“I Happen to Like New York” - A Loving Tribute to New Yorkers and the City’s Front-Line Workers

“I Happen to Like New York” - A Loving Tribute to New Yorkers and the City’s Front-Line Workers

There have been many heartwarming stories to come out of the COVID-19 crisis in New York, but perhaps none as emotionally resonant as the nightly salute to the front-line workers who literally put their life on the line every day.


 

Each evening at 7 p.m., New Yorkers gather on streets (at a safe distance, of course) or lean out of their windows, banging saucepans, clapping, cheering and hollering as exhausted healthcare workers make their way home after a shift.


 

It’s noisy, passionate and emotional: A quintessential New York salute.


 

“It’s quite emotional and cathartic—a little reprieve every night,” says Arts & Sciences director Matt Lenski, a native New Yorker who has turned video footage of the nightly salute into a powerful new PSA for the United Way.


 

The resulting video, “I Happen to Like New York,” was conceived as a way for Lenski and Arts & Sciences to capture the true spirit of New York—which has maintained its resolve despite being one of the hardest-hit cities during the COVID-19 crisis. Equally important, the PSA serves as a way to both celebrate and create awareness of the New York chapter of the United Way, which has been working tirelessly during the COVID crisis to provide support and resources to New Yorkers in need.


 

And just as New Yorkers are coming together to cheer during difficult times, they also came together to create this film. Lenski, Arts & Sciences and their New York sales rep Tara Averill, spearheaded the effort by asking fellow NYC production partners, friends and clients to contribute a single shot that captured their perspective of the nightly salute.  From banging pans, to sounding notes on a trumpet and in one case using a pair of oversized foam core hands to applaud workers, Arts & Sciences was overwhelmed by the powerful and inspiring images of New Yorkers saluting essential workers all across the five boroughs.


 

“It shows up in all sorts of ways that we would never have expected,” says Lenski. “Some shots have been really heart-felt and others have been humorous. People are experiencing this in so many different ways.”


 

The soundtrack, provided by Walker, is “I Happen to Like New York,” a semi-obscure song by cabaret singer Bobby Short (described by The New York Times in his 2005 obituary as an “icon of Manhattan song and style”) that begins as a simple three-note piano figure before building into a full-blown paean to the city that never sleeps.


 

Lenski says the first priority for the film was to ensure that it was “exceedingly New York,” which meant looking beyond obvious song selections for one that would appeal directly to the city’s residents. “It has a very New York way about it that is absolutely perfect,” says Lenski. “It’s the New York-iest New York thing: It has both the right attitude and credibility, and just the right amount of nostalgia.”

Credits


Title: I Happen to Like New York

Client: United Way New York City


 

Production Company: Arts & Sciences


Director/Creative Director: Matt Lenski

Partner: Matt Aselton


Managing Director: Mal Ward

Managing Director: Marc Marrie


Executive Producer: John Benson

Executive Producer: Tara Averill


Head of Production: Christa Skotland

Producer: Kristin Porter


 

Editorial: Mackenzie Cutler


Editor: Dave Koza

Editor: Brendan Hogan


Assistant Editor: Zoë Newman

Executive Producer: Gina Pagano


Flame Artist: Jimmy Hayhow

Mixer: Sam Shaffer


 

 


Music: Walker

Song: I Happen to Like New York by Bobby Short


Sr. Executive Producer: Sara Matarazzo

Executive Producer: Stephanie Pigott


Executive Producer: Abbey Hendrix

Producer: Danielle Soury


Chief Engineer: Christopher Keyes

 


Title Design & Animation: Work-Order

Creative Director: Keira Alexandra


Creative Director: Kiffer Keegan

Designer & Animator: Antoine Mauron


Project Manager: Rusty Van Riper

 


Illustrator: Carolyn Figel

 


 

Special thanks to the following for contributing footage:


Amy Henry

Andy Lilien


Clement Price Thomas

Connor Todd


Cynthia Medina

Daniel Navetta


Dave Williams

Dina Clay


Emily Moore

Eric Oglander


Greg Chan

John Benson


John Robertson

Josh Griffiths


Kara Collier Ibanez

Lexie Robinson


Lucy Sheen

Mat Kim


Matt Lenski

Matt Pascuzzi


Melissa Barton

Mike Warzin


Murray + Maryanne Butler

Peter + Becky Donahue


Peter + Kate Deming

Raphael de Cardeneas


Ron Egozi

Roxanne Assoulin


Sam Levy

Shawn Regruto


Tara Averill

Toure


Trent Jacklitsch

Zack Grant

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