Linda Buchner | T2 + Back Alley Blog

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January 30th, 2012
by Linda Buchner
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Meet The 3 Latest Additions to the T2 + Back Alley Films Team!

 ”JZ” – Jane Zander – Editor

Knowing that the :30 spot is still alive and well, we’ve    added Jane – “JZ” – (back in KC after a six-year stint at Cutters – Chicago) to our editorial team.  Her work experience includes campaigns for Tide, Dell, Hanes, Secret, and KFC.

“Step one in working with agency creatives is finding common ground. At the end of the day, we are all just people. I enjoy the human connection as much as I do the editing process.

Matt Antrim – VP/Original Program Development

After 14 years in reality television as a casting director in Los Angeles, we think he’s seen it all – so adding him to the staff at T2 is a no-brainer!

“My friends call me the dog whisperer!  I have the coolest dog you’ll ever meet.” (Easy now – Charlie, T2′s mascot, was here first!)

Having worked on shows like “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader”, “Joe Millionaire”, “It’ Me Or The Dog”, and “Thintervention” (just to name a few), Matt is ready to be on the pitching side of the table for T2 and our clients.

Adam Buritsch – Animator

Adam has a background in traditional hand-drawn animation ~ he has motion in his blood! He brings an eclectic and historical knowledge of animation to T2, a drive to push boundaries, and an endless supply of optimism.  Now, what could be wrong with that!

“I never let an inspiration slip past!  From Eastern European folk dancing to Blues harmonica and everything in between – I use a little bit of everything when I’m brainstorming.”

January 10th, 2012
by Linda Buchner
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“Risk Taker” A Requirement for Urban Hero Award

Teri Rogers was recently honored in a HUGE way, being named a 2011 Urban Hero at the DowntownCouncil of Greater Kansas City’s annual meeting for her contribution to making downtown a more vibrant place to live, work and play with her company T2 + Back Alley Films.

Teri has been operating T2 in the Crossroads since 1988 when there was nothing but tumbleweeds and dark, scary parking lots surrounding her business. She believed in the potential of the area and set her roots there in 2005 when she purchased her building at 1906 Wyandotte and designed a beautiful, modern, inspirational work space for her creative staff and clients. Since then, the area has transformed around her with restaurants, retail boutiques, coffee shops, event spaces and now, the crown jewel of Kanas City ~ The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts as her neighbor to the north.

“Being honored in this particular year, when Julia Irene Kauffman was presented the J. Philip Kirk Urban Hero Award is very special to me since we were involved in the two-night launch party celebration of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Her vision, guidance and commitment to the revitalization of Kansas City’s downtown has been an incredible inspiration,” says Rogers.

Nominees for this award were required to be “risk takers” and founders of small but mighty, fast-growing businesses helping to grow Kansas City’s downtown economy.  You had to be brave enough to believe in the vision, and to carry your own unique vision, of fitting into the revitalization process that Kansas City has been undergoing for many years.

Teri was the Executive Producer of the documentary film “The Next American Dream”, which conveyed that very theme, using Kansas City as the business model for how to build back the urban core of a city whose residents had fled to their cozy suburban homes, only to return because of their yearning for pop culture, the arts, and a vibrant dining and entertainment experience.

This is a group with whom anyone would be proud to share company ~ the other Urban Hero Award recipients are: Christopher Elbow, Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates; Danny Gosserand, Danny’s Big Easy; August Grassis, III, Handmark; Shaul Jolles, Office Port; Sam Meers, Meers Advertising; Keith Novorr, Michael’s Fine Clothing For Men; Danny O’Neill, The Roasterie; Ryan Sciara, The Cellar Rat; and Emily Voth, Indigo Wild…all GREAT businesses that work, play and create wonderful cultures for their staff and clients in the downtown of Kansas City.

