WORK

Storyteller, Brand Strategist, Project Manager

Joe has had the opportunity to work on a number of high profile projects, blockbuster Hollywood movies, popular TV shows, experimental brand strategies and live events in the US and abroad.

Review a sample of projects below, please get in touch for a more detailed résumé / portfolio and to discuss potential projects, consultations or collaborations.

Working with a team my father took me to see growing up was a childhood dream come true. I led the Nets’ creative department during the team’s renaissance in Brooklyn, culture was the focus on and off the court. We partnered with big brands (Infor, Jet Blue, Steve Madden, Visa, AMEX), we partnered with big names (Notorious BIG, Jay-Z/Beyoncé), released Nike’s most popular City Edition Jersey, created the name and identity of the NBA 2k League’s Nets Gaming Crew and inducted two legends to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Spreading love and “grinding” (working hard) until your hustle is tight are the way of the world in Brooklyn, that was our culture. The design aesthetic focused on authenticity, flair and unity. Team imagery was team focused, because WE are Brooklyn.

Authenticity helped create a buzz, sell tickets and attract top free agents, even when the team was losing on the court. The team became known for their culture, establishing themselves as one of Forbes’ 6 most valuable NBA Franchises, recently sold for the the highest selling price any sports team has been sold for.

This video for the 2019 schedule announcement was produced by Joe Lipari, designed by Jessie Kavana & directed by Jeff Gamble.

Highlights Include:

* 2018/19 Biggie/Coogie inspired City Edition jersey and roll out, including arena signage, out of house signage, social media announcements and street team initiatives.

* Create brand identity for the Net's Gaming Crew for the burgeoning NBA 2k league's 2019 season.

* Partner with team sponsors (INFOR, Jet Blue, Steve Madden, Snapchat, etc) to create web content, in game content and cobranded advertisements.

* Work with Basketball HOF to create content for the induction of Nets legends (Jason Kidd & Rod Thorn).

* Oversee the production of Nets branded t-shirts, posters, bobble heads, billboards, arena signage, etc.

Brooklyn Boxing

Admittedly I wasn’t a big boxing fan before working at BSE. When my team had the opportunity to rebrand Brooklyn Boxing I did a deep dive into the history and culture of the sport and have become a fan in the process. I worked closely with Showtime, Fox, Premier Boxing, Floyd Mayweather and Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder in branding Barclays Center as the new center of the boxing world.

Through Brooklyn Boxing I learned the value of truly knowing your base, your initiatives need to speak to them directly. They are your loyal customers and their enthusiasm spreads. The approach of the rebrand was mixing the colors of the modern design and outgoing brand guidelines with a classic boxing feel. Fighters and fans loved the boxing poster textures and backgrounds, increasing social sharing.

With our closest competitor, Madison Square Garden, often having fights the same night it was important to stand out. We used street teams, visited gyms and thought outside the box(ing ring) to spread awareness; we often out sold one of the most famous arenas in the world, MSG.

While managing the rebrand of Brooklyn Boxing I had the opportunity to produce this commercial for Brooklyn Boxing merchandise on a shoe string budget with a tight deadline. Commercial still in rotation on Fox Sports and PBC Championship Boxing events. (Directed by Anthony Ingrassia & Executive Produced by Jeff Gamble)

Highlights Include:

* Promote top tier & championship fights: Wilder vs. Stiverne II, Wilder vs. Ortiz, Wilder vs Breazeale, Garcia vs Porter & Chordale Vs. Booker

* Create dynamic branded content for social/web, in event (between fights), Time Square billboards, Fight Night posters for local gyms, etc..

* Oversee the design and production of branded merchandise to be sold in the Brooklyn Boxing store.

Growing up, Islanders/Devils great Chico Resch, of the Stanley Cup championship Islanders’ dynasty, was my goaltending coach. I was too young to really appreciate it, but my father still tells the stories of Chico tending goal in our driveway. Getting the opportunity to work with the Islanders was another childhood dream come to fruition.

With the Islanders during a disappointing season and a season that led to an impressive post season run was exciting, because I got to see how both seasons effected front office. I led the creative team as the Islanders changed their coaching staff, it was an overnight culture change. Under Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello, the Islanders went from a player focused brand strategy to one where the only name that mattered was the name on the front of the jersey.

With guidelines dictated by the coach and general manager, my team was forced to get creative. We focused on the Islanders’ legacy, humor and the devoted Islander fandom. I was considered the pop culture expert of the office, often deferring to my creative suggestions with sponsored cross promotions (Marvel, Star Wars, WWE, Disney) that helped sell tickets to both the games and cobranded events.

Highlights Include:

* Oversee the production of branded merchandise to be sold in the team store.

* Partner with sponsors to create branded content for social/web, in game announcements, print advertisements and broadcast.

* This WWE/NY Islanders promo for WWE night coincided with the announcement of Wrestlemania Week at Barcalys Center. Given the unique challenge of advertising the game and event without using player or wrestler imagery I suggested making Sparky a WWE champion.

