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| Formerly |
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|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Animated commercials and short films |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founder | Buzz Potamkin Hal Silvermintz |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York , U.S. |
Key people | Candy Kugel Marilyn Kraemer |
| Website | buzzzco.com |
Buzzco Associates, Inc. is an animation studio that was founded in 1968 (as Perpetual Motion Pictures) by Buzz Potamkin [1] with Candy Kugel and Vincent Cafarelli as co-creative directors and Marilyn Kraemer as executive producer.
Early work of the studio included the "I Want My MTV" campaign, and the "Top of the Hour" network ID for MTV. [2] [3] The spots mixed live action, rock stars, 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 diverse print styles into motion. They have often worked with humorous illustrator Norm Bendell, designer of commercials for First Morris Bank and the flea-control program CIBA.
Planned Parenthood: Talking About Sex, created and produced for Planned Parenthood won the Grand Prize for an Educational Film at Annecy in 1997.
It's Still Me: A Guide for People with Aphasia & Their Loved Ones is a 17-minute film which 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.
| Title | Year(s) | Notes | Client |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch Harry | 1969 | animation | Cannon Film Distributors |
| Weekend | 1974–1979 | animated sequences | NBC |
| The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree | 1979 | TV special | Joseph Cates Company |
| The Dough Nuts | 1980–1981 | interstitial series | Greengrass Productions |
| The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw | 1980 | TV special | Joseph Cates Company |
| Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City | 1981 | TV special | Muller Rosen Productions |
| The Berenstain Bears' Easter Surprise | 1981 | TV special | Joseph Cates Company |
| The Berenstain Bears' Comic Valentine | 1982 | TV special | Joseph Cates Company |
| Willie Survive | 1982 | interstitial series | Greengrass/Olin/Lawrence Productions |
| USA Cartoon Express | 1982–1991 | openings and bumpers | USA Network |
| Calliope | 1982–1983 | animation | USA Network |
| The Berenstain Bears Play Ball | 1983 | TV special | Joseph Cates Company |
| Playboy's Hot Rocks | 1983 | graphics | The Playboy Channel |
| Deck the Halls with Wacky Walls | 1983 | TV special | NBC |
| Computer Critters | 1984 | interstitial series | ABC |
| Zack Of All Trades | 1984 | interstitial series | ABC |
| Sunday Showdown | 1984 | opening titles | USA Network |
| Teen Wolf | 1986 | opening and end credits [5] | Southern Star Productions |
| Munchies | 1987 | title sequence | New Concorde |
| ABC Fun Facts | 1988–1989 | interstitial series | ABC |
| Sesame Street | 1988–1991 2005 | animated sequences | Sesame Workshop |
| Playboy Late Night | 1992 | animation | Playboy TV |
| Square One Television | 1992 | "The Further Adventures of Zook & Alison" | Children's Television Workshop |
| Sports Illustrated for Kids: TV Sports Quiz | 1993 | Buzz Beamer animation | HBO |
| Money Made Easy: The ABC Kids' Guide to Dollars and Sense | 1994 | animation | Greengrass Productions |
| Square One TV Math Talk | 1995–1996 | animation | Children's Television Workshop |
| Talking About Sex: A Guide for Families | 1996 | direct-to-video | Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. |
| AGTV | 1998 | opening, closing and bumpers | American Girl |
| Nick Jr. Show and Tell | 1998 | interstitial series | Nick Jr. Channel |
| Elmo's World | 2001 | "Birthdays, Games, & More!" segue sequences | Sesame Workshop |
| Maya & Miguel | 2004–2007 | creative checking | Scholastic |
| Between the Lions | 2006–2010 | animation | WGBH/Sirius Thinking |
| Schoolhouse Rock: Earth | 2009 | "The Rainforest" | ABC |
| TED-Ed | 2012–2013 | seven videos | TED |
Commissioned short films
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