An Award-Winning Digital Marketing Strategist and Personal Publicist, Joy Kennelly has covered the worlds of entertainment, red carpet events, celebrities, travel, technology, politics, food and fashion festivals for many years.
For more info, please review: linkedin.com/in/joykennelly
Please send any invites, tips and inquiries to: joyannatravel (at) gmail (dot) com
Finally!:) Here's the wrap-up of our Golden Globes Party South Coast Style. I decided spur of the moment to host a Golden Globes Party South Coast Style with someone I met after seeing no one else was doing one in Atlanta. I moved here from Hollywood where you celebrate every awards show and felt we needed to celebrate here too.
Within a week of working hard, we nailed down Jerry Farber's Side Door private night club in the Landmark Diner, a Golden Globes girl, celebrity guests, and wonderful sponsors who included:
(We still have to schedule our private VIP Cigar party at Prohibition for those who won this contest. Can't wait!:)
Here's the final official Golden Globes Party South Coast Style invitation to give you an idea of all the fun details of our event:
Over 50 guests attended and everyone really enjoyed the great meal Landmark Diner prepared; the fun raffle prizes donated by our wonderful sponsors for best costumes and other contests; the impromptu singing by our Golden Globes Girl, India Hopkins, performed during one of the many commercial breaks; meeting our celebrity guests, Actor Tony Vaughn
and Actor/International Model Billy Payne; mixing and mingling with all the other film and TV fans enjoying the Golden Globes; and experiencing Jerry Farber's Side Door nightclub overall.
Big thank you to all our sponsors, Jerry Farber, Jed Fearon, Landmark Diner, Scott and Priti, Jay & Teddy, and everyone else who helped. We feel this first-time event was a huge success and thank everyone for coming out too!
Here's a pictorial essay of the evening for your viewing pleasure.
We had a great turn-out and took lots of pictures and video. As soon as they're available I will be writing a wrap-up blog with highlights of our guests, sponsors, and event et al. Thank you for checking in!
The Side Door is comfortable, but not sloppy; stylish, but not elitist. There's a full bar, the best bar food in town, and free parking.
The Golden Globes, one of Hollywood's favorite awards shows mixes up TV and Film personalities with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep and a host of other stars expected. The special guest this year will be Morgan Freeman who is receiving the Cecil B DeMille award. This Awards Show is certain to be an entertaining time, especially with Randy Gervais back to roast everyone!
Locally, in attendance will be Actor/International Model, Billy Payne, Actor Tony Vaughn (Meet the Browns, Drop Dead Diva), and other surprise guests to be announced.
Dress "Cocktail Attire"'/"Favorite Movie or TV Star" (Drama or Comedy)
Fun finger foods and Raffle Prizes from , Massage by Pace and more for Best Dressed, Best Costume, and a Grand Prize of a Wine Tasting Dinner for Six at for whoever gets the most categories right...
Entry Fee: $10 includes appetizers and ballot. Pay online here, or $15 at the door for general admission. Buy tickets here: http://goldenglobesparty.eventbrite.com/
VIP: $20 includes reserved seating, one drink ticket, ballot and other Golden Globe goodies includingAND invites to another private VIP party for the first 10 VIP Golden Globe reservations. Buy tickets here: http://goldenglobesparty.eventbrite.com/ Online only.
I have had the privilege of working with SCHOOL OF HUMANS, a branded entertainment studio here in Atlanta these past few months writing their marketing materials and working on their online presence as their publicist. In so doing, I've gotten to know all the guys (and token female) very well which has been fun because they're all very unique and extremely talented.
Here's their demo reel highlighting some of their work:
I realized this morning, LC Crowley and Mark Apen were perfect examples of great team builders which is why I want to share their bios with you to explain further. So, without further ado, meet LC, or Chad as he's known to friends, and Mark, just two of the amazing team which comprise SCHOOL OF HUMANS:
L. C. Crowley Co-Founder, Executive Producer / Director
L.C. Crowley is a writer, director and producer with over a decade of non-traditional storytelling experience in film, advertising and multimedia entertainment. A creative visionary with a knack for building successful companies with an artistic sensibility, L.C., or Chad as he is known to friends, is best known for his artistry and storytelling talent and nurturing of creative communities in music, writing and film.
L.C. began his professional life immersed in fine art, typography, photography and design while attending college and running a small design firm which he successfully sold a few years later. His interest in art, and artists like Carvaggio and Vermeer, influence his creativity to this day. After selling his design firm, L.C. became a creative consultant with J. Walter Thompson and McRae Communications where he learned the business and client side of the advertising industry before transitioning back to the creative side for good.
