Havoc Content, under the aegis of owner/managing director Leslie Harro, has launched a music video division. Harro teams on the new venture with partner/director Santiago Salviche. Fittingly the expansive move by Latinx-American-woman-owned production company Havoc Content comes during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Salviche has produced and directed for assorted music artists including Jennifer Lopez, Danna Paola, Marc Antony, Enrique Iglesias and JoJo.
“When Santiago and I met, we had so much in common in how we ran our individual businesses,” shared Harro. “Initially, we decided he would come on as a director in Havoc’s commercial division. Santi is so intelligent in business and building relationships, I knew it would elevate our company to bring him on as a partner in the launch of our music video division. He’s unique in his abilities to foster young and underrepresented talent, while still building his own amazing career as a director. We are very aligned with this and it makes us an incredible team. It’s been a dream having him as a partner. Music Videos is a unique and creative world that Havoc fits right into.”
Salviche said, “Partnering with Leslie was a natural choice for us because of the level Havoc is already operating at, the streamlined and efficient processes she brings to the table and the years of experience creating wonderful products in all markets. Our team is committed to making a lasting impact in the industry by creating cutting-edge visual products for the music world and by nurturing and empowering talented directors. Building and maintaining enduring relationships with these directors is not just a goal; it’s a fundamental part of our journey. We believe that the music video medium is a playground for creativity and a fantastic training ground for directors to hone their skills, hence the importance of picking the right talent for the long haul.”
Since taking over the reins of Havoc Content in 2020, Harro and team have collaborated on assorted commercial, advertising, branded content and music video projects for: Toyota, Whatsapp, NFL, Nike, Motor Trend, Arm & Hammer and Space Force. 2023 has seen the company continuously shooting projects for such clients as Meta, Canon, Pepcid, Maci, and RCA. Havoc Content is currently in the midst of projects for Allegiant Air, Facebook and another project for Space Force. On the TV and film side, Havoc is also in the midst of developing two episodic shows.
“2023 has been a year of massive growth and growing pains for Havoc,” commented Harro. “We have been incredibly fortunate to bring on new clients while continuing to keep up with our existing clients. We have scaled faster than we anticipated, so as an owner I have had to adjust rapidly. There is no room for error at this level and we run a very tight ship. We have continued to grow our roster with amazing new talent, who we have been incredibly successful with. It’s exciting and exhilarating, working at this pace with the incredible team we have. But it has also been a very tough year with some difficult losses, especially with the strike and seeing some of our peers really struggle. Continuing to run our company with compassion and empathy will always be one of our main priorities.”
Supreme Court declines to hear appeal from singer R. Kelly, convicted of child sex crimes
The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal Monday from the singer R. Kelly, who is now serving 20 years in prison after being convicted of child sex convictions in Chicago.
The Grammy Award-winning R&B singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, was found guilty in 2022 of three charges of producing child sexual abuse images and three charges of enticement of minors for sex.
His lawyers argued that a shorter statute of limitations on child sex crime prosecutions should have applied to offenses dating back to the 1990s. Current law permits charges while an accuser is still alive.
The justices did not detail their reasoning in declining to hear the case, as is typical. And none publicly dissented. Lower courts previously rejected his arguments.
Federal prosecutors have said the video showed Kelly abusing a girl. The accuser identified only as Jane testified that she was 14 when the video was taken.
Kelly has also appealed a separate 30-year sentence for federal racketeering and sex trafficking convictions in New York.
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