As “The Gents” launch a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to “stick it to the man” and raise 33K to fund two episodes of their self-titled show, RA sat down with Hersh Rephun, who co-writes the series (with Justo Diaz), and plays a renegade record label founder on the show.

Hersh:  Is this on?

RA: What? I’m just taking notes on a pad.

Hersh: Oh. Ok. Awesome.

RA: Let’s start with this idea that “The Gents” wants to stick it to the man — who’s “The Man”?

Hersh: I’m glad you asked that, Piers.  The man is a lot of men, actually.  It’s the system.  In the music business, it’s David Geffen.  In Hollywood, it’s Steven Spielberg.  And David Geffen.  Basically, the man is David Geffen.  But he’s a metaphor for the rich and powerful.  And our contention is that in today’s world we don’t need the approval of the rich and powerful to earn a living from being creative.  That said, I’d love to meet them.  And they can contribute to THE GENTS on Kickstarter at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/raging-artists/the-gents-comedy-series – or if they prefer shortlinks, at http://kck.st/Jkr4Ta.

RA: As you spoke, I noticed that you tend to drift between British, Israeli, and an array of east coast regional US accents -

Hersh: Wow, you’re very micro, aren’t you, luv?

RA: Sometimes, yeah.  So what’s that about?

Hersh: The simple answer is that identity is relative; one person may say that schizophrenia represents a perilous divorce from reality, while another might say that what you see IS, by definition, reality, for better or worse.  Now, if you want to get complex…

RA: So are you saying that being true to yourself is what matters?

Hersh: That’s a large part of “The Gents”, and part of the bigger message: where you come from is part of who you are, but so is where you’ve been and where you’re going.  No walls, no right or wrong, no judgment, just life and what you make of it.  These kids on YouTube have a chance today to put themselves out there and this fictional record label seeks out the best and brightest and nurtures their talent.

RA: But you actually do showcase real YouTube talent on “The Gents,” yes?

Hersh: Absolutely. We have a marketing background so we’re very attuned to people’s tastes. Even though it’s scripted comedy, breaking new acts is a huge facet of the show.  May I also say, by the way, that the entire cast and crew of “The Gents,” from Rachel Reilly and Ernie Noh, to Rich Aronovitch, Zara Mizrahi, our director Justo, producer Marjorie Diaz, and just everyone involved, are the finest, most fun and most committed people I can imagine working with.

RA: That’s so beautiful, Hersh, really.  To go out of your way to say that…

Hersh: Well, in the world of creative genius there is often a lot of gigantic egos, pettiness, envy, and sensitivity.  And occasionally I have to placate all of that.

See “The Gents” trailer and contribute on Kickstarter:  http://kck.st/Jkr4Ta

“We’ve reached a stage where Marjie’s unique talents are called for on a continuous basis, and we pulled out all the stops in wooing her to join us,” said Founder/CCO Hershel Rephun. “The commitment and facility she brought to our stand-up shows and video productions inspired us to accelerate things.” Diaz (pict., r) co-produced Raging Artists’ “Beyond The Brick Wall” comedy events at Saba Sushi and the Main Room at Flappers in February and March, respectively. Both stand-up shows were filmed for use in the company’s Web series of the same name; the latter was hosted/produced by Rachel Reilly (The Amazing Race, Big Brother) with Rich Aronovitch (Comedy Central, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) headlining.

Prior to moving into entertainment, Diaz spent 11 years creating, developing, and producing programs, conferences and specialized events at all levels at the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA). Her courage, creativity and production value led to the successful creation of LACBA Premiere Courses, which grew into an annual product showcasing LACBA as a leader in creative content delivery. Diaz’ efforts also helped establish LACBA as a technological leader. During her tenure, she produced some of the organization’s largest events ever, including the Grand Opening and reintroduction of LACBA to the city of Los Angeles.

“It is time to satiate my need to be feared, loved, and known,” said Diaz of her move to RA. “Raging Artists is a singular environment in which every team member’s creativity is encouraged. Who wouldn’t want to come to work in a place like that?”