He was soon recruited by the renowned ad agency Luckie & Co in Birmingham, AL and soon rose to Associate Creative Director, where he was given wide creative control to write and direct a myriad of award-winning projects for blue chip brands including AT&T, Little Debbie, Mercedes Benz, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. As he and his team’s success grew, L.C. was instrumental in the formation of their new branded entertainment arm, Luckie Underground Productions, with the mandate to create entertainment pitches for current and new clients.
After accomplishing all he had set out to do there, L.C. returned to Atlanta to be closer to family and took a break to focus on writing screenplays and other scripted shows. When producers didn’t move fast enough with his projects, L.C. did what he does best; pulled together a team of qualified creative and business professionals to build a branded and original entertainment studio with the idea they would own and create their own shows.
Launching SCHOOL OF HUMANS in the converted Grocery on Home loft space in Grant Park in 2009, he and the company have continued to evolve and develop projects for film and TV, often times with brands baked into the narrative. Currently Executive Producer of Discovery Network’s “Stuff You Should Know” broadcast show among other projects, L.C. is fulfilling his secret dream of becoming a circus man as he juggles ideas, stories, people, and production on this smart, character-driven, comedically-sensed, quirky, scripted project.
In his spare time, L.C. enjoys exploring obscure museums with his wife and two children, eating olives and studies American Pre-War music from his home in Atlanta, GA.
And here's Mark Apen, another talented guy Chad brought into School of Humans team to help develop their production slate which is set to explode.
MARK APEN,Executive Producer / Head of Production:
Known for his diplomatic, calm professionalism under pressure, Mark is a well-respected producer, production manager and AD with over twenty years of experience in the Atlanta film and television industries. Mark is a member of the Georgia Production Partnership which provides a 30% tax incentive to film production in the State of Georgia. He also consults with a slate of companies on numerous nation-wide projects which keeps him in the market, relevant to crew, with a fresh Rolodex which keeps him abreast of what’s happening throughout the entertainment industry.
Mark joined SCHOOL OF HUMANS as Head of Production in 2010, seeing it as an opportunity to do something original, creative and non-traditional. It was a mutually beneficial decision, as his reputation and experience opens many doors for their full slate of network shows, co-productions and web series.
Prior to this, Mark was responsible for organizing, budgeting, scheduling and producing numerous productions ranging from commercials for such major networks and brands as ESPN, Electronic Arts, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cadillac and Ford. An avid foodie and nature lover, Mark also worked on numerous episodes for such television shows as Food Network’s Feasting on Asphalt, a full season of Food Network’s Good Eats, and the fast-paced season finale of CBS’s The Amazing Race.
Mark studied Radio/TV/Film at the Journalism School at the University of Georgia, which he continues to support as an Executive in Residence, and speaks on storytelling as a former Southern Order of Storytellers member. Mark enjoys the 360 degree integrated storytelling across all web, broadcast and social media platforms SCHOOL OF HUMANS employs and brings his own unique story telling ability to every project.
Now if you're curious how they all came to work together, their unique story and work, keep reading because I'm about to tell you.:)
SCHOOL OF HUMANS was founded in 2009 as a ‘next generation’ storytelling entertainment company by L.C. Crowley, Marc Savoie and Brandon Barr after meeting for months over lunch and discovering a shared sense of rebellion against the ad industry’s status quo. Deciding to leave the traditional ad world behind them once and for all, Crowley came up with the idea to combine their storytelling and marketing prowess to create SCHOOL OF HUMANS and create entertainment properties they owned which people would actually want to watch.
The three principals’ advertising credits included designing and creating award-winning campaigns for cable and network television productions on ESPN, CBS, Food Network and Turner, as well as working on accounts for some of the world’s largest international companies such as Coca-Cola, GE, Toyota, American Airlines, Kodak, Mercedes Benz, Ford, Barclay’s Bank and AT&T.
Executive Producer/Director, Crowley; Managing Director, Savoie; and Head of Branded Content & Digital Media, Barr were joined by accomplished Producer Mark Apen, who consulted in the early stages until coming on board full-time as Executive Producer and Head of Production in 2011.
After the core team was established, Crowley and the humans decided to share a converted neighborhood grocery store in Grant Park with friend and art dealer Matt Arnett. This new hipster hangout and part time music speakeasy became known as “Grocery on Home” - and the launching point for the business.
In the course of six weeks, L.C.’s brother built out the first floor with a stage that soon became filled with artists, musicians, discussion groups and film screenings on a monthly basis. L.C., Marc, Brandon, Mark and a qualified team of freelance professionals brainstormed and worked on video, broadcast and web series productions for such clients as Coke, Toyota and the viral video juggernaut band OK Go, among others.
