The Briefing Room

New York, NY – (November 20, 2008) – Company X Editor Barney Miller recently teamed up with Partizan Director Philip Andelman on a new music video for Hilary Duff. “Reach Out” is the first single and one of two brand new tracks from Duff’s hot-off-the-press album, “Best of Hilary Duff,” via Hollywood Records. An exciting mash-up of Depeche Mode’s ‘89 hit, “Personal Jesus,” the video features guest rapper The Prophet. The decadent video is a career-defining vehicle for the artistic transformation of the former child-star.

“It was great working with Barney because with all the time we’ve spent together, he totally understands my aesthetic,” remarks Director Philip Andelman. “Due to a very hectic shooting schedule, I was unable to supervise the cut and I felt really comfortable working with him remotely. Barney’s sense of pacing is so shrewd, each cut packing such a tight punch, that the tweaks between edits were really minimal. The only thing I regret about not being there in person was missing out on his witty banter sessions.”

Set around a baroque estate, the sultry “Reach Out” opens in the chill of night. Ushering in the proverbial “new era” of Hilary Duff, The Prophet emcees amid statue-adorned gardens, as jump cuts of Hilary intermittently appear, heightening the suspense of her grand introduction. Hilary’s face finally enters the frame at her vocal cue. The ensuing portrait highlights the impassioned songstress costumed in exotic attire – from classic to shabby-chic to modern-hip – behind classy and decorative backgrounds including a luscious feasting table, baroque furniture, and garden fountains.

To view the music video, please go to www.companyx.tv/hilaryduff

For Barney Miller, the project was an opportunity to join creative forces with Philip Andelman once again. The two had previously collaborated on music videos for “Lady” by Lenny Kravitz, “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer, and the 2006 MTV Video Award-winner, “Where’d You Go?” by Fort Minor.

“Working with Philip is a very smooth process,” says Miller. “We have a very organic relationship. The goal was to really conceptualize a defining transformation in Hilary’s career, in a classic party atmosphere. Philip eased Hilary into the shoot and guided her through the visual storytelling process. There was some trepidation from management as to whether the treatments were too risqué, but in the end, I think we realized Phil’s vision beautifully.”

Drawing inspiration from fashion photography, Andelman used mostly locked cameras to achieve a photographic aesthetic in his compositions. Heightening the video’s sense of motion during the edits was critical in realizing Andelman’s directorial vision, especially since the treatments were so immersed in the set pieces.

“We utilized a lot of jump cuts and fade-to-black to give the video more sense of movement,” concludes Miller. “The video is energetic without being frenetic. It was also a matter of how the shots work with the song, and Phil captured most of the elements in-camera. The edits are also very rhythmical, especially from a performance standpoint: it’s not just about cutting to the beat of the song. Hilary delivered some great nuance for us to work with.”

Project Title: Hilary Duff “Touch Me”

Production Company: Partizan/New York

Director: Philip Andelman

DP: Omer Ganai

Executive Producer: Billy Parks

Producer: Billy Parks

Where Shot: Los Angeles, CA

Editorial Company: Company X/New York

Editor: Barney Miller

Assistant Editor: Jon Sajetowski

Executive Producer/Producer: Rachelle Way

www.companyx.tv

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