Diaz’s current projects at Raging Artists include two pilot presentations: THE GENTS, a scripted comedy series about a fictional record label scouring YouTube for new artists; and BEYOND THE BRICK WALL, which explores today’s LA standup comedy scene. She will also oversee the DVD/digital release of the award-winning documentary “GORK!”

About Raging Artists
Raging Artists creates and markets original content, while empowering others to do the same. The artistic soul suffers in “normal society” so it is fitting that RA embraces the kindred spirits of tragedy and comedy. We all experience pain, and we convert those experiences into entertainment through the prism of comedy – we call it enterpainment. There are no boundaries within these walls, only sledgehammers aimed at preconceptions. Be loved. Be feared. Be known.

The film was produced by Los Angeles-based Looking Glass Films for Jennifer Golub, of Let There Be Dragons.  Shot in East LA, “Makaveli” documents the journey of a young boy (Shakir Johnson) as he walks through his rough and troubled neighborhood – recounting to camera his experiences with the badass Makaveli.  As he opens the door to his apartment, he is greeted by Makaveli — his friendly and loving rescue dog from the South Central Shelter.

Said director Montiel: “For me, it was simple. I love dogs and animals but when I was a kid we ate government cheese and dealt with assistance – so as much as I love the messages most spots about rescuing animals put out there – I can relate that sometimes they don’t hit the audience I grew up with. When Jennifer Golub from Dragons came to me and June (Guterman, Exec. Producer at Looking Glass) with this idea it sounded fun and meaningful. I hope it helps. It’s a great cause.”

Ad legend Lee Clow, the creative head of TBWA’s Media Arts Lab (and a known dog lover), is among the creatives at the forefront of No-Kill Los Angeles, which aims to drastically lower the number of animals euthanized in Los Angeles, and to make L.A. a no-kill city by 2017.

Dito Montiel is an American author, screenwriter, director and musician. Born and raised in New York City, he was first brought to the public eye after the demise of his hardcore punk band Major Conflict. In 2003, he published A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS, a memoir that gained much acclaim. Montiel developed SAINTS into a screenplay and made his directorial debut with the film version of SAINTS starring Robert Downey Jr., Dianne Wiest and Shia LeBeouf. Montiel went on to direct FIGHTING starring Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard and Luis Guzman. His most recent project is SON OF NO ONE, starring Channing Tatum, Ray Liotta, Al Pacino and Katie Holmes, which was chosen to close at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011. Currently, Dito is starting production on his new film EMPIRE STATE starring Dwayne Johnson, Liam Hemsworth and Emma Roberts.

In addition to Montiel, Looking Glass Films represents an impressive roster of film and advertising directors throughout the world. These highly distinguished and talented filmmakers are among the most venerated storytellers and visualists in the industry.   Looking Glass Films is helmed by Executive Producer June Guterman. Guterman has garnered numerous awards including producing an academy award winning film, working with directors such as Mark Romanek, Jake Scott, Paul Hunter, Matthew Rolston, Martin Scorsese, Arthur Penn and Sidney Lumet.  Her vast experience in production enables her to skillfully guide these directors through the labyrinth of the advertising and marketing worlds creating the most compelling content possible.

Project Credits

Client: NKLA No-Kill Los Angeles
Title: “Makaveli”

Agency/Content Company: Let There Be Dragons
Executive Director: Jennifer Golub

Production Company: Looking Glass Films
Director/Writer: Dito Montiel
Producers: TeriLynn Troxell, June Guterman
Director of Photography: Nichole Whitaker

Production Designer: Richard Berg

Editor: Jake Pushinshy, Sunset Edit

Music: Elias Arts

Sound: Margarita Mix

Talent: Shakir Johnson

About Best Friends Animal Society®
Best Friends Animal Society, named Animal Welfare Non-Profit National Brand of the Year based on the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study, is a national animal welfare organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets®. The society’s leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah headquarters, the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation.

POC Lead Artist Darren Fanton worked closely with director Sonzero to conceptualize and create multiple aesthetic CGI environments – within 48 hours. “Darren is an awesome artist and has great taste,” remarked Sonzero. “He created an elegant solution in a really compressed schedule with limited resources. When I saw his first pass I knew I was working with a genius.”

