Flying Spot Entertainment
Encyclopedia
FlyingSpot is a graphic design
studio specializing in motion graphics
, special effects, 2D / 3D animation, video editorial, sound design
and video finishing & encoding. The company contracts to provide post-production
and visual effects services for corporations, commercials and college/professional sports franchises. FlyingSpot has also developed programming for television, theatrical and digital release.
Originally founded in 1992 by partners Pat Sanford, Joel Veatch and Greg Pecknold, Flying Spot got started as a design driven post-production boutique. Early work included music videos for artists such as A Tribe Called Quest
, Pearl Jam
, Bon Jovi
, Kenny Chesney
, Big Head Todd, Digable Planets
, Consolidated
, Meat Puppets
, Dionne Farris
, Shaggy
and Goodness as well as editorial for the film Hype!
documenting the Seattle grunge music
phenomenon. The company expanded for a time to encompass film transfer services (w/Jeff Tillotson and Eric Rosen) and field production (led by David Scudder). In 2009, FlyingSpot returned to its roots focusing on design, effects and post-production. The film transfer division has spun-off as Lightpress, Pecknold is a freelance Creative Director, and Scudder has spun-off the production group as a stand-alone entity called Soulmoto. FlyingSpot is currently run by president Pat Sanford and is located at 83 Columbia Street in Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA.
FlyingSpot has seen success over the years creating animations and providing editorial for clients like National Geographic, Discovery
, A&E
, PBS, TeleUno, Microsoft
, T-Mobile
, Starbucks
, Getty Images
, Philips
Medical, Fed Ex, Vulcan, and numerous pro-sports franchises. The company was also deeply involved in the development of The Heart of the Game
, edited by Eric Frith and narrated by Chris "Ludacris
" Bridges. Other FlyingSpot projects include a collaboration with Vicci Martinez
, a talented singer-songwriter from Tacoma, WA resulting in the concert and documentary Vicci Martinez Live (2006), Platinum: The Legendary Banked Slalom - 20 Years and Beyond (2005) which details the history of the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom
, and Yes, You Can Go Home (2003) featuring Eric Burdon
and The Animals
(produced in association with Varipix and Eric Burdon Productions). Recently completed a concert DVD for Francis Dunnery
and the Aquarian Nation record label.
In 1994, FlyingSpot received a national Primetime Emmy Award
from NATAS
for "Outstanding Achievement in Animation" for the popular opening title sequence for National Geographic's "The World of National Geographic" series. This was followed by series work for Discovery Channel
's Popular Science
, Big Stuff, and Mega Structures, among others. Beyond that, FlyingSpot completed editorial on the series Tech Effect for The History Channel
and HD finishing for Knievel's Wild Ride for A&E Network
.
In the world of independent films, FlyingSpot has played a pivotal role in the creation of Hedda Gabler, Taos, and Inheritance (In addition to doing the online/color correction for Inheritance, FlyingSpot also designed and built the opening titles for the film). FlyingSpot also provided finishing for the well-received documentary film, Busting Out.
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
studio specializing in motion graphics
Motion graphics
Motion graphics are graphics that use video footage and/or animation technology to create the illusion of motion or rotation, graphics are usually combined with audio for use in multimedia projects. Motion graphics are usually displayed via electronic media technology, but may be displayed via...
, special effects, 2D / 3D animation, video editorial, sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
and video finishing & encoding. The company contracts to provide post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
and visual effects services for corporations, commercials and college/professional sports franchises. FlyingSpot has also developed programming for television, theatrical and digital release.
Originally founded in 1992 by partners Pat Sanford, Joel Veatch and Greg Pecknold, Flying Spot got started as a design driven post-production boutique. Early work included music videos for artists such as A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
, Big Head Todd, Digable Planets
Digable Planets
Digable Planets is an American alternative hip hop trio based in New York City, composed of Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler , Mary Ann "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving . They released their debut album Reachin' in 1993, and their follow-up album Blowout Comb in 1994...
, Consolidated
Consolidated
Consolidated may refer to:*Consolidated *Consolidated Aircraft , an aircraft manufacturer*Consolidated city-county*Consolidation...
, Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
, Dionne Farris
Dionne Farris
Dionne Farris is an American female R&B/soul musician who sang on three songs with the hip hop group Arrested Development...
, Shaggy
Shaggy
Shaggy may refer to:*Shaggy Rogers, a fictional character from the Scooby-Doo series*Shaggy , Jamaican American reggae rapper & singer*Shaggy , radio personality and producer of 2 Live Stews...
and Goodness as well as editorial for the film Hype!
Hype!
Hype! is a documentary directed by Doug Pray about the popularity of grunge rock in the early to mid-1990s United States. It incorporates interviews and rare concert footage to trace the steps of grunge, from its subversive inception in neighborhood basements, to its explosion as a pop culture...
documenting the Seattle grunge music
Grunge music
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
phenomenon. The company expanded for a time to encompass film transfer services (w/Jeff Tillotson and Eric Rosen) and field production (led by David Scudder). In 2009, FlyingSpot returned to its roots focusing on design, effects and post-production. The film transfer division has spun-off as Lightpress, Pecknold is a freelance Creative Director, and Scudder has spun-off the production group as a stand-alone entity called Soulmoto. FlyingSpot is currently run by president Pat Sanford and is located at 83 Columbia Street in Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA.
FlyingSpot has seen success over the years creating animations and providing editorial for clients like National Geographic, Discovery
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
, PBS, TeleUno, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
, Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images, Inc. is a stock photo agency, based in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is a supplier of stock images for business and consumers with an archive of 80 million still images and illustrations and more than 50,000 hours of stock film footage...
, Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
Medical, Fed Ex, Vulcan, and numerous pro-sports franchises. The company was also deeply involved in the development of The Heart of the Game
The Heart of the Game
The Heart of the Game is a sports documentary about the Roosevelt Roughriders girls basketball team. The movie is centered around their star player Darnellia Russell and the Roughriders new coach Bill Resler.-Plot:...
, edited by Eric Frith and narrated by Chris "Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
" Bridges. Other FlyingSpot projects include a collaboration with Vicci Martinez
Vicci Martinez
Vicci Martinez, Born on September 21, 1984 is an American singer/songwriter from Tacoma, Washington, who is now signed with Universal Group . She came in joint third on NBC's singing competition series The Voice in 2011. She came in first place on Team Cee Lo Green and represented him in the final...
, a talented singer-songwriter from Tacoma, WA resulting in the concert and documentary Vicci Martinez Live (2006), Platinum: The Legendary Banked Slalom - 20 Years and Beyond (2005) which details the history of the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom
Mt. Baker Banked Slalom
Mt. Baker Banked Slalom, also known as the Legendary Banked Slalom , is a snowboarding contest held annually since 1985 at Mt. Baker Ski Area, in Washington State, United States. The LBS is regarded as the predecessor to the boardercross event, and has been won by some of the biggest names in the...
, and Yes, You Can Go Home (2003) featuring Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
and The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
(produced in association with Varipix and Eric Burdon Productions). Recently completed a concert DVD for Francis Dunnery
Francis Dunnery
Francis Dunnery is an English musician, singer-songwriter, record producer and record label owner. He is best known as a solo performer , and for fronting the original lineup of the band It Bites between 1982 and 1990 .Dunnery served as a sideman and...
and the Aquarian Nation record label.
In 1994, FlyingSpot received a national Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
from NATAS
Natas
Natas may refer to:*King Natas, the villain of the TurboGrafx-16 game Dungeon Explorer*Natas Kaupas, an American professional skateboarder*Natas , a Detroit hip hop group consisting of Esham, Mastamind and T-N-T...
for "Outstanding Achievement in Animation" for the popular opening title sequence for National Geographic's "The World of National Geographic" series. This was followed by series work for Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's Popular Science
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
, Big Stuff, and Mega Structures, among others. Beyond that, FlyingSpot completed editorial on the series Tech Effect for The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
and HD finishing for Knievel's Wild Ride for A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
.
In the world of independent films, FlyingSpot has played a pivotal role in the creation of Hedda Gabler, Taos, and Inheritance (In addition to doing the online/color correction for Inheritance, FlyingSpot also designed and built the opening titles for the film). FlyingSpot also provided finishing for the well-received documentary film, Busting Out.