The distinctive motion graphics designs on two Big Ten Network shows – “BTN Live”
and “Tailgate 48” currently airing – are the result of Adam Martin of AM Films putting a new twist on the traditional business of representing creative resources.
What veteran live action producer/director Marton is practicing could be called “creative down-to-earth/crowd sourcing/shoot outs,” and it seems perfectly suited for the ever-evolving age of digital media.
Unlike traditional reps, who represent several directors or production companies, his talent is a consortium of six local and regional graphic design companies, which essentially compete among themselves for the project at hand by providing clients with multiple execution ideas that all fit with creative goals, budgets and timelines.
To the best of anyone’s knowledge, Marton’s collective approach to repping might be the only such game in town.
Four years ago, after 15 years of producing the usual gamut of live content, including commercials and TV shows, Marton was increasingly aware of how the advertising business was changing.
“If creative is king,” he concluded, “then I felt I could be most helpful to clients by providing them with a supercreative design and graphics service. We would offer several distinctly different approaches to a project and I would act as a conduit between the art director and the designer.”
For each project, such as the recent BTN shows, Marton drills down the client’s requirements to find the two or three artists, who can deliver the most appropriate approach to the job from an esoteric standpoint.
“Once a client contracts with AM Films, creative strategy is defined, artists are selected, ideas are crafted and as many as a dozen different ideas are presented no cost to them – we kind of call it a creative shootout. From there, the client can choose the aesthetic that best suits his needs, that fit within his budget and timeline,” Marton says.
Protokulture the winner of the BTN assignment
Local digital design firm Protokulture was the winner of the dual BTN assignment. “They did a great job,” says Marton. “Their detailed and stylistic tone was a perfect match for what the assignment called for.”
Says Protokulture founder John Michaels: “We sat down with the BTN producers and helped them create a concept that appeals to their audience. They said, ‘Here’s what we want you to do, how can you help us make it happen.’”
The challenge of the hourlong “BTN Live” show was how to introduce interactive graphic elements in a traditional broadcast setting, since the show is based on viewers’ interaction with the show hosts via Facebook and Twitter.
The graphics package for half-hour “Tailgate 48,” “embodied the 48 hours of action-packed, football-talking, burger-eating, history-learning, fan-partying on a Big Ten college campus every Friday and Saturday,” Marton says.
He considers the Big Ten Network his biggest client, having won a fair amount of its business over the past three years, with Protokulture winning a good share of that work.
Adam Marton and AM Films can reached at 312/440-1200, Email adam@amfilms.tv.
ProtoKulture credits: Creative director, John Michaels; animator/designer Nick Hopkins on “Tailgate 48” and Ben Christie, “BNT Live.” Producer, Adam Marton, AM Films.
