We have some really exciting news to share. At ECE, we are on a continuous journey to cultivate a roster of the best and most relevant talent and be a company that is a cutting edge leader in innovation. We are launching a project that has never been attempted by us or anyone in our industry. Let me introduce to you a new extension of our company, ECE Creative!
Our intention for ECE Creative is to be a breakthrough in how we and others attempt to tackle artist promo and other creative projects well into the future. ECE Creative serves as a board of advisors for our company. They can act as a collective think tank for projects and then be a resource to tackle as much of the work as needed. The people who make up ECE Creative are industry experts in their fields and tout impressive backgrounds.
What does this mean for you our clients, vendor friends and others who just randomly stumbled across this blog post? It means you should get excited. The artistic direction of EastCoast Entertainment is changing. Prepare yourself for elevated artist promo. We represent the best and most talented artists around — get ready for their promo to match the level of their talent. You may also begin to see a few creative videos that tell the ECE story and highlight some of our most memorable events.
This is a big day for all of us and we hope you join in our excitement as we begin this new chapter. We opened our doors in 1976. As we set out for the next 40 years, we consider it especially important to show the world that we are an ever-changing and dynamic industry leader. However, one thing that will always stay the same is our commitment to providing the most unforgettable entertainment for our clients’ most memorable events.
Without further ado, please join me in welcoming these incredible professionals who make up ECE Creative and check out their first video collaboration for ECE Artist, Suit Up.
RAYEN BELCHERE
ECE Creative Services Manager
A 25 year veteran of the music business, Rayen Belchere has worked with companies such as Sony, Columbia, and Disney. While working for Prestige Management in Los Angeles, he created the worldwide phenom and billion dollar band, Busted, a boy band that went on to sell millions of records and sell out stadiums. As a performer, Rayen has toured the world several times on the labels of Sony and Roadrunner Records. His former band had a video in rotation on MTV and received worldwide press including Rolling Stone Magazine. Rayen and the band toured with acts from Motley Crue to Black Eyed Peas to Moby. He has also been a bandleader working regionally with EastCoast Entertainment on several very successful projects. He continues that work today in the corporate, wedding, and private markets. His unique connection with both the business and the art of music make him an ideal conduit to musicians and acts on the ECE roster.
Brad Baerwald
Studio51 Media
Brad Baerwald has been in the recording, producing, mixing and mastering business for more than 25 years. Chief sound engineer for three different studios, Brad has paved the way in using cutting edge technologies to enhance the recording experience. Brad has mixed and recorded Grammy-nominated songs for artists including The Winans, Joe Jackson and Rickey McCrimmon. He has mixed live sound for Stevie Wonder, Sandi Patty, Larnell Harris, William Becton and countless others. On the video side, Brad has produced many feature length and live concert DVDs arranging every aspect including supplying live sound, cameras and complete production… even designing and building a 20′ camera crane! Brad’s skills range from music mixing, recording and audio editing to video production and editing to creating full-blown Dolby Surround soundtracks and even DVD authoring. These skills combined with his passion for embracing new video technologies have led him to develop new techniques for band promotional videos. The end product is amazing. “I’m so proud to be part of this team at EastCoast Entertainment. They were the first to recognize the difference in my approach. I can’t wait to see what comes from the creativity with ECE and our team,” exclaims Brad.
Daniel Coston
Daniel Coston Photography
Daniel Coston’s approach to photography combines a distinct and imaginative approach with a passion for music. This combination creates a style all his own that has garnered much attention over the years. Daniel’s work has been published in Spin, Rolling Stone, Billboard, People, Entertainment Weekly and Maxim, among others. Additionally, his work has been featured on VH1, MTV, FX and CMT. The list of artists he has worked with is a who’s who of the music business: Johnny Cash, Avett Brothers, Arcade Fire, Wilco, Ryan Adams, Duncan Sheik, Guided by Voices, Superchunk, the Monkees, and many, many others. Daniel is excited to join the ECE Creative team because, as he says, “I understand the need for innovation and originality for EastCoast and its artists and look forward to contributing any ideas and experience that helps all improve.”
Andy Crespo
Cinematographer
Andy bought his first camera in 1978, and after eighteen years of photography, he received his first video camera (to herald the birth of his daughter) and the move from stills to motion photography began. Living in Oregon at the time, he began working on local film project through the community TV station. After moving to NC, he has since collaborated on several projects with local filmmakers. He has worked as cinematographer, camera operator, and assistant camera. He has worked on national projects for Sysco Foods, Boars Head, Lowe’s, and HGTV to name a few. Andy also works on features, shorts, documentaries, music videos, travelogues, company mission statements and more. He works with Arri, Red, Canon, and Sony professional cameras. In 2014, Andy was cinematographer for the film Joint Effort, which won a national film contest and was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. He relishes collaboration, providing support, and being the “MacGyver” on set.