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Once the concepts were approved, the team at POC had a mere two weeks to turn around eight VFX-heavy spot versions in Hindi and English for a total of 160 seconds of CGI.  Each image had to be optimized due to the beauty-related nature of the product.  “With this project, shot management was key as each revision down the pipeline would need to be applied to over thirty shots across the eight spots and would need to be re-rendered in a timely fashion for further review,” Fanton explained.

“POC not only met the challenge but raised the bar for the whole category,” said Shyam Madiraju of Gobsmack!, which represents some of world’s top directors in India. “We were very impressed by the creativity of their artists, who took Jim’s vision and turned it into a spectacular reality.  I was really excited to have Jim join Gobsmack!, and having him do this work with POC right out of the gate is a fantastic start to our relationship.”  Madiraju added that the vision of Sonzero – arguably one of the top 5 beauty directors in the world – involved a very sophisticated and technically complex world of CGI.  Gobsmack! frequently produces VFX-driven commercials and works with CG houses around the globe. “POC has not only planted itself firmly atop our list, but we are now in talks with Stu and Raffi about expanding our relation with them for the India market in fields besides commercials.”

“Stuart and Raffi were enthusiastic and solution-oriented,” concluded Sonzero. “I am really impressed with them and I’m looking forward to working with POC again.”

About Proof of Concept
“Technology has no limits,” and Los Angeles-based Proof of Concept examines the validity of that hypothesis every day. This philosophy makes POC integral to the realization of the novel idea. You can’t break the rules until you master them, and the team at Proof of Concept has done both. A technological and artistic think tank, POC brings together seasoned veterans and ambitious young innovators. The team is armed with the knowledge and relationships to forgo fear in the name of producing relevant creative content for the digital era.

Official Credits

Title: Tree
Brand: Fall Repair
Cast: Sonam Kapoor
Client:  L’Oréal

Agency: McCann-Erickson
Creative team: Akshay Kapnadak, Rahul Mathew,
Trishay, Ram & Komal Ranjan
Agency Producers: Sandesh Shirke

Production Company: Gobsmack!
Director: Jim Sonzero
D.O.P: Michael Lloyd
Executive Producer: Hozefa Alibhai
Producer: Ramel George

Editor: Harshal Thakur

Online/Grade and VFX: ­ Proof of Concept/Los Angeles
Visual Effects Lead, Final Compositing: Darren Fanton
Visual Effects Compositing and Beauty Work: John Merrifield
3D Modeling and Texture Mapping: Sam Kryszek
Producer: Stuart Wilson

Our Featured Raging Artist has more than earned his stripes in terms of passion, creativity, and righteous rage.  As he releases the video and first single from his new album, “#10 G.I.,” Vietnam veteran Tom Mooney seeks to break a cycle of war and bring our troops home with honor, once and for all.

“When my son, who’s a Marine, came home safe, I knew it was time to make this album.”  He notes that military families share both pride and sorrow, sharing a cycle of war and service that is seemingly endless.  “It’s time to break the cycle. Politicians think wearing a flag pin and talking bullshit is sufficient.  It’s not.”

100% of the profits from the single will go to support our troops and veterans.  Info will be posted on Tom’s Forget The Hate Facebook page.

With its guitars and saxophone, “Forget the Hate” recalls Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Mooney’s raspy vocal – a passionate growl – has been described as a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits.  Conceived by Mooney and director Alex Engel, the black and white video has Mooney performing the song against a backdrop of historic images of war and politics.

From 1967-68, Tom served at Camp Eagle near the city of Hue in Vietnam.  “The Vietnamese used to call us #1 if they liked us and #10 if they did not, especially the prostitutes,” he recalls with a laugh. “It then became an inside joke between us. ‘Hey, Mooney, you # 10 G.I.’  This album is for all the #10 G.I.’s.”

Returning to the States, Mooney attended Hunter College in NC on the G.I. Bill.  There, he studied film and theatre.  Tom formed The Yorkville Saints in New York City, playing in that and other bands all over the east coast until 1983, when he entered the ad business.  As a founding partner of iconic production company Headquarters Films, Tommy won every award imaginable, producing countless PSAs along the way.  The next chapter of Tom’s legacy involves his embrace of the Web as a partner in ADDigital Productions.

