‘Lost Episodes’ were so astonishingly risqu?¬¨¬© that they should be considered adult entertainment.’
When first introduced in 1991,’Ren & Stimpy’ was targeted at a young audience, but now the show has evolved into a cult favorite among more mature viewers. ‘We wanted to convey that fact in the spot in order to pique interest.’ “The Lost Episodes” are in fact subtitled “The Adult Party Cartoon” and include such ‘classics’ as “Naked Beach Frenzy.”)
Sadoff has a strong background in cartoon animation and gained invaluable experience with sound effects and sound design for animation during a stint at The Cartoon Network. He and his team had all the sound effects they needed already in house, “so we just pulled them here and then sweetened it all in our mix.”
‘As for the visual effects, we knew we had to show the DVD product box, so instead of just throwing it up there in a tag, we always try and integrate it into the cartoon itself and make it look like Ren & Stimpy are interacting with the box. Exploring our options until we find just the right scene to incorporate it into is always fun.”
SpikeTV Senior Director/On Air Operations, Iness Moskowitz notes, ‘Working with Mighty:Pictures is always a great collaborative experience. They took the project from concept to completion and successfully promoted the show and the brand.’
‘We’sre committed to building upon its diverse commercial client base. The fact that we can provide clients with everything from the concept through the completion of a commercial gives us a lot of latitude,’ says Sadoff. “We really enjoy that kind of creative freedom,” Sadoff adds. “Conceiving and producing spots for ‘Ren & Stimpy is a kind of a commercial break for me and my staff,..and it doesn’t hurt that we happen to be the target audience, and we love the show and really get it.”
Mighty:Pictures offers an award-winning, collaborative team of talent that specializes in taking high-end movie trailers, documentaries, network programming, promos and spots from concept, script, production and editing – through music, sound design, audio post and finishing, creating deliverables in standard or high definition. Their other clients include independent production companies, studio film distributors and networks such as Miramax, Castle Hill, Paramount, MTV, Spike TV, HBO, ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBC, Fox Sports, Nickelodeon , and Cablevision, to name a few.
For additional information about Mighty:Pictures’ services, contact Mary Matyas or Charlie Sadoff at 212.206.6557 or go to http://www.mightypics.tv .
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