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 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.

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. 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 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.

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)NotesClientScratch Harry 1969 animation Cannon Film DistributorsWeekend 1974–1979 animated sequences NBCThe Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree 1979 TV special Joseph Cates CompanyThe Dough Nuts 1980–1981 interstitial series Greengrass ProductionsThe Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw 1980 TV special Joseph Cates CompanyStrawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City 1981 TV special Muller Rosen ProductionsThe Berenstain Bears' Easter Surprise 1981 TV special Joseph Cates CompanyThe Berenstain Bears' Comic Valentine 1982 TV special Joseph Cates CompanyWillie Survive 1982 interstitial series Greengrass/Olin/Lawrence ProductionsUSA Cartoon Express 1982–1991 openings and bumpers USA NetworkCalliope 1982–1983 animation USA NetworkThe Berenstain Bears Play Ball 1983 TV special Joseph Cates Company Playboy's Hot Rocks 1983 graphics The Playboy ChannelDeck the Halls with Wacky Walls 1983 TV special NBCComputer Critters 1984 interstitial series ABCZack Of All Trades 1984 interstitial series ABCSunday Showdown 1984 opening titles USA NetworkTeen Wolf 1986 opening and end credits Southern Star ProductionsMunchies 1987 title sequence New ConcordeABC Fun Facts 1988–1989 interstitial series ABCSesame Street 1988–19912005 animated sequences Sesame Workshop Playboy Late Night 1992 animation Playboy TVSquare One Television 1992 "The Further Adventures of Zook & Alison" Children's Television WorkshopSports Illustrated for Kids: TV Sports Quiz 1993 Buzz Beamer animation HBOMoney Made Easy: The ABC Kids' Guide to Dollars and Sense 1994 animation Greengrass ProductionsSquare One TV Math Talk 1995–1996 animation Children's Television WorkshopTalking About Sex: A Guide for Families 1996 direct-to-video Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.AGTV 1998 opening, closing and bumpers American GirlNick Jr. Show and Tell 1998 interstitial series Nick Jr. ChannelElmo's World 2001 "Birthdays, Games, & More!" segue sequences Sesame WorkshopMaya & Miguel 2004–2007 creative checking ScholasticBetween the Lions 2006–2010 animation WGBH/Sirius ThinkingSchoolhouse Rock: Earth 2009 "The Rainforest" ABCTED-Ed 2012–2013 seven videos TED

Short films Woman: Who Is Me? (1976) Inbetweening America (1977) Confessions of a Starmaker (technical assistance, 1978) So What If It Rains? (1979) (animation; produced by Manno Productions and Alternate Choice) Audition (1980) My Film, My Film, My Film (1983) A Warm Reception in L.A. (1987) Animated Self-Portrait (1988) Snowie and the Seven Dorps (1990) Fast Food Matador (1991) We Love It (1992) The Ballad of Archie Foley (1995) KnitWits (1997) KnitWits Revisited (1999) Life: A New York Ani-Jam (animated contribution, 1999) (it was . . .) Nothing At All (2000) Piscis (2001) Juan Bobo's Birthday Party (2002) Command-Z (2005) What I Want (music video, 2005) Right (2007) dEVOLUTION (2008) It's Still Me! A Guide For People With Aphasia & Their Loved Ones (2009) The Last Time (2012) iHeed: Two Simple Ways To Treat Water (2012) iHeed: Access to Family Planning is a Human Right (2013) Blessings of the Season (2013) My Depression (The Up and Down and Up of It) (2014) (animation) Vashti (2018) I, Candy (2018)

Commercials

3M (1970s) American Academy of Pediatrics (1984, 1988) American Eagle (1986) AnMed Health Medical Center (2003) Beau Rivage Casino (2014) Bell South (2005) Big Bear Supermarkets Budget Gourmet (1988) Burger King CBS (1970s) CD 101.9 (1990) Cheerios Chef Boyardee (1991) Chex CIBA Clearblue Easy (1991) The Comedy Channel (1990) Connecticut Academy for Education (1993) Cosequin (2017) Dan-E (2011) Diaperene Dr. Scholl's (1989) FirstBank (1980) First Morris Banks Fritos (1970s) GCI (2000) Hawaiian Punch HBO (1985) HBO Family (2001) K-Lite (1989) King Features (1982) KPPL (1982) McGraw-Hill MONY (1984) The Movie Channel (1987) MTV (1981–1984) National Science Foundation (1988) Nickelodeon (1985, 1998) Nick Jr. Channel (2001) Ohio Bell (1970s) Pinnacle (2000) Prell (1981) Safelite (2013) Salem (1981) See 'n Say (2001) Skittles (1981) Southwestern Bell (1993) Sunkist (1990) Underalls (1982) USA Network (1988) Tyco Toys (1999) VH-1 (1984–1985) Visa (2005) The Wall Street Journal Welch's (1990; featuring Tom and Jerry) WESC (1982) WPIX (1984) Xerox Zoombezi Bay (2014)

Commissioned short films ActMedia Balloon Museum CIBA Hewitt Associates, Inc. MacMillan Cancer Care NexView Xerox

References

External links