“In an election year, politicians and politics tend to take center stage,” Mooney points out.  “We want to stand up for all the Vets and put them in the spotlight for a change.”  The song and album will soon be for sale, with all proceeds benefiting our men and women in uniform.

Ever the raging artist, Mooney says the album is just the beginning.  “I want to produce a concert for the Vets, a welcome home party.  They deserve it, and what’s more, they need it.  We need it, as a country, and as human beings.”

Credits

Album:

Jay Folk, Lead Guitar
Paul Ducker, Saxophone
Phil Calico, Bass Guitar
Tom Mooney, Guitar, Vocals
Ray Karl, Associate Producer, CD
Tom Mooney, Phil Calico, Producers

Video:

Alex Engel, Director
Dan Klein, Executive Producer
Shot on the Curious Pictures stage in NYC

Tom wishes to thank everyone associated with the project, all of whom donated their time and talents.

Raging Artists expresses thanks and love to our family members who have served:

Isaac Choi
Michael Giberson
Moon Noh
Josh Rephun
Henry Schlesinger
Michael Schlesinger

The North Carolina native has been a fan of the brand for years, and when the company’s EVP of Marketing Randy McKinley found out about it, he got in touch.  BEARPAW and its marketing firm, SLAM, asked roving ambassador Simon Rawley-Wells (aka RA founder/comic Hersh Rephun) to interview this reality competition phenomenon/drama queen/sweetheart about everything from her current spot on The Amazing Race (with fiance Brendon Villegas) to her new biz venture, Adventures for Pets.

As you can see from the interview, Rachel has an entire entourage of BEARPAWs that she doesn’t go anywhere without.  Those styles will come in handy, as she enters a comedy boot camp of sorts: in addition to studying at Second City and appearing with the Raging Artists Comedy Troupe, Rachel recently completed a guest starring role in the pilot for a new scripted comedy series about the music biz.

“Suzanne has earned a stellar reputation spanning 15 years as a creative producer, she is loved by clients, agencies, and directors alike. We couldn’t be more excited that she’s signed on to take Bandito’s commercial division to the next level,” said Bandito’s COO Max Leitman.

“By combining top notch directors, full service post and VFX, Bandito Brothers is at the forefront of crafting efficient solutions for brands,” Hargrove said of her decision to join Bandito after years working as a top producer for directors such as Brian Beletic, Fredrik Bond, Andrew Douglas, Paul Hunter, Chris Smith, Phil Morrison, Steve Rogers, and Peggy Sirota.

Hargrove, an Army brat whose parents both served, said she appreciates the agility, creativity, and military precision of Bandito Brothers, something McCoy refers to as “creativity in action”.

“Quality has always been of paramount importance to me; I love logistics, problem-solving and the creative process,” Hargrove said. “The spot world is changing every day and Bandito Brothers has positioned itself for the future.”

In addition to McCoy and Waugh, who were recently named among Variety’s Top Ten Directors to Watch, the Bandito Brothers roster is comprised of Michael Polish, Matt Goodman, Stewart Hendler, Leo Ricagni, and Jacob Rosenberg; and director/cameramen Mitchell Amundsen and Shane Hurlbut.

Rachel Reilly has terrified and bested legions of competitors, but as you will soon discover, this effervescent and beautiful young lady is all about positronics. So strap it on – sorry, strap in – for a night of bold comedy as a troupe of up-and-coming yet battle-tested comics bring their A game to the Main Stage at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, CA.

TICKETS

Headliner:  Rich Aronovitch launched his comedy career in New Orleans at the young age of nineteen under the alias Smooth Daddy Johnson. Adopting the moniker Rich Aronovich, he explored sketch comedy and improvisation with touring troupe Rathskellar, and was part of Second City’s first New York revue We Built This City On Rent Control.  Rich has performed Stand-Up comedy nationally and internationally from Madison Square Garden in NYC to The Grand West Casino in Cape Town, South Africa.  He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC; Last Comic Standing on NBC; and The Upright Citizens Brigade on Comedy Central.  Rich moved to Los Angeles in 2008 after obtaining a Master of Fine Arts from the New York Film Academy.  His thesis film, Waiting To Stand-Up – for which he wrote, co-directed, and played ten different roles – won a Silver Ace Award at the Las Vegas Film Festival.

