Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
April 30, 2021
Tyler Dague
Downtown-based film studio Flying Scooter Productions has been nominated for a Webby Award, which recognizes excellence on the internet. The awards are presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
Flying Scooter is nominated in the video music series category for “Front Row,” a digital series of filmed concerts during the pandemic by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Nominees represent the top 10% of 13,500 projects submitted worldwide.
Other nominees in the category include NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, PBS’ “Sound Field” series and Universal Music Enterprises’ “Legacy,” a documentary series on singer Bob Marley.
Webby Awards voting is open to the public until midnight May 6 at webbyawards.com. The winners will be announced May 18 in a virtual ceremony hosted by actress Jameela Jamil of NBC’s “The Good Place.”
Courtney Gumpf, co-owner of Flying Scooter, said the recognition allows the studio to bring more projects to fruition and continue telling stories.
“That’s the biggest honor,” she said. “Then we get to share stories of people who need their story told.”
“Front Row” captured the musicians of the PSO performing in locations across Western Pennsylvania, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, The Andy Warhol Museum on the North Shore and a hangar at the Washington County Airport. They capped off the series with a return to Heinz Hall for the orchestra’s 125th anniversary celebration.
Jennifer Schlieper, co-owner of Flying Scooter, said “Front Row” stood out because of the musicianship of the PSO. She recalled men and women on the crew tearing up listening to principal cellist Anne Martindale Williams play during the filming.
“It was emotional,” Schlieper said. “When you couple them with the stories, it was very real. We let the musicians be the stars.”