Protokulture enlisted Dave Leffel of BAM Studios to record and sound design promotional web spots for the 2010 Google Adblitz campaign. The animated spots asks viewers to vote on their favorite SuperBowl commercials by visiting YouTube during and after the game to view the acclaimed “Super Bowl” commercials and cast their vote on their favorite one. The winning commercial receives a highlight spot on YouTube and full bragging rights. Visit www.youtube.com/adblitz for more details.
Sharon Wottrich of Innovative Artists Chicago, a legendary Chicago talent agent since 1972, officially retired January 15th this year. Sharon started her early career at A-Plus, one of the oldest and largest talent agencies at the time. After a few years she created an opportunity as an owner of the agency with a gamut of talent. Shortly thereafter, she decided to alter the talent’s status from freelance to exclusive representation. “It was definitely a high point in my career,” she said. She owned and grew Voices Unlimited until deciding only a few years ago to sell to one of the nation’s largest talent agencies Innovative Artisits which has divisions in Los Angeles and New York. She considered it the best opportunity for her talent to compete in the world-wide talent pool. Sharon and Richard Wottrich, her husband of 27 years, currently plan to tend to her garden of their Glenview home, possibly teach at the Chicago Botanic Gardens and be a USO volunteer.
All the best Sharon …. we’ll miss you!
From all of us at BAM Studios
Disney TV Animation called upon BAM to record for two upcoming TV episodes of Phineas and Ferb. Voice actors Joan Cusack and Dylan John Burke were in the studio with engineer Brian Reed recording different characters voices for the top rated animated series. The series follows two suburban stepbrothers on summer vacation. Each day the pair devise ambitious, involved plans and inventions to stave off boredom, often bringing them into conflict with their snoopy sister, Candace.
For more information about the show visit: http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/phineasandferb
BAM Studios has upgraded their audio suites to Digidesign’s latest Pro Tools 8 software.
The new software update adds new post production features allowing greater flexibility in controlling hardware as well as enhancing the overall workflow when working on a variety of projects for different format releases. All three of the suites are outfitted with Pro Tools HD digital workstations, Genelec monitoring, HD video and an array of plug-ins for 5.1 surround processing, sound design and mixing.
BAM has seen considerable growth and new development as it celebrated a 10th anniversary in December 2009. Spot production for tv & radio, ADR, documentary, interactive, and corporate projects round out BAM’s successful business model.
ReelChicago.com – News 12/10/09
A 10th Anniversary for audio engineer Brian Reed’s, BAM Studios. Since opening on Dec. 1, 1999, Reed estimates that he has worked on an 30,000 projects – mostly broadcast commercials, but also many docs, corporate and interactive.
Reed opened BAM! Studios with one assistant a month after the closing of Skyview post, where he had worked for several years.
Current staffers are engineers Dave Leffel, associate engineers Philip von During and Matt Sauro, and studio manager Johnathon Karcz. They occupy a 5,000-sq. ft. studio at 1 E. Erie.
Claims to fame: BAM is the go-to ADR studio to record talent in the Midwest for the likes of Pixar and Disney. In fact, Joan Cusack recently recorded ADR there for Sony’s new playstation game, “Toy Story 3.”
The BAM Dream Server is a revolutionary search engine for 20 terabytes of music and sound effects. - Ruth L Ratny
Disney called upon BAM Studios to record Joan Cusack’s character, Jessie, for their upcoming Toy Story 3 game to be released on Sony’s Playstation Portable. The PSP game is based on the third Toy Story movie in which Woody & Co. get dumped in a day-care center after Andy goes to college.
The movie Toy Story 3 comes out June 18, 2010. The date for Sony’s PSP game of Toy Story 3 has yet to be released.
BAM is celebrating it’s 10th year today. I opened BAM Studios on December 1st 1999 on Ohio St with just one studio. Now the facility is at State & Erie and has grown to three studios. Studio Manager and tech wiz Johnathon Karcz has been with BAM from nearly the beginning, and award winning Sound Designer and long-time friend Dave Leffel joined us in 2004. Rounding out the staff are associate engineers and all around nice guys Philip von During and Matt Sauro.
Thanks to everyone for making BAM such a success and for allowing us to do what we love to do. We will continually strive to be the best in sound.
Sincerely,
Brian Reed
Chicago native David Pasquesi visited BAM Studios to record a new radio spot for Bayer CropScience soybean products. The spot “The Simpler, The Better” was produced by Rhea & Kaiser. In 2009, David was seen in the blockbuster film “Angels and Demons” with Tom Hanks followed by “Year One” with Jack Black and Michael Cera. When he’s not voicing spots, David can also be seen onstage. He has running performances in New York and Chicago of the two-man improvised show titled “TJ & Dave” with fellow actor TJ Jagadowski.
Visit http://www.tjanddave.com for more info.
Niecy Nash was at BAM Studios narrating the latest episode of “Clean House”. The show is currently filming an episode in Chicago. Niecy is the Host of the Style Network’s home makeover show, which has become the network’s #1 rated program. The American Women In Radio & Television honored Niecy with the 2007 Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Program Host for her work on “Clean House.” In addition, Niecy stars as no-nonsense Officer Raineesha Williams on the hilarious Comedy Central hit, “Reno 911!,” a half-hour unscripted spoof of “Cops.” The show is so popular it was spun-off into a feature film, “Reno 911: Miami.”
For more information about the show visit: http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/cleanhouse/index.jsp