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NuContext Creative's launch campaign for Fuse's Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce is a prime example of high design in look and concept. and design nominations for its promos for Nat Geo's Drugs Inc. show, which features text treatments of common business terms — briefcase, cubicle — as applied to the drug world. NUCONTEXT CREATIVE NuContext Creative (www.nucontext. com) is a full-service creative agency and pro- duction company with offices in LA and New York City that specializes in live-action con- cepts, creative editorial and post production. Over the last few years the company has seen "a minimalization of the very designed look of the past," says founder and executive creative director Angela Guice. "Maybe because the media landscape is so cluttered people need a bold, graphic look in their messaging. Every- thing is more simplistic. The work and mes- sage speak for themselves." Show promos today seem to live "more in a commercial type of space," she notes. "They're counting on art direction and pro- duction design to speak for the brand." NuContext's season two launch campaign for FUSE's highest-rated series, Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce, is a prime example of "high design in look and concept," Guice says. "Although it's all live action, it's very much production designed." Freedia makes her home in New Orleans, and The Big Easy acts as a character in the show, says Guice. "We wanted to have New Orleans as the background, but not a car- toon version of New Orleans. So we shot in the Treme, in the streets where bounce was born, which gave great texture to the piece. It really showcases Freedia's character and the character of New Orleans." In the promo Freedia leads a solemn pro- cession through the residential streets of the Treme as her voiceover details New Orleans' recent tough times and how hard it is for an artist there to make it. Then the music breaks out, Freedia twirls her parasol and her com- panions shake it up in a joyful demonstration of her big dreams for herself, her friends, fam- ily and community. "When we come together we're unstoppable!" she declares. NuContext worked closely with Freedia on the look of the promo, which was direct- ed by Robert Hales. Freedia's Uncle Percy, who designs all her costumes, partnered with Hales's costume designer of choice. A local location scout found the Treme neighbor- hood whose residents "came out and danced" during the shoot. "That was definitely a New Orleans moment," laughs Guice. She notes that there's been a trend to combine a show's image campaign shoot with the key art photo shoot to deliver "a very cohesive look." The Big Freedia produc- tion followed that model with well-known photographer Art Streiber shooting stills on the first day. DP Todd Banhazl, who chose Arri Alexa for the promo, tapped old Kowa anamorphic lenses and big lights to make Freedia pop against the gritty streets. NuContext's Chad Peiken did the creative cut and finishing; Prehistoric Digital's Kevin Cannon performed the color correction. C o n f i g u r e d f o r t h e w a y y o u w o r k SmartTrac v2 ® C O N S O L E S t b c c o n s o l e s . c o m | 1 . 8 8 8 . c o n s o l e