Renewing their creative juices at night in their in-house salon, a highlight was having genre bending vocalist and cellist Ben Sollee come in to perform which led SCHOOL OF HUMANS to create a music video with over eighty people involved in the artistry.
NPR and Atlanta InTown picked up the story, showcasing the co-owners and Grocery as a venue for artists.
As the SCHOOL OF HUMANS production roster grew, so did its team. Soon outgrowing the Grocery location, Matt took over the bookings. In 2010, the Humans moved into their current production facility in Decatur, Georgia adding Associate Producer, Mary Puchalski; Development Executive, Tom Lofthouse; and Media Strategist, Rick Shaughnessy in the process.
Music and creativity continues to play an integral part in their business. Barr describes their work as one part “band” – artists who like to make their own shows as they are currently doing with Discovery Networks on the first half-hour, scripted, non-fiction show, Stuff You Should Know featuring popular podcasters, Josh & Chuck of How Stuff Works. This project started out as a 26 episode broadcast micro-series which launched the Toyota web series and has grown into the full-length broadcast pilot inproduction due to its success.
SCHOOL OF HUMANS is also one part executive production label, connecting select entertainment properties and production partners with brand funding that helps underwrite those projects – as they have done with Funny by Nature, a branded online comedy series featuring such name comedians as Chris Hardwick, Janeane Garofalo, Sarah Silverman, Aisha Tyler, Jeff Ross, and others.
Another success was their work with WowWee on their Light Strike Arena laser tag game launch, bringing the online gaming experience to the real world through the company’s first branching YouTube animated video experience.
SCHOOL OF HUMANS is really good at taking their own ideas and making them marketable to both brands and networks. They make brands central characters in awesome entertainment — in a believable,organic way. Characters tweeting from the road, appearing at dealerships across the country, games on mobile, and other 360 degree story integration and transmedia immersion, they simply create assets around a show that are valuable to a brand because they are desired by their consumers.
They believe in marrying brand intent to riveting entertainment content by partnering with brands in the early stages of the creation process. But they don’t just place products, or create corporate mouthpieces that fail as entertainment. They stretch the boundaries and work with people who are willing to take risks and do something they haven’t done before in an entertaining, unique, clever and engaging manner.
As the barriers between advertising and content/media and the difference between the web and TV are coalescing into a single thing, SCHOOL OF HUMANS remains at the forefront in the ways in which stories can be told in this space and creating the next thing that can be.
When people ask me how to use Twitter I always tell them to consider it like a big cocktail party in the air because that's how it was first explained to me. I take a more personal approach than many on Twitter as I like to address the person I'm tweeting about directly. I don't know if you caught the re-run of David Letterman learning to tweet, but it was a crack-up. Dave said he was mad Jimmy Fallon wasn't tweeting back to him, but then he never addressed Jimmy using his twitter handle! LOL
What I love about Twitter is the opportunity to connect with CEO's and others I would normally never come in contact with due to their location or schedule, but because we're all communicating virtually it works. It's also fun to see who responds to what because you never know who's actually reading what you're sending out or responding to.
One such person I've enjoyed "chatting" with is Brandon "Jay" Gibson, one of the Founders of Moofaces.com, which has been called the "Hollywood Linkedin" by Huffington Post.
What is Moofaces you ask? Moofaces is a social networking platform which allows users to share content, post videos, photos, stats, bios, resumes. Here's a little video to explain it better too: So, as you're developing your team as I recommended in my last blog post, check out this unique social networking tool to find interns and opportunities to help you further your goals this year.
"Moofaces is evolving into a technology/social media changing platform allowing users to post and book jobs, advertise their products, services, and company/brands all under the convenience and housing of one platform. Ranging from a user’s portfolio, a user is able to physically categorize who they are in the industry even if they are a triple threat. You’re not just subject to be known for doing one thing. That’s essential when building a resume or in an attempt to connect with the right people to bring about the right opportunities. They have strategic promotional partnerships with Pop Chips, Peak Pr Group, LatinoScoop.com, Celebrity High Magazine, and Singleton Entertainment Corp.
This past year ended with a bang, literally, as my Volvo was hit as I was heading out for a NYE's event. (Not my fault as usual.:) Having to take it easy to relax my back, I've started reading Larry A. Thompson's book, SHINE: A Powerful 4-Step Plan For Becoming A Star In Anything You Do as I like to keep up on what successful people in my field recommend.
