Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 29, Issue 16 - Index

Two K’s Equal Versatility
Karma Kollective Formed as New Production Company
Karma Kollective (KK) has been formed as a new fullservice
production company based in Culver City, Calif.,
specializing in local, regional, national and international
TV commercials, music videos and multimedia projects.
Concurrent with their new company’s launch, Yamani
Watkins, Founder/Executive Producer, and Edy Enriquez,
Executive Producer, also announced the company’s initial
projects, which are a TV spot for Vidal Sassoon/Tokyo, viral
clip for Lexus, live-action content for a “CSI”/DVD Game,
and a music video for the “Kung Fu Panda” feature film
soundtrack.
The Vidal Sassoon/Tokyo spot features a KK produced 60second
spot promoting Vidal Sassoon hair care products,
directed by Yushuke Tanaka, for client Beacon/Leo Burnett
in Tokyo. The spot, which broke recently, is part of a threespot
campaign in which Japanese superstar singer Namie
Amuro appears in period pieces which “take place” during
the 1960s, the 1970s and the 1980s.
KK retained director Elliott Lester to helm a viral commercial
for Southern California Lexus Dealers, called “The Gauntlet.”
Shot in Los Angeles, the spot called for on-set special effects
– a volcanic eruption of two color paints that, when mixed
together, would explode into a huge geyser, spewing out
the school color paints for USC’s “Cardinal Red” and UCLA’s
“Bruin Blue.”
Elliott Lester also recently directed a music video titled
“Kung Fu Fighting” promoting DreamWorks animated motion
picture “Kung Fu Panda.” This high action music video stars
Jack Black, highly acclaimed R&B musician Cee-Lo and a
group of young, specially trained martial arts experts. KK
was commissioned by Nickelodeon for the project, which
was shot at the National Wushu Center.
Scope 7 in conjunction with Hasbro retained KK to provide
all of the live action elements featured within its latest DVD
game release from the hit crime television series “CSI.”
KK director Aaron Priest fused interactive gaming with
cinematic live action, while KK provided Priest with a fast
crew committed to best representing the brand quality of
Hasbro and the “CSI” franchise.
KK’s current directorial roster includes Elliott Lester, Dean
Karr, Darren Grant, Scott Weintrob, Aaron Priest, the Wang
Brothers, Ras Kassa and Mark Larranaga in the United States,
as well as other directors located in the UK.
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Also, Watkins and Enriquez have named Fuliane
Petikyan as KK’s Head of Production. Additionally, the
duo have signed three reps for Karma Kollective -- Lauren
McNamara, of the rep firm Lauren McNamara, Inc., for the
Mid-West, Jack Reed, of Jack Reed Reps, for the South,
and Yvette Lubinsky of the rep firm YvetteReps, for the West
Coast. KK is currently solidifying representation in the East
Coast Market.
“Our diverse roster of directorial talent enables us to bring
a unique slant to traditional creativity,” say Watkins and
Enriquez. “With our collective years of industry experience
producing commercials, music videos and internetbased
content,
Karma Kollective’s
aim is to produce
distinctly innovative
projects that ensure
the confidence of
execution on which
our clients can
depend.”
Enriquez is also
co-founder and
executive producer
with the noted visual
effects company
X1FX, based in Culver
City. True to the new
company’s name as
a collective, KK has
the ability to also provide post-production to its clients
through its affiliation with X1FX. Enriquez said, “One of my
goals is to create a bridge for visual effects geniuses, by
helping them cross over into the commercial production
arena, where they can also incorporate their skills. Every
spot today has an effect or two. One of my objectives is
to establish Karma Kollective as a portal for visual effects
driven directors interesting in working within the commercial
forum.”
Watkins and Enriquez add, “With a technologically
aggressive and economically challenged industry climate
ahead, the only guaranteed constant is change. Our new
company Karma Kollective is well equipped to stay ahead
of this curve.”
//www.karmakollective.tv
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