An award winning short film written, produced and directed by Joe Lipari; a semi-autobiographical short film and socio-economic satire about the things we have to do to get ahead in life…

Synopsis :

Out-of-work filmmaker, Dave Koumanzales (Dave Hill), is broke, behind on his bills and facing eviction from his apartment. Things are so bad, he's selling his comics to make ends meet. Just as he's about to give up hope, he's offered what he thinks is his dream job; the chance to work for George Lucas.

Official Selection :

NYC PictureStart Film Festival (Audience Award)
The Friars Club Comedy Film Festival
The Hollywood Shorts Film Festival
Quirkfest : Comedy Film Festival
The Laugh Out Loud Film Festival
Iron Mule Film Festival at 92Y: Tribeca
Middle State Independent Comedy Festival
Lighthouse International Film Festival
Artists for The Creative Theatre: Film Festival
Hoboken International Film Festival
Long Island International Film Expo
First Glance Film Festival's Spring 2012: Online Competition (Finalist)

Marvel/Netflix : Jessica Jones

I worked as a freelance production crew member for the second season of Jessica Jones by Marvel/Netflix; primarily as a go-between for the special effects coordinator and the production coordinator, helping to ensure safety protocols were strictly adhered to and maintaining an open line of communication between cast, crew and directors.

Worked closely with episodic directors, including Jennifer Lynch, to stay on task and maintain a safe workplace for cast and crew.

Serious Audio Video

When Serious offered me a position to create their brand strategy they were a blank canvas, Serious barely had a website. I excitedly jumped at the opportunity because I knew of their brand and the quality of work they did. Their goals were to expand their service area, focus on more corporate clients and “maybe add consulting services”. During my time there we did all three and increased revenue by just under 200%.

Once we created their brand identity and built up their web presence I created media partnerships with trade magazines and industry journalists. After establishing them as design focused leaders in their field they quickly transitioned to doing more commercial clients, sports bars and the types of projects that had higher profit margins. Their website and cohesive SEO/SMO/e-mail campaigns helped grow their client base exponentially, expanding to international consulting services.

Now they focus primarily on consulting, drastically reducing their overhead, while continuing to do commercial projects and the occasional advanced home system.

I was formally recognized for reinventing advertising practices in the smart home & integrated business industries, highlighted as a Top 40 Under 40 industry influencer by 2 major trade publications and received an award at CEDIA Expo.

Chiller : Scary Good Hitchcock Marathon

As a “perma-lance” coordinator/producer for Motive I had the opportunity to work extensively with Chiller. As part of their ongoing partnership I produced a number of horror themed commercials and dynamic web content, most notably this award winning motion graphics commercial for Chiller's Alfred Hitchcock marathon.

With a tight deadline and very specific instructions for deliverables, Joe led a team of motion graphics artists and photo retouchers to create this promo.

The final product was highlighted by industry press, including Studio Daily, for its ingenuity and execution and awarded Top Spot at Studio’s Film Fest.

(The promo was executed by AE Artist Felix Thoo and Executive Produced by Chris Valentino)

History Channel : BC Battles

Another award winning motion graphics animation produced while permalance at Motive; the opening sequence to History Channel's BC Battles.

Partnered with AE Artist Felix Thoo, Executive Producer Chris Valentino and Creative Director Gary Keenan we created this spot for The History Channel.

Using 2D imagery to make a 3D space with sweeping camera moves; this show open was highlighted by Studio Daily and went on to win “Best VFX/Animation” at Studio's Film Festival.

An award winning Augmented Reality mobile campaign created with Motive, a fully immersive treasure hunt that led users to the opening of an all new nightclub in Ireland. Users won cash, vacations, prizes and an all inclusive VIP experience during the grand opening weekend.

At the forefront of AR technology, I and my team at Motive were able to deliver a bug free experience users loved.

From the company website : "Play the iPhone and Android game to decode the secrets of the Mayan civilization. Earn points and win prizes by finding the ancient tombs and treasure chests hidden around Dublin City Centre.

WIN South American Holiday for two, iPads, Notebooks, Tablets, TVs, Smartphones & Accessories, Games Consoles, DVDs, Movie Tickets and much, much more…"

This was Recession Proof Media's first commercial segment, made on spec, with students from my No Budget Filmmaking Workshop at IO West in Los Angeles, CA.

I produced, directed & starred in this clip for Blue Cross / Blue Shield of California. Shot to seem like vacation footage gone horribly wrong. The clip was part of a series that showed people having accidents and hopefully have insurance.

Originally, another actor was cast but they failed to show up on time (so L.A) and I had to improvise. It became one of their more popular commercials and still goes back in to circulation on occasion, I still get residual checks for the pratfall in this.

I partnered with long time collaborator Chris Valentino and his new company, Bean Labs, for Story Half Told. Story Half Told is an in depth look at the lives of women living with metastatic breast cancer, truly awe inspiring stories of strength and endurance.

This heart wrenching series of mini documentaries followed these brave women and their families for a day in the life look at what their lives are like as they lived with fatal diagnoses and how the experimental treatment helped them live longer than doctors expected.   While I typically shy away from Pharma projects, I thought this was an uplifting story and am glad to have been a part of it. I spent a great deal of time with one of the patients, Beth Fairchild, and her passion for life is contagious. Beth still continues to defy doctors’ expectations and persevere; continuing to live a full life.

