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“We’re thrilled to share our campaign celebrating the transgender and non-binary community. We took a step this morning with our employees to further the conversation around inclusivity. Our journey has not been perfect and is not done. We will continue to learn and work together.”_ Sephora.

Fabulous

Good for you Sephora (LVMH and the agency Wednesday) for the well-realized and brave campaign you have produced.  Your action to make the whole of LGBTQ (transgender and non-binary) community part of the greater community is terrific.  But we would like to see a time when you can go back to just selling your product. 

In your executions there are marching bands in high school hallways, contemplation in convertibles,  making up in mirrors, making out on cars,  carrying on on rooftops,   sexy people in various sumptuous sexy milieu,  sexy people in private moments,  sad sexy people,  introspective sexy people,  happy sexy people,  sexy people with doubts,  sexy people with no-doubt,  defiant sexy people, reticent sexy people, sexy people with megaphones in the hall, sexy people on the beach with no megaphones at all, and more.  They wear it on their sleeves be they sleeves of tattoos or sleeves of fabric they are fabulous.  “Ay, there’s the rub.” Everyone is fabulous. Sephora, in executing this campaign has done a wonderful job of giving people and community pride in themselves, and they have given the group an anthem, This is My Life (1968) by the fabulous Shirley Bassey, supported by an impeccably styled cast of performers. But in a way, the campaign is covering up a real problem.   An overwhelming cadre of spoiled, and inwardly turned brats populate our country.  This part of the populace has a problem with things, and or people who are different, or whom they don't understand. And, many people are unencumbered by a governor which would dictate empathy and reduce animosity, in favor of civility.  The country can't seem to collectively mind its own business as evidenced by the corpses of mangled philosophy and gentility which overwhelm all media and the national psyche. Sephora has helped start something here, but it’s just a small broadside aimed at a large problem. Creating a commercial with a too studied style doesn’t, in the long run, help, but again, it's a start. It's a shame that a portion of the population has to be represented in such a spectacular manner to illustrate the fact that they are just regular people with regular feelings.  We would love to see the cast of a Sephora execution with the sexual identity of its characters invisible. We would love to see a Sephora commercial or any commercial that is clever, engaging and helps sell a product with no politics. The time for that will come when there is an agenda less population in the United States, filled with citizens and run by a government for all, who are comfortable leaving people alone to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.  Right now, we seem to be a country that lives on outrage real, or manufactured. So, keep being fabulous Sephora.

But, when we can all be grown-ups Beyond Madison Avenue has an idea to pitch. How about a commercial where a well made-up (Sephora we know you have to sell) couple argues over taking out the garbage and what’s for dinner, Pizza or Chinese food?  They remain fabulous, thanks to Sephora, during their ride into the sunset towards the mall for, perhaps Pizza or maybe Chinese, to be followed by a Cinnabon. No one watching will argue about the sex, color, or politics of the couple, they'll argue about who took out the garbage last and over the benefits of Pizza vs. Chinese, and a Cinnabon being included and not Coldstone. Fabulous.

Link -   We Belong to Something Beautiful" - Watch it it's fabulous

Playing for fun

It wasn’t advertising in the strictest sense, but this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game was an ad for the game.  It was a great game, played by people who lit up the stadium (Cleveland) with smiles, skill, and goodwill. Usually, a look at advertising for sports sees warriors, grim soldiers doing grim jobs, and weapons and serious baleful faces and paybacks and domination and more. There is no joy. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game featured boys playing baseball and loving it, and sharing that love with the audience, in the stands and across the country. They were joyous during every second of every inning of the game. There’s a concept there. 


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Brian Keller

Larry Fessenden's Depraved
We did the DCP for Depraved plus the 4K version. See what else we've done.

Yesterday it was heavy metal

Not long ago films were distributed via the medium they were created on, film. Films were sent to theaters in multiple cans. Every can held a reel of the finished product, and each was projected. Depending on the length of the film shown, one film could encompass multiple cans and weigh hundreds of pounds. Theaters dealt with a very large quantity of material. This method was the standard since almost the beginning of film. Then it wasn’t.

What are Digital Cinema Packages?

DCPs or digital cinema packages are new versions of multi-reel films. Now, 2k and 4k video and surround audio is converted in the MXF or, Material Exchange Format files, and are stored on a small hard drive, that can be encrypted to prevent theft. The new digital formats and DCPs provide consistent top quality images and sound, with every screening. And, unlike film, a hard drive will not degrade and can be used over and over.

Can you steal them?

To mitigate theft and illegal duplication, a DCP can be set up to require a password or KDM to play. Additional protection such as only being allowed to be played a specific number of times, or for a specific period also helps protect the DCP from misuse.

What about Sources?

Digital Cinema Packages can take any video source 2k or 4k in any format in both audio and digital media and convert it to the files that are used. It is best to start with a High Definition source or better to make a digital cinema package.

Digital Cinema Packages come complete and may include subtitles, trailers, and features. Some packages offer multiple options on the same DCP. And, DCPs are accessible with captions and audio description along with multiple subtitle languages.

Now, what about Sources for DCPs?

Chromavision has a tremendous track record in this critical and specialized Motion Picture discipline, and we have had the pleasure and honor of creating DCPs for Academy Award-nominated films. Take a look at our credits on our digital cinema (https://www.chromavision.net/digital-cinema) page, then call us or write and let’s talk about the next project.

