Tom Acito, veteran editor and former President of AICE/Dallas, has joined the Lightborne team it was announced today by Creative Director Tuesday McGowan. Acito has already launched into a music video for country artist Trent Tomlinson and a branded entertainment piece for Lee Cooper Jeans featuring UK band The Rifles.
Tom Acito, veteran editor and former President of AICE/Dallas, has joined the Lightborne team it was announced today by Creative Director Tuesday McGowan. Acito has already launched into a music video for country artist Trent Tomlinson and a branded entertainment piece for Lee Cooper Jeans featuring UK band The Rifles.
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“Tom's depth of experience with national spot work and his infectious creative energy fit well with the Lightborne vibe,” says Tuesday McGowan, Lightborne Co-Creative Director. “His keen visual sense, musician's ear and storytelling ability make for a great contribution to our team.”
“I like the creative space that Lightborne affords me,” comments Tom Acito. “After editing so many different kinds of projects throughout the years, I’ve really found nirvana here. Lightborne is a pool of creative people who encourage each other to explore outlets outside of commercials. It’s a cool place with an interesting business model. And I love Cincinnati. It’s got some good old soul!”
Acito came to Lightborne after a four-year tenure at Red Car/Dallas where he worked on campaigns for Sierra Mist, Pepsi and Yamaha, the latter being a long-term personal client. Acito started his career as a musician in Los Angeles after graduating from the University of Miami with a major in Film and Music. However, his exposure and unusual approach to editing – developed during his film school days – led to an editor position at Filmcore Editorial and work on commercials for Apple, Nike, Pizza Hut, Porsche, and Nissan.
After a turn with Encore, Acito went freelance and contributed his talent to music videos for a variety of artists such as Blues Traveler, Sisqo, House of Pain, Brooks and Dunn and The Rembrandts. Other projects include the Clio Award-winning opening credits for “E.R.” via Pittard-Sullivan, the short film “Through Riley’s Eyes” and documentary “A Voice from Heaven,” as well as PSAs for NARAL Pro-Choice America with Director Tony Kaye and the Ad Council in collaboration with Director Norman Seeff.
In 2001, Acito moved to Austin, Texas where he cut his most pivotal spot at Match Frame — the “I’m An American” PSA, which aired shortly after the 9/11 attacks and received much acclaim from the commercial production community. The editor says that working on PSAs is something that is close to his heart.
“My willingness and desire to do these types of projects stem from the fact that I was already a teenager when I moved in with my guardians,” explains Acito. “This experience really influenced my sense of social responsibility and love of mankind. I deeply care about society and this is my way of giving back.”
In addition to his work in multiple disciplines, Acito served as President of AICE/Dallas for two years where he spearheaded the unification of the Dallas-area editorial companies, and also oversaw the development of the national AICE website in conjunction with the new National Executive Director Burke Moody. Acito looks forward to starting a chapter in Cincinnati in the near future.