I come from the school of thought you never know everything and it's best to keep on learning. I've been a publicist for over 10 years, but I always learn something new. Larry is obviously one accomplished man. Here's his bio in case you're not familiar with his illustrious career:
"Acclaimed Hollywood producer, author and motivational speaker, Larry Thompson has managed the careers of over 200 stars. Voted "Showman Of The Year" in 1998 by the U.S. Television Fan Association, Thompson has produced 18 movies for television, including the highly acclaimed ABC world premiere movie, “And The Beat Goes On: The Sonny and Cher Story,” 5 motion pictures, 2 television series, 3 television specials, and various series pilots. Thompson received the industry’s prestigious Vision Award and his productions have received nominations for 8 Emmys, 2 Prism Awards, and a Golden Globe. He is perennially listed in Who’s Who In America and Who’s Who In The World. For more information visit www.LarryThompsonOrg.com"
I think those are very good credentials for my line of work, don't you agree? I was pleasantly surprised to see he started his book detailing his failure and breakdown before getting into the meat of becoming successful which is what the book is about. I'm still reading it, and have really enjoyed what I've read thus far.
One of the things he mentions, and which I recognize in successful people I've met along the way, is they always build a strong team around them. I feel, as part of my client's team, I need to do all I can to build their belief in themselves, their unique talents and expertise. It's funny, but oftentimes those who are most accomplished aren't aware of how much they have going on for themselves and it's part of my job to help them see it. Then, to help the world see it too.
I recently received information from Adrian Grenier's "people" that he was intending to launch his new eco-wine label, SHFT HOUSE WINES, along with his film producer partner, Peter Glatzer, at Portugal’s 6th Annual International
Gourmet Festival, The World’s Biggest Gourmet Event Featuring Only Michelin-Starred Chefs, which made my mouth water just reading about all the wonderful foodie and wine events planned and amazing chefs involved.
"Over 20 of the world’s most celebrated chefs from France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Canada and Portugal will also participate, each presenting a tasting menu combined with several wine pairings."
Here's the official blurb on Adrian's new venture with his team:
"Actor-filmmaker Adrian Grenier and film producer Peter Glatzer will unveil the newly launched SHFT House Wines.The wine label is under the umbrella of Grenier’s and Glazter's eco-conscious taste-making company, SHFT.com, which produces original content, and distributes widely through multiple platforms, including their partnerships with Huffington Post and Virgin America Airlines. SHFT.com also curates and sells sustainable products. SHFT House Wines is produced out of Paso Robles, Calif., sourced from organic, biodynamic and sustainable vineyards. The ink on the labels is non-toxic and the bottles are recycled. SHFT House Wines is debuting with its first vintage, self-titled SHFT House Wine, a decadent Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre blend."
Wouldn't you like to be part of that team?:) So, when one part of your career ends like Entourage has for Adrian, it often opens up opportunities you never knew even existed. Keep the faith and create opportunities for yourself if necessary is my motto.
If you have time and money, you can join Adrian and "Emmy Award winning actor Michael Imperioli (“The Sopranos”), Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actorMatthew Modine (“Too Big Too Fail,” The Dark Knight Rises), Tony nominated actor-comedian Mario Cantone (“Sex and the City”), four-time Emmy nominee Ricky Paull Goldin (“All My Children”)and Gretta Monahan (“The Rachael Ray Show”)" there too.
The festival will be held at the Vila Joya in Albufeira-Guia (Algarve) from January 12 – 22, 2012. For more information or to book, go to www.internationalgourmetfestival.com.
Don't you think they need an accomplished Food & Wine Festival blogger like me along with them? I do! Bill, dude, hook me up!:)
I also received a note from a publicist working on the magazine, A Bullseye View, for Target about Willow Smith, Will and Jada Smith's daughter, who, along with Target, launched the “Kids Helping Kids” campaign to award eight deserving New York kids and their families with a holiday shopping spree in the Target Harlem store. The lucky kids were selected based on a nomination from The Boys and Girls Club of NYC for displaying leadership and academic excellence.
Can you imagine the excitement of these lucky children? I think it's so important for celebrities to give back and donate their time and platform to help those less fortunate. I haven't read that in Larry's book yet, but I'm sure it's coming.
Can you imagine having Jay Z as a mentor or singing with Nicki Minaj on her new single, Knees and Elbows, like this 11 year old dynamo has? Talk about a team!
Then there's people like Alec Baldwin who need a team. Fortunately, Gary Oldman has an excellent one with his agency. Doesn't Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy have Oscar written all over it?!
Hey Jim! Call me, I sent you an email with all the details!:)
That's all for now, but you get my drift. If you need help with your team from a publicity standpoint, please contact me here: joykennelly1 (at) gmail (dot) com. As we get closer to Oscar season this is my favorite time of year to work with actors, stylists and others who want a bigger presence in Hollywood.
, 
Massage by Pace
and more for Best Dressed, Best Costume, and a Grand Prize of a Wine Tasting Dinner for Six at 
for whoever gets the most categories right...
AND invites to another private VIP party for the first 10 VIP 
Online only.