News

It's not a secret that when people die after long distinguished careers, the obituaries that organizations seem to produce are in fact written well in advance. When I read such tributes, or hear them spoken, I always ask myself the same question: ‘I wonder if they knew, when still alive, the esteem, affection and admiration in which they were held by those who knew them?’

It's also now no longer a secret  that the most energetic member of Act2-Um staff, the limbo dancing Tennis fanatic Joe is actually not in his 40's but is in fact this year celebrating the 30th anniversary of his 30th Birthday, yes he is 60.
For those that know him I can understand that this may have come as a shock. In the 23 years that I have known Joe, I'm convinced he's getting younger. Joe has worked here with some of the staff since the late 1970's, where he earned great respect as a conventional Retoucher and artist. He is the man responsible for introducing into the industry the now  'Managing Director' of Act2-Um Glen Ash, and remembers getting him a job as a runner and junior retoucher at Morgan & Swan.
Apart from being a god at the Guitar an avid Tennis player and baker of fantastic cakes his days are now spent away from the lightbox, brushes and chemicals. Joe's duties are now more geared to the running of the studio and that of chief morale officer. For clients that have visited our studio would no doubt agree that he is always on hand trying to feed you Cappuccinos, croissants or other fattening foods, and trying to impress you with his eclectic music collection and stories of how he saw `Jimi Hendrix play three times back in the day man’.
From everyone here at work and I'm sure from all those who know him wish our very own Benjamin Button a very Happy Birthday.
Many Happy Returns Joe x

Paul Ingram

I distinctly remember it was one of those really cold New York November mornings, when we first set up at Splash studios in preparation for the forthcoming Puma shoot.
The crew had already been out previously shooting the back drop locations that would be used as projections. The room set had been built, make-up artist were in place the grips had their lighting rigs set up and the coffee was on.
I had extended my stay in New York to be present at the shoot, which was an unusual one for us at Act2-Um. We are often called upon to attend shoots and retouch live with photographers and Creative's in the studios, but this time we were also participating in feeding live information via projectors onto the set to produce the images which in turn would then be shot again by Nadav and retouched by us a second time.
First the models were shot wearing the garments. These garments were then cut out and retouched by Stuart Callow live at the studio to be used later on.
Luckly by now, after a few warm cups of coffee, the hum of electronic equipment added to the hustle and bustle of the busy studio the room had warmed to a comfortable temperature for the models to now strip down to their underwear, and have the retouched Garments projected onto their naked body's which in turn was then re-shot.
After all the models had been shot and a time had been spent playing around with various exposures/colors we then had the tweaked layouts as to the art directors direction and left the set armed with all the relevant assets to produce in post production the final ad's.

Glen Ash

You Tube: L.I.F.T. Behind the Scenes with Bolt and Delilah

Agency: Droga5  
Creative Chairman: David Droga  
Ex. Creative Dir: Duncan Marshall  
Art director: January Vernon
Copy writer: Scott Ginsberg
Photographer: Nadav Kander