Happy New Year and Welcome to 2012! Black Watch Productions had a banner year in 2011, and some of the results make up the Recent Work Reel that comes to life when you click the billboard on our splash page. We continued our upward trend in the network promos and up-fronts world by shooting the complete rebranding of HLN in New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles. These spots were directed and shot by Trish Govoni, as were the launch promos we did for the new Erin Burnett Show on CNN. We also did work for Food Network, Cooking Channel, Spike and Speed.

One exciting development for us this year was a new association we began with Perception Media. We were engaged to produce a 5 video top-secret viral video campaign for the launch of a revolutionary new tablet, the Grid 10 by Fusion Garage. We also shot the 30-second television spot for the product, all of which were conceived by Perception, directed by Peter Gagnon, and executed by Black Watch. Once the Grid 10 was launched, we continued to collaborate with Perception and Peter Gagnon on three promos for the new “Pimp My Ride” on Speed, as well as a stunning promo for “Inkmaster,” the new tattoo competition show on Spike.

We continued our very rewarding work with Williams Whittle on behalf of the USO. This year, the theme was “The Invisible Wounds of War,” and we filmed 16 heartbreaking interviews with veterans who suffer from PTSD and PTBI, both in El Paso and Washington, DC. Longer videos are up on the Invisible Wounds website of the USO, and the PSA is on our aforementioned Recent Work Reel. It was all movingly created and directed by Rich Park from William Whittle Associates.

We did some crazy-fun toy work this year, starting with spots and sizzles for Fyr Flyz, for I-Star Entertainment, recipient of the 2011 Toy of the Year Award, among others. We also created and shot a DRTV spot for a new foot-powered tricycle called “Scuttlebugs,” a really fun product from Funtastic, out of Australia. Monica Anderson directed both, bringing out the best in the kids and the toys, as only she can do.

Monica and I did our 9th “Braking the Cycle Ride” in September, and once again, we filmed the 3-day event, adding HD footage to the untold hours we’ve gathered from previous years. The 2011 Reunion Film we put together can be viewed in the Long Form Section, along with other clips that will soon be a part of the Documentary we are creating, “And So We Ride…” We now are actively seeking finishing funds for the Doc, so look for more news on that front soon.

All in all, an exciting year, one that has us looking forward to what may be in store for us in 2012. We look forward to building on the relationships with new clients that were started last year and to expanding our client base even more this year. Keep a look out for our monthly email blasts and may everyone have a joyous, peaceful and prosperous year!

John F.X. Anderson

Executive Producer

Black Watch Productions, Inc.

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2011! Black Watch Productions had a very productive year in 2010, and the results are displayed throughout the sections of our redesigned and newly updated website. We’ve been doing a lot of network promos and upfronts over the last few years, so we created a TV Promos/Upfronts Section on the splash page and filled with many of the high profile spots we’ve done recently-launch promos for Piers Morgan Tonight and Parker/Spitzer on CNN, Bitchin’ Kitchen for Cooking Channel, a spot for “Edible America,” Adam “Man vs. Food” Richman’s new book for Travel Channel, as well as Upfronts for CNN, Food Network and HLN.

We also continued our rewarding work with Williams Whittle on behalf of the USO. We shot two more PSA’s at Fort Bliss in El Paso, this time focusing on the Wounded Warrior Project of the USO. Both spots can be seen in the PSA section on the site, movingly created and directed by Rich Park from William Whittle Associates.

These spots were more of a production challenge than usual, as “Aftermath” required us to bring in a Technocrane and a Red camera into the West Texas desert, along with crew from LA, Dallas and Albuquerque to supplement the local crew from El Paso. We recreated an IED crater both in the desert and at a local ranch to make the seamless crane move work to perfection.

“Good To Be Back” featured Master Sgt. William “Spanky” Gibson, a decorated Marine, who was competing in the Warrior Games and was gracious enough to agree to star in this very emotional spot. We created a softball game on the ball fields at Fort Bliss, and were blessed to have the cooperation of the Army and its personnel, who made up two softball teams, as well as the USO staff, who helped us get over 30 extras to sit in the stands during two weekend night shoots, plus one rainout!

Monica and I did our 8th Braking the Cycle Ride in September, and once again, we filmed the 3 day event, adding HD footage to the untold hours we’ve gathered from previous years. The 2010 Reunion Film we put together can be viewed in the Long Form Section, along with other clips that will soon be a part of the documentary we are creating, “And So We Ride…” We now have found an editor for the project, Jan Leyssens, and we are actively seeking finishing funds (hint, hint).

Since we last added to this blog, Rachael Jerahian has joined Black Watch as our Director of Marketing and we have added Jordan Stone as our staff Animator/Editor. He did some very appealing work on a spot we did for Zobmondo’s Lady Bug Game, which can be seen on Monica’s Kids Reel in the Director’s Section, as well as our animated Christmas card, which is on the billboard on the roof of our “house.”

All in all, an exciting year, one that has us looking forward to what may come our way in 2011. Look out for our monthly email blasts and may everyone have a peaceful and prosperous year.

John F.X. Anderson
Executive Producer
Black Watch Productions, Inc.

Black Watch was asked to shoot launch promos for hot new Food Network show, starring Aida Mollenkamp.  Shot in multiple locations throughout Tribeca, NYC.  Produced by John and Monica Anderson for Black Watch Productions.  Directed by Olivia Mazyuk for Food Network.

For the past six years, Black Watch Productions has been participating in and filming Braking the Cycle AIDSRide that benefits the LGBT Center in Manhattan as part of our documentary, “And So We Ride…” Recently, Target 10 asked us to create a series of web stories for the website of BTC sponsor, Tylenol PM. The pieces focus on 6 Riders and their individual stories within the wider fabric of the Braking the Cycle experience.

CNN chose Black Watch Productions to cover the November 4th CNN Viewing Party in New York City’s Times Square. Black Watch Productions covered the event for CNN’s on air promotions department. Two teams filmed the event all over Times Square from the buildings above to the ground below providing efficient, flexible coverage  for CNN writer/producer Margaret Anthony on this wild, wacky, wonderful evening.  Black Watch had provided similar services for CNN Viewing Parties on the final nights of both the Democratic and Republican Conventions.