Michael Blaustein has performed his kinetic, high-energy brand of comedy for sold out crowds at Caroline’s on Broadway, Comic Strip Live, and Stand-Up New York.  He also tours the United States playing clubs and colleges. He appears in the films What Happens Next and Death of The Dead, as well as national commercials for AXE and Sprint.

Andie Bolt started writing and performing stand up at age 14.  She joined the UCB Theatre in 2006, and has guest starred on Nick Cannon’s Short Circutz (MTV), Hell Date (BET), National Lampoon’s Lemmings, and “Funny Commercials From Around the World.” (BBC).  Andie was a staff writer and actor on Fuel TV’s The Daily Habit, and is Executive Producing a comedy web series created by the Fine Brothers for Google titled “MyMusic” coming in Spring 2012.

Known for his high-energy observational style and aggressive, yet somehow endearing crowd-work, Mike Citera performs all over New York and Los Angeles, most notably The Improv, Comedy Store and Upright Citizen´s Brigade Theater.  He is an award-winning radio-DJ, hailing from 92 WICB,  where he won several awards hosting the morning zoo show. Citera also performs monthly sketch shows with his troupe, “Pizza Party Weekend.”

Zara Mizrahi began acting at 16 years old and trained in dramatic and comedic technique.  In 2011 she released a solo album, “Loosen My Lips,” which she wrote, sang and played on.  Shortly afterward, Zara’s brother dared her to try stand-up comedy. Because she happens to love life and is incapable of regret, she accepted the challenge. She now performs stand-up every night.

There’s a reason much of what comes out of Ernie Noh‘s mouth on stage is comedy gold: he rarely speaks off stage. As CFO/Partner at Raging Artists, Ernie juggles money and bright ideas.  Like all of RA’s leadership he writes comedy, and in addition produces the company’s filmed entertainment content. Through his stand-up, he offers insight into the cultural and other issues he faces as a tall, poised Asian-American male.

For Special Guest Praveen Angyan, taking the stage as a stand-up wasn’t a matter of overcoming fear: he’s fearless.  It was more about doing something he’d never considered doing simply because as an Internet Guru he didn’t have the time.  However, Raging Artists Head Writer Justo Diaz was having none of it. He and his team wrote a set for Praveen — contests and additional appearances followed and well…here we are!

MC: As Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Raging Artists, Hershel Rephun should be developing ad campaigns for major brands.  Instead, he’s onstage, sharing his thoughts, frustrations, victories and defeats.  Hersh’s struggle plays out for your amusement, and takes on many forms, or at least many accents, as Hersh likes to mix it up in hopes of figuring it all out.  He has appeared across the country in legendary venues such as The Comedy Store, Ice House, StandUp NY, Comic Strip, and Caroline’s.  In addition to work in Film & Television, Hersh has given voice to numerous characters and brands, and written several cult films featuring space ships and bikinis.

Director: Great writers convert pain into entertainment — at Raging Artists, we call it ‘enterpainment’ – and Justo Diaz is a master of this art form. The CEO and Head Writer of Raging Artists, Diaz earned cred as a comic before transitioning into the role of writer/director.  Overseeing the writing of stand-up material for several RA comics, including partners Hershel Rephun and Ernie Noh, Diaz tackles race, religion, and other topics with ferocity and honesty. He is a marketing expert so in touch with the audience at large that he could easily be a network executive…well, he could easily get fired as a network executive.

Producer: Having won more competitions than any other contestant on CBS’ “Big Brother” and currently kicking ass with fiance Brendon Villegas on “The Amazing Race,” Rachel Reilly is primed for the most daunting challenge imaginable: stand-up comedy. With boundless energy, a laugh that has its own fansite, and a warm embrace of drama, Rachel recently joined Second City where her love of comedy takes center stage. She’s got a B.S. in Chemistry and takes no B.S. from anyone. The Raging Artists Comedy Show marks her formal comedy debut, and this effervescent beauty fits right in.