May 18th, 2010
by Linda Buchner
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Creative Expression

There are not many things I like more than performance art.  I’ve been hooked ever since seeing Laurie Anderson at the student union during college four different times, and then subsequently another few times since moving to Kansas City. Looking back at some of her videos, her work, especially the video projection work that blew my mind back then, it seems very pixelated and crude.  But, she was cutting edge, not only with her projection art, but her costumes, her synthesized voice box and wonderful storytelling.  Oh, we’ve come a long way, haven’t we!  My love of performance art, combined with any other form of expression whether it be music, dance, costumes, or visual effects – best case scenario, a combination of them all is probably what got me involved this industry.  Visual effects ~ I can’t get enough!

This may not be everyone’s cup of tea.  If you liked Avatar, even just a little you might get a kick out of this. Unlike Avatar, (which I saw in 3D and didn’t want to end), this story doesn’t completely woo me, but it’s an interesting little short.  Part of a trilogy called “Becoming”. It’s got it all, little glowing bugs, costume, dance, and even some awesome body paint.

It’s probably why I’m so drawn to experiential design these days.  I can’t wait to see advertising become performance art!  There are some amazing examples out there, more and more each day ~ and they are hard at work, increasing brand awareness and most importantly, increasing sales.  One of my favorites is the Fizzy Billboard for Chang Soda, where they created a memorable experience multiple times during the course of 1 month (making ROI very easy to track!).

I, for one, hope this trend continues to push the envelope, and change the landscape of the brand experience.

February 26th, 2010
by Linda Buchner
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T2/BackAlley Films awarded more Gold than entire Canadian Olympic team

Fortune smiled brightly on T2/Back Alley films at the 2009-2010 Kansas City Addy Awards.  Here are some of our highlights:

Sullivan Higdon Sink won a Television Gold for a Shatto Milk spot directed and edited by Back Alley/T2‘s Pete Meyer, proving that strong creative will always trump bloated broadcast budgets.  (That’s not to say we’re against bloated broadcast budgets!)

T2’s website won Best of Interactive.  We’re not satisfied with only traditional broadcast.  We won’t stop trying until we have this crazy new media mastered.

We also won a Gold Addy for our Halloween self promotion, proving that people love a good old fashioned psychotic massacre.

Our T2 graphics arm won Gold Addys for the animation of a Children’s Hospital of Illinois commercial in partnership with Muller Bressler Brown and an TDAmeritrade Promotion contracted by Omaha agency, SKAR.

Back Alley Directing Duo, The Wade Brothers, won golds for their work on Fly53 and Room 107, which were also edited by Pete Meyer and Jon Bazata of T2.

And the creative geniuses at SHS pulled off an epic Best of Broadcast win for another Pete Meyer-directed spot for Water.org.

We’re not saying we’re better than the Canadian Olympic team.  We’re just more awarded.

February 6th, 2010
by Linda Buchner
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New Decade of Superbowl Ads

In the past, I’ve been excited about watching the Super Bowl for one reason only, THE ADS, silly.

Well this year promises not to disappoint with all kinds of controversy in the news already, from Homophobic CBS playing the double standard by banning the too scary Mancrunch ads showing 2 male fans realizing their love for each other, (kissing, no less) but instead running the Tim Tebow Pro Life ad, to the government spend of $2.5M on Census Bureau promotions that has John McCain tweeting already.

What really has me excited though are all the brands that have decided to GIVE SOMETHING BACK…hello!

Pepsi has set aside $20M to forgo the typical super bowl spend, launching it’s Pepsi Refresh Project - “Thousands of Ideas, Millions of Grants, Submit Your Idea Today”, where they will let consumers choose community programs to receive the grant money.  Cool!

Pedigree Pet Foods will use their time slot to promote dog adoptions.  Very cool!

Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes has ads that will focus on doing good by rebuilding a kids playing field with their “Earn Your Stripes” campaign.  Nice!

And, Miller High Life has taken the opportunity to “Give It To The Little Guys” with humorous ads featuring small business from across the country, like a barber shop, a baseball card shop, a guitar store, a New Orleans Praline store etc.  Well, that’s different now, isn’t it!

I gotta think (or hope) that this is the way of the future.  Society has changed.  We’re waking up and realizing that there are people in our country, our neighbors perhaps, that could use a leg up.  And, I applaud the brands that have taken this first step.  How many will there be next year?  Anyone care to guess?