Buzzco Associates

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Buzzco Associates, Inc.
Formerly
  • Perpetual Motion Pictures (1968–1982)
  • Perpetual Animation (1982–1984)
  • Buzzco Productions, Inc. (1982–1984)
  • Buzzco Associates, Inc. (1985 to present)
Company type Private
IndustryAnimated commercials and short films
Founded1968
Founder
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
U.S.
Key people
Candy Kugel
Marilyn Kraemer
Website buzzco.nyc

Buzzco Associates, Inc. is an animation studio that was founded in 1985 as an offshoot of Perpetual Motion Pictures and Buzzco Productions (as Perpetual Motion Pictures) by Buzz Potamkin [1] with Emmy Award winner, Candy Kugel and Vincent Cafarelli as co-creative directors and Marilyn Kraemer as executive producer. Buzzco Associates is the longest continually operating animation studio in New York's history.

Contents

History

Buzzco Associates, Inc., traces its lineage to Perpetual Motion Pictures, founded in 1968 by Buzz Potamkin and Hal Silvermintz. Early work of Buzzco included the "I Want My MTV" campaign, and the "Top of the Hour" network ID for Paramount's MTV. [2] [3] The spots mixed live action with rock stars along music and animation. In 1982, Perpetual Motion Pictures split into Perpetual Animation and Buzzco Productions, Inc., and Vincent Cafarelli and Candy Kugel joined Buzzco. Potamkin left New York in 1984 to form Southern Star Productions [4] in Los Angeles. As part of the continuing partners' agreement in forming Buzzco Associates, Cafarelli, Kugel and Kraemer decided it was important for them to make independent films.

Buzzco continued with production of commercials, titles, insert programming, sales films and segments for such clients as Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, MTV, HBO Family and ABC, as well as for educational shows such as PBS's Sesame Street , Between the Lions and Square One Television . Commercial clients often come to Buzzco because of its ability to integrate different print styles into motion. They have often worked with humorous illustrator Norm Bendell, a designer of commercials for First Morris Bank and the flea-control program CIBA.

Talking About Sex: A Guide for Families, created and produced for Planned Parenthood, won the Educational Film Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 1997. [5]

It's Still Me: A Guide for People with Aphasia & Their Loved Ones, a 17-minute film from 2009, explains aphasia and offers ways of communicating without words. It was inspired by Kugel's mother, who was aphasic for twelve years after a massive stroke.

Filmography

TitleYear(s)NotesClient
Scratch Harry1969animation Cannon Film Distributors
Weekend 1974–1979animated sequences NBC
The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree 1979TV specialJoseph Cates Company
The Dough Nuts1980–1981interstitial seriesGreengrass Productions
The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw 1980TV specialJoseph Cates Company
Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City 1981TV specialMuller Rosen Productions
The Berenstain Bears' Easter Surprise 1981TV specialJoseph Cates Company
The Berenstain Bears' Comic Valentine 1982TV specialJoseph Cates Company
Willie Survive1982interstitial seriesGreengrass/Olin/Lawrence Productions
USA Cartoon Express 1982–1991openings and bumpers USA Network
Calliope 1982–1983animation USA Network
The Berenstain Bears Play Ball 1983TV specialJoseph Cates Company
Playboy's Hot Rocks1983graphics The Playboy Channel
Deck the Halls with Wacky Walls 1983TV specialNBC
Computer Critters1984interstitial series ABC
Zack Of All Trades1984interstitial seriesABC
Sunday Showdown1984opening titlesUSA Network
Teen Wolf 1986opening and end credits [6] Southern Star Productions
Munchies 1987title sequence New Concorde
ABC Fun Facts1988–1989interstitial seriesABC
Sesame Street 1988–1991
2005
animated sequences Sesame Workshop
Playboy Late Night1992animation Playboy TV
Square One Television 1992"The Further Adventures of Zook & Alison"Children's Television Workshop
Sports Illustrated for Kids: TV Sports Quiz1993Buzz Beamer animation HBO
Money Made Easy: The ABC Kids' Guide to Dollars and Sense1994animationGreengrass Productions
Square One TV Math Talk1995–1996animationChildren's Television Workshop
Talking About Sex: A Guide for Families1996direct-to-video Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.
AGTV1998opening, closing and bumpers American Girl
Nick Jr. Show and Tell1998interstitial series Nick Jr. Channel
Elmo's World 2001"Birthdays, Games, & More!" segue sequences Sesame Workshop
Maya & Miguel 2004–2007creative checking Scholastic
Between the Lions 2006–2010animation WGBH/Sirius Thinking
Schoolhouse Rock: Earth2009"The Rainforest"ABC
TED-Ed 2012–2013seven videos TED

Short films

Commercials

Commissioned short films

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References

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  5. "1997 Award Winners". Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2024-05-24. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
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