WE PROUDLY WELCOME HUGH BACHER AS OUR NEW EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Hugh Bacher has join our managment team as Executive Producer.  

Growing up watching Darren Stevens and Larry Tate (the original Mad Men) pitch their clients’ ideas to magical results Hugh Bacher knew then the advertising business was for him.  Seventeen plus years ago, after trading the right coast for the left one, he was fortunate to land on another Tate office doorstep.  Over the next decade and a half under the tutelage of legendary ad producer David Tate and a plethora of talented directors, Bacher has shot all over the US and globe producing hundreds of commercials and award winning campaigns. 

Our Managing Director Mark Thomas said that Hugh’s sensibility to the work was one of the compelling reasons that led to Bacher’s joining the company. In Thomas's words: “When you work with the likes of a Baker Smith, Vadim Perelman and Jason Reitman, and you do it for the tenure Hugh did, it speaks volumes about not only your taste level, but your ability to interact at the highest level with creatives, producers and your directors... his approach to projects is always about making the work better, and he’s an exciting addition to our company”

From Bacher’s standpoint, this was not only a good opportunity, but a logical one as well. “I had worked with Nikki Weiss (TWC’s Midwest Rep) for many years, and I had also worked with Doug Sherin and Kim Griswold (from Options, the company’s West Coast Reps) and all of them had nothing but good things to say about the level of talent at TWC. That, and Mark’s history of developing directors makes for an interesting place for me to bring my skills to the mix, and I’m genuinely thrilled to be on board” said Bacher.

From viral spots with the smallest of budgets to multi million dollar Superbowl campaigns Hugh has been a part of it all.  Bacher commented “regardless of the budget size or the grandeur a concept might contain the focal point is always about one thing, communicating the clients’ message to the consumer.  It’s my passion to always succeed in this capacity and I’ve been fortunate to always be surrounded by people that share that passion.”

A Game of Opposites

Mark Thomas: Mark My Words

PR Guy tried to talk me out of this article. It was insinuated that while Seinfeld might have been a “show about nothing” this could be taken as an “article about nothing.” Ok, advice duly noted, and I will try to rise above his concerns…I hope.

Recently, I attended a concert at Staples, and as one of the songs ended, I overheard someone say, “Man, that band was COLD”. As soon as I heard it said, I thought, “Ok, we have almost come to the end of the whole opposite vocabulary thing”…I think. If it was smart, it’s become dope. If it looks great, it’s “sick”, which can only mean that if it looks really great, it must be “diseased” and if it looks incredibly awesome, the logical grammatical progression would have to mean, it’s “dead”. If we like something, it is no longer “hot”, and while it may be “cool”, let’s face it; the only thing better than cool would be cold. I’m still unsure that anything was ever “warm”, as “cool” was always, well pretty much cool.

What does one think drives culture this way? Is it the desperate desire to be on the edge of “what’s next?” (Please note, I refrain from using the term “cutting” when describing edge, because if I were to actually cut the edge, would I not collapse?) Is it the re-writing of cultural vocabulary top to bottom? My guess…it’s about engagement and connection.

Which brings me to what great comedy directors do. Juxtaposition and Irony are core covenants of “clever”, but for my money, the “misdirect” is the diamond in the sea of possibly not so funny ideas. Ideas that could use a good misdirect. Sometimes I hear things like “his reel is too broad” or “it’s too much shtick.” And in the “less is more” paradigm (note: my “deft “ use of another opposite) subtle humor is good, physical comedy it great but a strong simple idea that’s funny…that equals smart. Smart usually involves clever, and clever often is supported by the misdirect. When I watch some of our director’s reels I see it on display and while it’s initially laugh out loud funny, even after multiple views it still brings a smile. I acknowledge that it helps to have major comedic talent on your roster, but with that considered; usually the game of opposites is in full force when the spots are “crazy good” (yes, you can all groan about yet another example but I didn’t even try on that one…I just hear people say it.)

Ok, I’m done. Was it a rambling poetic discourse about nothing? You be the judge…I just hope I killed it.

The Storytelling Continues

Adrienne Borachuk: View From the Bottom

A passion for storytelling is essential in order to make it in our industry, at least as I see it. As children we have a special gift that, until we become adults, we really don’t appreciate the rarity of. I’m thinking back to my childhood years and about the countless stories told by me. Being honest with myself, I have to admit, that some of these stories were to keep me out of trouble. Some of the many other stories were for the pure fun of it.  It seems as if the imagination and creativity was effortlessly organic.  The laughter, tears, and at times utter shock were part of my everyday existence.  It is a select few of us who manage to keep this gift alive as adults, and are given the opportunity to tell stories for a living.

Whether producing, directing, or managing a production is your forte, the common thread that holds us all together in this industry is a passion for telling a story.  Ads (at least the ones we like to admit having worked on) tell a story about a company, product, group of people, etc. They can and should provoke laughter, tears, or any other emotion that compels engagement from the audience.  How many of you have ever seen a television spot for a fast-food joint late at night, and although you have already eaten dinner, you think to yourself, “Wow, a juicy burger does sound good right about now” (or maybe not, depending on your vegan status, but you get the point, I think.) How about those ads that make you want to change your life for the better? There are also those ads that break your heart; I know we have all seen the battered animal ads that force you to donate to charity.  It is this love for telling a story both verbally and visually that, looking back, seem to have made some of the most memorable moments in ad history.

Where would the world be without the gift of storytelling?  Where would those of us that have the desire to do something creative be?  Sure, we have grown into adults on the outside, but we have managed to hold on to that rare gift that keeps us childish in our hearts and souls forever. So keep telling stories, no matter what the challenges. In the end, it can only add to our own stories, and those should always be worth telling!

Adrienne Borachuk has a passion for the world of production.  It is something about being creatively involved in something from start to finish that really gives her that tingly feeling.  She brings her Chicago accent and attitude everywhere she goes.  She is honored to work at TWC Films, where she can assist and learn from the best in the biz.