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Brian Keller

Updated: Jul 3, 2019

Most mornings the Subway, in the city from which this article is coming, is plastered with euphemistic images of penises, usually represented by cacti. Real penises aren’t that lovely. Riders would rather have droopy to robust cacti over their heads. The state of the vagina is in turmoil and we don’t know what plant, fruit or vegetable will be standing in for the vagina over your head. Vagina Nation has sex toys, wants subway riders to know, and aren’t being allowed to promote them by plastering Vagina metaphors all over our beloved subway walls. Please note: We have no problem with either penises or vaginae or what their owners do with them. The problem is having them in your face while you ride to work in a subway car cleansed by urine-scented disinfectant, we vote for ads featuring puppies, but do think the ED ads and future ads, maybe, for sex toys are better than than the obtuse Casper Matress Ads and the very stale Seamless ( food delivery) work.

Here’s the Story

getroman.com/ Roman/Health and forhims.com are aimed at men and concentrate on ED, and other male problems. Well, they have been letting their penises run wild on the subways.  A woman oriented company, Dame (damesproducts.com) wants to run sex toy ads on the subway. BUT, “After working with sex toy company Dame for months on potential ads, the MTA has rejected the brand's campaign entirely, based on a new policy that bans sex toy advertisements on the subway.” _ VICE.com January 10, 2019  

Hey, you can't do that.           MTA Guideline MTA Quietly Bans Sex Toys from Advertising on NYC Subway _Vice.com January 2019 Vice Article

The MTA was working on a new guideline which saved the writer of this article from having to confront both the penis and vaginae on his way to work and back.  Truthfully, we haven’t seen a penis on the subway only some droopy cacti and healthy standing cacti. As for vaginae, while researching this extremely important piece, we’ve seen an inviting potato. We’ve also seen interpretations of things ready to be placed in certain places.

But, wait there doesn’t seem to be a “happy ending.” Vaginae aren’t taking this lying down and are mounting a stiff challenge to the ruling. Yes, Vagina Nation is suing to ride the subway.

What’s Going on

“A Sex Toy Company Is Suing the NYC Subway for Censorship.The sex toy company (Dame) says the Metropolitan Transit Authority is violating their rights by not letting it run ads.” _ Vice.com Jun 18 2019

“Vaginas deserve Giant ads too.”_ NY Times June 25  2019_ Jackie Rotman

Our Legal Opinion/ Put it on the subway, if you really need to know where to buy something to put somewhere. Putting it there and where to put it is your business.

There are many cured penises out there. Vaginae and the makers of the sex toy ads privy to vaginae may be able to benefit the healthy penised community. We also like ads; we do ads for a living so keep people in jobs and to every penis and every vagina we say, “ Let’s get it on”, no matter your orientation philosophically or physically.

“Why can’t we all get along.”? Here’s why we can’t all get along...

During a daily perusal of Facebook political rants, fundraisers and food pictures we found the ultimate villain in the great Vagina/Penis battle, illustrated in the comment that follows. “I’ve never fully understood or been happy about the kinds of discriminative practices in advertising and who makes these decisions. It’s mostly wealthy white men…”   We would agree, it’s wealthy white men with healthy cacti that are lurking at the bottom of every vagina. Speaking of Schizophrenia

Arnold Worldwide is the creator of some of the most horrifically annoying ads on earth. Yes, we are talking about Flo and her menacing posse of poorly conceived and sometimes creepy commercials. Let the people speak. “Why don’t you read your own user reviews? No one likes your adds.... get rid of Flo.  PLEASE! She is not funny! Every time I see one of your ads I have to change the channel! I’m sick of it and so is everyone else! Progressive on Ice Link

Arnold is the creator of some of the most well conceived and engaging ads on earth. They make you laugh and at the same time, one remembers what they are for. Great job. On top of it all , Arnold’s handling of interracial couples is wonderful. There are many interracial couples, that look like they're thrown in as a part of an inclusion quota, in commercials that it screams of pandering. Arnold’s look at an interracial couple puts things where they should be. you You don’t see color, you notice two people, who unfortunately  many of us identify with, who seem real in a very clever commercial where they are indeed, turning into their parents. The piece was well played by actors Bob Boving and Kenna White.

This particular spot ran a while back in the “becoming your parent's executions for Progressive, here’s a link Matt

Let the people speak: Progressive’s parent’s ads are embarrassingly terrific. I watch them and realize that OMG I’m now my mom. I now know why my daughter won’t be seen with me. But, watching these commercials is healing me.”

Okay Arnold, why can’t we retire Flo and her toadies  forever? Stop  teasing us with the temporary disappearing act.

Misguided classifieds we love

It seems easier to describe a job as an Anesthesiologist than it is to describe work as a Creative Director. We’ve lifted part of a 640-word ad for a Creative Director position. The call to action or application, as it were, is this: “The ideal candidate will know how to build and scale transformative 21st-century brands in a complex, nuanced, and evolving media environment.” We looked at other want ads for complex, nuanced and evolving jobs. We found Anesthesiologist. An Anesthesiologist puts people to sleep for surgery, that seems easy enough. After calling a metropolitan hospital we found that we were right when an Anesthesiologist confirmed that it is indeed easy. She did add a caveat: “Putting a patient to sleep is very easy. Waking a patient up is the hard part.” With that being said an ad for an Anesthesiologist we found was 22 words with the kicker, call to action or application, as it were, is this: ” Send CV to...”

Dame

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