September 2008

• HMS Media: 20 Years and Counting
• Four Emmy Wins for Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There
• Broadway Bound
• On The Road Again
• Shock and Roll: Working Online with The Huffington Post
• GLAAD All Over
• Freedom Sings with the Chicago Children's Choir
• And This is Why We Live in Chicago

HMS Media: 20 Years and Counting

HMS Media turns 20 this year… allow us to start at the beginning. The scene: Wisconsin's north woods. The time: summer of 1977. Co-founders Matt Hoffman and Scott Silberstein meet at Camp Nebagamon.

Over the span of eight weeks, between hiking, sailing and talent shows, their creative partnership is born as they produce and star (if that is the word) in Beatlemaniamania as John Lennon and Ringo Starr. Sure, it was just The Camp Nebagamon Follies; but it was also the beginning of HMS Media, an artistic alliance that, more than thirty years later, is going stronger than ever as a production house dedicated to the arts and not-for-profit communities.

Since then, we've had thousands of shoots, edits and recording sessions. We've enjoyed great recognition from our clients, vendors and colleagues. And we've earned the Chicago record for Emmy awards and nominations by a local independent production company.

Not bad for a couple of kids who met at summer camp.

But enough about our past. Right now HMS Media is all about the future, and the future is crystal clear.

Like the high definition (HD) cameras and edit suites we installed more than two years ago. Even then, we were looking ahead to the changing digital television landscape. The benefit? Our clients got to be on the cutting edge, without any pesky upcharges for the new technology.

It just goes to show, we've always got your back.

Our prospects—and yours—are also growing. And who knows where they might lead? This year we might work with you on a small-scale project…next year we might co-produce a PBS special. It's happened before. No wonder that right at this moment we have more than a dozen broadcast and direct-to-DVD projects in development or production.

But after 20 years, here's the takeaway: the ideas and philosophies that we've learned from our clients and colleagues. Stay present. Be in the moment. Listen and respond. Agree and heighten. Protect and support our clients, our colleagues, our vendors and each other.  Make the other people in the room and on the screen look good. Say “Yes, and.”

That's why we think of ourselves as a creative ensemble more than a regular old production company. Because what we love most is making content and working collaboratively.

But enough about us. How can we help you today?

Four Emmy Wins for Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There

Jump Rhythm Jazz Project (JRJP) is a unique and thrilling Chicago jazz dance company. Their exciting technique uses dancers' bodies to communicate jazz rhythms through movement, acting and sound. So when HMS Media proposed a documentary about the company, we figured the process would be its own reward... and it was.

We were even more exhilarated when HMS Media was honored with four Emmys and two additional nominations for Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There at the 2007 Chicago-Midwest Emmy Awards.

Matt Hoffman earned two awards for directing and editing; Todd Clark was recognized for his lighting designs; and the entire JRJP company of dancers earned a statue for outstanding on-camera performance. Producer Scott Silberstein and our videography team of John Ford, Joe Lukawski and Gino Russano were also nominated.

Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There is a high-definition television special that goes behind the scenes and onstage with artistic director Billy Siegenfeld and his dancers. We followed the rehearsal process, shot engaging interviews and documented those moments of discovery that create great art.

Our challenge was to capture the emotional impact of the live performances to provide an analogous experience for television. It was our favorite kind of teamwork: to combine our strengths and talents with those of our collaborators and create a unique and moving video portrait.

Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There was critically acclaimed after its debut on Chicago's WTTW11. Sid Smith of the Chicago Tribune said it offered "a glimpse of the complexities involved in Siegenfeld's style and the thoughtful reasoning behind it."

The documentary is now circulating to PBS stations in advance of JRJP's touring performances. Visit www.jrjp.org or check local listings for airdates.

Broadway Bound

Just over two years ago, we were wrapping up our seventh year working away on multi-camera location shoots for hit Broadway touring productions all over the country. Never in a million years did we think we'd become major collaborators on the New York scene, to shoot musicals and plays as they premiere on Broadway stages.

