Donnybrook Production Services

So it’s looking like I’ll be traversing to the north end of the NJ Turnpike once again.  As of next week, I’ll be coming on board in a more official and full-time capacity as the UPM for the NYC-based Crook Brothers Productions.  I’ve been involved with the sibling duo behind CBP since wrapping the indie feature “Backwards” in October, when Line Producer Brian David Cange introduced me to Jeff & Josh Crook.  The Crook Bro’s, in tandem with Animation Collective, have been gearing up to get two shows into principal production since late summer, when a sizzler for their kid’s TV concept “Black Dawn” was picked up by FremantleMedia.  As it stands, I’ll be grabbing the production reins of their second kid’s concept, “Team Toon”.

The Cartoon Network bound ‘Toon’ is an amalgamated live action/animation concept that follows the scholastic-set adventures of a foursome of middle-schoolers, as they engage in daily adventures.  The show will pepper in contemporary, tech-infused components for a demographic of kids that are all too well versed in the digital arena.

The show’s principal filming location, and main production headquarters, will be in the small shore town of Lindenhurst, NY…just 30 or so minutes south of the Hamptons.  We’ll be bouncing back and forth between Long Island and the outer boroughs of NYC, as key supplemental locations have also been secured in the Brooklyn-based hoods of Greenpoint, Cobble Hill, and Park Slope.  So it looks like the chilly winter months will find me at the North end of the Turnpike…i’ll have to learn to circumnavigate those pesky Met’s fans!

It’s not every day that I stumble upon something useful while enduring the tortures of the MTA subway system, but apparently it’s not impossible.  The current print campaign for freelancersunion.org caught my attention recently, while standing elbow to elbow with some of the world’s most unwelcome travel partners.  Pasted squarely in a subway car corner, the ad seemed to beckon that I journey to the organization’s website.  Luckily, given the wonders of modern technology, I was able to do so right then and there from the ever-accessible controls of my trusty iPhone…a far more welcomed travel partner, even if it is the ‘Siri-less’ variety!

Providing a ‘platform for an independent workforce’, the Freelancers Union’s website offers access to information regarding health & medical benefits, investment planning for retirement, and local calls to action events.  Providing a unified voice for the likes of the self-employed, the organization provides solace to those that question whether or not they do indeed have a ‘real job’.

Lobbying efforts have been formed for far less worthwhile causes, so this seemed like one worth latching on to.  I joined later that night, since it was free (and as such rather risk free), so I’ll be exploring the benefits over the next couple of weeks/months.  Naturally, they welcome donations, so if you’re at a loss regarding what to do with that disposable income that’s burning a hole in your jeans, I can think of far worse ways to spend it!