BHHS Hudson River Properties

Hudson River Properties has been one of Recession Proof Media’s longest running clients.

A Berkshire Hathaway Home Services company, I and Recession Proof Media have a number of brand guidelines to work within when creating content. This video is a broadcast commercial that's played on local cable stations in Hudson County and greater New Jersey.

I also consult with BHHS/HRP to maximize their SEO/SMO campaigns and stand out in a highly saturated real estate market; helping them maintain their position as one of the top producing Berkshire Hathaway Home Services companies.

My first “job” in creative was as an intern at Fangoria in 2003. Having grown up reading the magazine, this was the first of many dream jobs. As the company expanded its content library in an effort to transition from magazine to production company and modern horror hub I was fortunate enough to get a lot of hands on experience and learn by doing.

In 2004 I was hired full time and promoted to producer, working on a number of Fangoria’s projects; including Fangoria Radio (Sirius Radio), Ghost Stories, The Village Halloween Parade, Screamography and the high profile Fangoria/Fuze Chainsaw Awards.

Xerox Jazz Finder

As creative producer at Motive I managed the team that created the award winning Jazz Finder app for Xerox's Jazz Festival.

The heavily used app was part resource and part social media marketing tool that let fans take augmented reality selfies with famous jazz musicians.Highlighted by Brand Channel, Digital Numodo, as an Editor’s Pick by AdAge and among a number of Best App of the Year lists for two years running.

Spearheaded by Motive’s Chief Technologist Brian McSweeney and Executive Producer Chris Valentino.

Fountain Joy Demo

Another project I oversaw the creative process of while working at Motive with Executive Producer Chris Valentino. A demonstration of the Fountain Joy app for Coke & McDonalds, rolled out in small markets and at various music or film festivals.

The stunt app was created to drive business to McDonalds, promote Coke products and engage fans on social media. This project took a lot of convincing, it was an early AR project while the technology was new. The client feared the newness would be a turn off, but were admittedly surprised with it's success. Because of the success of this project McDonald’s and Coke continue to partner for Augmented Reality branding initiatives.

From the Android App Store :

Have you ever seen French Fries fly? McDonald's bags sprout wings? Or Coca-Cola flow from a fountain and defy gravity? You're about to.

Simply find the target cup on posters around town or at participating McDonald's, scan it with this app and watch a magical world come to life through augmented reality right on your mobile device. It's crazy fun and a great way to remember that Coca-Cola, soft drinks and Sweet Tea are just a dollar at participating McDonald's.

As a producer at Motive Joe Lipari oversaw the design and animation for the motion graphics show package of "Team CoCo Presents the Conan Writers Live”.

The broadcast commercial was used on social media and television to promote the live tour of Conan’s Obrian’s writers. The animation of Conan’s iconic red hair was created using a combination of After Effects and Cinema 4D.

Directed by Chris Valentino,
AE/Cinema 4D Artist Jay Liquori

Stand Up at El Rey

As a producer with Motive Joe Lipari over saw the production (from pitch through completion) of the opening titles for Comedy Central's stand up series "Russel Simmons Presents Stand Up at the El Rey”.

The title animation was created using a combination of After Effects and Cinema 4D. Stand Up At the El Rey had one season on Comedy Central and featured comedians including JB Smoove, Eric André and Rachel Feinstein.

Directed by Chris Valentino, AE Artist/Cinema 4D Jay Liquori

Down & Dirty w/ Jim Norton

As a producer at Motive, I oversaw the ideation, casting and production of the opening titles for HBO's Down & Dirty w/ Jim Norton. Filmed on location in New York City (in the alley behind the Comedy Cellar), it was meant to symbolize the dirt and grit of NYC.

The soundtrack provided by Lemmy, Down and Dirty with Jim Norton had one season on HBO and featured Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Andrew Dice Clay and Jim Jeffries.

Directed by Chris Valentino, AE Artist Jay Liquori

House Hunters International

One of the longest running projects at Motive was House Hunters International and I had the opportunity to produce the visual effects for 200 episodes.

Partnering with HGTV’s creative department, HHI’s series producers (Leopard Films & Pie Town Productions) and HHI’s episode directors, we often worked on as many as ten episodes simultaneously.

Visual Effects Creative Director Chris Valentino

A feature length documentary film following Larry Ellison's 10-year quest to bring the oldest trophy in international sport, The America's Cup, back to the United States.

Produced by Mount Philo Films I had the opportunity to work as a freelance Editorial Assistant, helping the post production stay on task and execute each of the producers’/director’s notes and meet deadlines.

Directed by Fritz Mitchel, Produced by Wendy Yamano

An excerpt from Innerstate, a feature length documentary by producer/director Chris Valentino; Joe Lipari worked closesly with Chris as an associate story producer, helping to tell a cohesive story about three adults living with chronic diseases of the immune system: psoriasis, Crohn's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Joe is also featured in the trailer, posing as a psoriasis patient, his make-up was done by Josh Turri (Jessica Jones, The Punisher, SNL).