The Raging Artists Comedy Troupe appears on March 11, at 7pm, in the Main Room at Flappers, which is located at 102 East Magnolia, Burbank CA, 91502.

The project began in 2007, when the Pentagon sought to expand its special operations ranks. What could have been a recruiting film for the Naval Special Warfare division became much more in the hands of the Banditos, the one production company in the world with the clearance and credibility to make a feature film using real Navy SEALs. The Navy saw the potential as well, and signed on.

It was a huge undertaking for Bandito Brothers, well-known for stunning in-camera action-driven campaigns for Mountain Dew, BMW, Ford, and others. The company paid for the initial shoot out-of-pocket and financed the rest of the film with hard work and the help of private investors, including Legendary Entertainment (The Dark Knight, Inception).

Based on a commissioned script by Kurt Johnstad (“300”), “Act of Valor” focuses on the story of a fictional team of Navy SEALs who are dispatched on a worldwide mission after the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative and the discovery of a terrorist plot against the United States. As the SEALs race against time to stop a coordinated attack, they must also balance their commitments to country, team, and families.

In true Bandito fashion, the action sequences were filmed during actual military exercises, amidst rare conditions such as the use of live ammo, in a manner that made McCoy and Waugh more a part of the team than a “Hollywood” presence. The Navy screened all the footage, as all parties wanted to be sure not to reveal too much, but left all creative decisions to the filmmakers.

Bandito Brothers was established by McCoy, a former stunt man and motorcycle racer who starred in the feature length film “Dust to Glory” and won the Baja 1000 and 500 multiple times, and Waugh, a second-generation stuntman and filmmaker who was president of Stunts Unlimited for three years before starting the Bandito brand. The two directed and produced “Act of Valor”.

Among Bandito Brothers’ recent spot work is the multi-platform campaign for Hot Wheels, combining Web and broadcast spots, long-form network programming, and culminating in the broadcast of a world-record breaking stunt at the Indy 500.

McCoy and Waugh were recently named among Variety’s Top Ten Directors to Watch.

Comedy Writing Reel

“Great writers convert pain into entertainment — call it ‘enterpainment’,” says Raging Artists Founder/CCO Hershel Rephun, a writer and performer whose work spans TV, Film, Radio, the Web and the stage. “The greater the trauma, the bigger the punchline. It’s not about sadness at all, it’s about release.” Along with his partners, Justo Diaz and Ernie Noh, Rephun has been writing and performing stand-up comedy since the Summer of 2011. In February 2012, they launched another comic in the form of resident Internet guru Praveen Angyan.

“I approached our resident Internet guru, Praveen, with a challenge,” recalls Diaz, who serves as Head Writer of Raging Artists.  “I contended that a person who rarely interacts with people and has never been on stage can kill an audience with laughter — if the writing is strong enough.”

“I’ve watched RA grow as a writing machine for PR, marketing, and now comedy,” says Angyan. “It’s inspiring. You feel if you are not willing to get on stage or write an entire set, then you’re not a Raging Artist.” Like Pixar and Google, Raging Artists’ corporate culture permeates its offices as well as its business model. “The commitment to creative writing is the pillar of the company, and the guys keep pushing boundaries,” he notes.

“Writing is our main service, so we demand that our entire staff write,” Diaz affirms. “Great writing naturally rises to the top, so we ensure quality through competition.”

Raging Artists now extends the ‘Angyan Challenge’ to all comers. “We can elevate any project with great comedy writing,” declares Noh. “You believe you can reach someone through humor and we want to prove you right.” Speaking globally, says Diaz, “I want to develop a company that lives through comedy and tragedy. That is what defines us.”

The writing team at RA is crafting and work-shopping the material of Angyan, who continues to perform at venues throughout Los Angeles. “To a degree, we’re creating a monster,” concludes Rephun, “a monster I’d like to open for at some point.”

Raging Artists. Now That’s Enterpainment!