Eric McPhaul
Planet 21 Salons
Style! You either have it or you don’t, right? “Well, not so quick,” says Eric McPhaul. Founder and owner of the many Planet 21 Salons, Eric says that style can be created and learned. When a performing musician crashes his passion for art with a background in fashion and style…. buckle up. That is Eric McPhaul. With a lifetime of experience playing and singing in bands, Eric has a strong understanding of music and how to successfully market acts. Combine that background with 24 years of being in business as a stylist and you have a unique combination of artistry that strengthens both the EastCoast Entertainment roster and company as a whole. Eric has worked on editorial shoots and has had work published in most style and fashion magazines. He has worked with celebrities from the Backstreet Boys to the B-52’s and has been featured in national hair shows. EastCoast Entertainment is proud to have Eric as a member of its Creative Services Team. As Eric says, “Playing music is only part of the story. People often hear with their eyes. Having the right look and style says a lot about how serious an artist takes their craft.”
David Miller
Animator, VFX, Post Production Specialist
David currently serves as a visual effects and editing magician, producer and writer. He is also the CEO of Legend Tree Media. He is a transmedia innovator with a deep love for story and how it affects the world in positive ways. David creates, and helps others develop, pervasive storyworlds through the effective and creative use of widely distributed and emerging technologies.He is an esteemed director, producer and animator, with over 25 years of experience in business, interactive media, 3D animation, visual f/x, video/film production, and transmedia/storyworld creation. He is the husband of an amazing woman with superpowers and the father of two fantastic young men.
Erica Mueller
Photography and Creative Director
In her nearly 20-year career, Erica’s photos have been published in Vanity Fair, InStyle, W, People, and Us Weekly. Commercial clients include Gap Inc, Warner Bros, Universal, Fox, Sony, Paramount, CBS Television, the Golden Globes, The Global Action Forum and Awards, several Presidential campaigns, the Carousel of Hope Ball, Lilith Fair, the Special Olympics. She also has numerous private clients in arts, music, and entertainment. Her comprehensive work can be viewed at ericamueller.com. Through the Embody Project, which she founded, Erica invites us all—as viewers, participants, and human beings—to fully embrace who we are, as diverse and unique individuals sharing a complex and beautiful human journey through life. Since its inception, the Embody Project has been seen in over 25 countries worldwide and the website has been viewed over 300,000 times. Erica has traveled throughout the world and currently resides in Asheville, NC. She is inspired by the stunning mountain views and a constant sense of awe and gratitude for the beauty, magic and mystery of life.
Keresey Pearl
Film Director and Editor
Creativity and magic are synonymous to Keresey, she loves discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary. As a multi-talented artist and filmmaker, she has valued curiosity and pioneering from an early age. Consistently seeking, exploring and inspiring rich life experiences, she has traveled around the world in search of connection and authenticity in cultures beyond her own. She was raised on an organic goat farm in Northern Vermont where she began her lifelong love affair with healthy living. Her passage into the film world was rather traditional—as a film journalist at WHDH in Boston, MA—yet her career path has been anything but traditional. She has worked with and learned from some of the best and most experienced people in the film industry on numerous documentary, commercial and narrative film projects. Listening for the “heart of the story” and finding ways to craft a visual masterpiece that will move and touch others with relational intelligence is her domain in collaboration with EastCoast Entertainment.
Trey Scott
Three Flames Productions
Trey joined a CBS News affiliate south of San Francisco after his graduate work completion in International Policy Studies in Monterey, CA. He quickly took on producing, writing and shooting story and news segments that aired on the national network. He started One Step Productions, producing numerous series programs that appeared on Public Television, Executive Produced and hosted a television magazine show in Northern California with local area Film producers and Directors and later established an innovative production collective – Three Flames Productions based in Asheville, North Carolina. Verbs that are often used to describe Trey’s influence: collaborator, catalyst, community builder, change agent. Passionate, Trey listens and offers a wealth of experience to ignite and realize the visions in the hearts of his clients alongside his new affiliation with EastCoast Entertainment’s Creative Team.
Chris Stevens
Mad Toy Box Films
Mad Toy Box Films is a creative development and production company in Charlotte, NC. Founded in 2005 by Producer Director, Chris Stevens. Chris is a graduate of Cayuga College in Auburn, NY with a degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting. Chris attended the University of Southern California’s School of Film and Television while living in Los Angeles. Moving to Charlotte in January 1996, to take a role with NASCAR Media Group (then Sunbelt Video) Chris produced Inside NASCAR on TNN from 1997-2000. In 2001 Chris was promoted to Creative Director of NASCAR Media Group and was instrumental in the creation of FOX’s pre-race programming as well as Totally NASCAR, NASCAR This Morning and NASCAR performance. In 2005 Chris started Mad Toy Box Films, a production and post production company, to further pursue producing and directing. Chris produces and directs commercials, music videos and the development of television programs and independent films. Mad Toy Box Films works with many national clients who entrust Chris’ vision to bring their creative ideas to life. An Emmy award winning production company, Chris and his company have worked with many artists, including Chris Daughtry and Smash Mouth at the height of their popularity. He has directed national commercials for Toyota, AC Delco, Scott’s Lawn Care, AAA, NBA Entertainment, MTV, VH1, and NASCAR.