Over the last two years we've been privileged to shoot promotional videos, commercials and electronic press kits for more than 25 new Broadway shows for some of New York's most prestigious publicists, marketers, producers and general managers.

Maybe you saw our footage on NBC's The Today Show, CBS' The Early Show, or The Tony Awards. If you didn't, watch videos from our recent Broadway projects.

On The Road Again

Being in New York and seeing Broadway shows come to life is thrilling. But it's just as exciting to be with audiences all over the country who are hungry to see current Broadway hits and revivals on tour from coast to coast.

HMS Media's crews and producers have become experts at hitting the road with these tours, from Boston to Albuquerque, from Tampa to Seattle, and everywhere in between. And we've not only been shooting the live performances, we've been called on to write, produce and direct commercials for the tours, as well as exclusive content for the Internet and podcasts.

Shock and Roll: Working Online With The Huffington Post

We're never ones to shy away from a good political conversation, so it was a real kick when The Huffington Post asked HMS Media to shoot video for their acclaimed website, featuring Chicago actor John Cusack interviewing award-winning journalist Naomi Klein about her book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.

Cusack welcomed us into his Chicago home to capture this invigorating conversation about power and politics. After the shoot, we rushed the footage back to HMS' studios, sent the online version to The Huffington Post and it was immediately posted to their website. You can watch it here.

GLAAD All Over

HMS Media was a proud underwriter of the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards this past spring. The awards recognize and honor the media for fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. As a company that embraces individuals and organizations of all backgrounds and preferences, we wanted to support this important issue.

HMS worked with GLAAD to create video tributes of honorees (including Judy Shepard, David Mixner and Sharon Stone), a montage of the year in review and highlight videos of nominees. The footage was culled from GLAAD's media archives, news organizations, and original interviews that HMS produced on location.

The resulting pieces were screened in four separate ceremonies in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and aired as part of a national two-hour special on Bravo in June.

Freedom Sings with the Chicago Children's Choir on WTTW

"What's the best way to project video in the Harris Theater?" It was a simple question posed to us by the Chicago Children's Choir; but the conversations led to the Choir becoming HMS' newest music client, and began a series of large-scale collaborative endeavors with this truly remarkable 50-year-old institution, including a one-hour PBS special.

First, HMS produced a video for the Choir to promote their fundraising, marketing and booking efforts. During that project, we learned about the Choir's plans for a major tour of the Southern US, which would take the choir to the places that inspired many of the songs and spirituals they perform. The idea of following this exceptional group of young artists and their musical mentors seemed like a remarkable chance to chronicle a unique artistic and spiritual journey, and so we teamed with the Choir to undertake a whirlwind fundraising campaign. Thanks to the McCormick Charitable Trust at the Chicago Tribune, the funding was secured, and producer Kristin Klinger, cameraman Matt Michels and audio tech Mike Michels were on their way to join the Choir on the road.

Our HMS team spent ten days documenting the 2007 Freedom Tour through historic sites from the Civil Rights Movement, such as the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL; the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, AL; Stax Records & Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, TN; and the assassination site of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. Through this unforgettable journey, Choir members experienced firsthand the rich history of the Civil Rights Movement while offering a musical message of multicultural understanding and cooperation.

The resulting documentary, Songs on the Road to Freedom,made its broadcast debut on Chicago's WTTW11 just days after the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King. We were honored to share the experience and see young people so inspired by the music and indomitable spirit of that time. Click here to watch video highlights from this powerful and moving program.

And This is Why We Live in Chicago

Being a part of the national arts scene is thrilling, and we love it. But there's a reason why we call Chicago home. Our style, our work ethic, and our ensemble philosophy come from Chicago theater, dance and music companies, and we are devoted to them all. We've even been invited to join many of them as ensemble members, board members, advisory board members and consultants. Watch some of what we've worked on with some of Chicago's – some of the country's – most accomplished makers of music, theater and dance.