Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/724677
BITS & PIECES www.postmagazine.com 6 POST SEPTEMBER 2016 SUPERHEROES DAMAGE SUBURBAN HOME CULVER CITY, CA — Mercury Insurance recently called on agency Kovel/ Fuller (www.kovelfuller.com) to create a multi-spot campaign that will run throughout 2017. The first commercial in the campaign debuted this summer and features the insurance company's 'super agents,' who are always on-hand when disaster strikes — in this case, a battle between two superheroes. Superhero Damage is set in a suburban home, where the male home- owner — a superhero fan himself — describes to the agents the fantastic battle that took place. "It was an ambitious idea," says Erik Thompson, advertising director for the Mercury Insurance Group. "We look to capitalize on pop culture," he adds, noting that the summer is often full of superhero-themed films. "Last year, I knew Jurassic World was coming, so we brainstormed: What if it was 'real' and in your neighborhood, and the dinosaurs es- caped?" suggests Thompson. While cars and homes were destroyed by a T-rex, the Mercury agents were there to handle the cleanup. Their mission: "to save you money." John Bonito directed the new campaign, including Superhero Damage, shooting with an Arri Alexa. The car that lands in the kitchen as a result of the battle — a C-Class Mercedes — was a real car, taken from Mercury's auto salvage yard. According to Kovel/Fuller's Lee Kovel, the spot is the result of practi- cal effects, shot on-set, and digital visual effects created by Ring of Fire (www.ringoffire.com). The house, with its broken roof, was a set build, as were some of the LED-lit ice crystals and freeze rays. The semi-frozen goldfish bowl is CG, as are the ice and flame beams that come together to create a large blast at the end of the commercial. The :30 spot was edited in-house at Kovel/Fuller using Adobe Premiere. Independent sound designer Frank Serafine created the soundtrack for the commercial, giving it the feel of a big-budget Hollywood effects film. The second spot in the campaign will roll out in January and will also fea- ture the Mercury agents, along with a combination of humor and digital VFX. This one will be set in a school classroom on 'career day,' where the Mercury agents impress the young audience with their money-saving solutions. — BY MARC LOFTUS TASCAM INTRO'S DR-100MKIII HANDHELD DIGITAL STEREO RECORDER MONTEBELLO, CA — TASCAM recently introduced its new DR-100mkIII handheld digital stereo recorder, which deliv- ers clear, ultra high resolution recordings up to 192kHz/24- bit resolution, with a 109dB S/N ratio. Ultra-precise, temperature-compensated clocking and high-performance dual-mono AKM "Velvet Sound" converters combine with TASCAM's HDDA microphone preamps to deliver pristine, transparent recordings. The DR-100mkIII is coupled with support for SDXC cards up to 128GBs. "As high-resolution recordings have grown in popularity, audio professionals are demanding higher sample rates and better performance," says Jeff Laity, TASCAM direc- tor of product marketing. "The DR-100 series has always been the handheld recorder of choice for serious location recording and sound design, and we knew we'd have to do a lot to improve upon that. We haven't just added features — we've created an even more powerful, high-precision, professional recording tool." The DR-100mkIII offers dual stereo mics in both AB and omnidirectional patterns for versatility, two XLR/ combo jacks, switchable phantom power and a dedicat- ed input level control for fast, tactile operation. And the DR-100mkIII's dual battery technology uses a built-in Li-ion rechargeable as well as AA batteries, giving users extended recording times and the ability to change bat- teries on the fly. The TASCAM DR-100mkIII is available now at a street price of $399.99.