Leading editorial company Northern
Lights Post recently completed a new image spot for the popular TV show
Monk and client USA Network. In keeping with the network's
character-driven identity, "Mr. Monk at the Gym" provides a glimpse
into Monk's daily life and how his psychological disorder innocently
affects other people in funny and sometimes disastrous ways.
In the :60 spot, which promotes the new episodes of "Monk" on USA
Network, our obsessive-compulsive hero finds himself inside the
confines of a gym. Unable to stand the barrage of sweaty bodies in
motion, Tony Shalhoub's character retreats to the weight rack where he
is able to organize the gym equipment in peace. With Monk's
idiosyncrasies intact, a perspiring body builder gets a dab on the
forehead instead of a helping hand, when he yells for a spot on the
bench press. Our hero is ironically brimming with panache even after a
"killer" day at the gym - fittingly so, as characters are welcome on USA.
"Mr. Monk at the Gym" is part of a two-spot TV campaign created by USA
Network, which was presented to and selected by Tony Shalhoub himself.
The "Gym" spot will also be available on the iTunes website starting
with the Christmas episode and all subsequent shows. All "Monk"
episodes from Seasons One and Four will launch on iTunes on December
6th with the remaining shows uploaded in January. In addition, a :90
version of the spot or "webisode" is currently showing on the USA
Network website.
Collaborating with USA Network VP Brand Creative Lorenzo De Guttadauro,
Creative Director Christina Hedrick and Writer/Producer Lori Moretz,
Northern Lights Post Editor John Laskas crafted a spot that stayed true
to Monk's unique character and also reinforced the network's
humanity-based position. Laskas drew upon his extensive experience in
visual storytelling and comedy work, as evidenced by his body of SNL
parody spots and a recent award-winning commercial for Continental
Airlines, to create the right portrayal of the dysfunctional detective.
Moretz, who wrote the script, says that Laskas was perfect for the
project because he has a great understanding of Monk, and even
possesses his own set of neuroses. "John [Laskas] is scared of the bird
flu, blood and body fluids so he easily related to Monk and his quirky
personality, which comes across in his cuts. The editor needs to
appreciate Monk in order to make it work."
Moretz also credits Backyard Director Tim Abshire for his insight and
direction of the spot. To maintain consistency with the Monk character,
careful attention was paid to his clothing and interactions with other
people.
"You know you have great creative when you can visualize the project
easily," explains Abshire. "It was a very collaborative process with
USA Network. We came in knowing exactly where we needed to get, which
made this job work as well as it did. With such a well-established
character as Monk, we had to make sure we stayed true to his life.
There wasn't a lot of dialogue so it was easier for us and Tony
[Shalhoub] to create the Monk context through his actions."
For his part, Laskas praises a very focused writer/producer and
director with the spot's success. "With their instincts and creative
vision, Lori [Moretz] and Tim [Abshire] made my job easy. The concept
was funny from the get-go and they let the Monk character run on the
set. This spot was more of a physical comedy so my goal was to distill
what Monk was doing in terms of behavior. This was the ideal project
because everything came together very quickly and naturally."
"I very rarely get a spot that has an almost perfect edit on the first
try, especially when it comes to a vignette," concludes Lorenzo De
Guttadauro, USA Network VP Brand Creative. "But Lori and John did just
that with Tim's beautiful film."
Production Company: Backyard Productions/Venice, CA
Director: Tim Abshire
DP: Peter Selesnick
Producer: Kyra Shelgrin
Executive Producers: Blair Stribley, Kris Mathur
Where shot: Angel City Fitness/Marina Del Rey, CA
Editorial Company: Northern Lights Post/New York, NY
Editor: John Laskas
Assistant Editor: Michael Novello
Postproduction Company: Northern Lights Post
Colorist: Billy Gabor @ Company 3
Online Editor: John Laskas @ Northern Lights Post
VFX Company: Northern Lights Post/New York, NY
Smoke/DS Artists: Christopher Harrison & Ross Shain
Audio Post Company: Audio Department
Mixers: Mike Garatty & Kevin McElligot
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