Global creative studio MPC announced that colorist Houmam “H” Abdallah has joined its global MPC Color team. Abdallah starts his MPC career in London but will later move to Los Angeles, and work alongside colorist Mark Gethin, U.S. creative director/Color, and colorist Ricky Gausis.
Abdallah has spent the past three years coloring as well as directing projects out of Black Dog Films. He has also worked at Electric Theatre Collective collaborating with directors including Andreas Nilsson, Saam Farahmand, directing duo Us, Sam Miller, Nick Gordon and Rollo Jackson. Among the commercial work he has graded is the Gold Lion-winning Women’s Aid “Look At Me” campaign via WCRS London, and spots for Nike, Audi, adidas, Virgin Atlantic, Dyson, Glenfiddich, Intel and McLaren, to note a few.
“Joining MPC in Los Angeles is a golden opportunity to work with the best directors and cinematographers in the world and amongst colleagues I have long admired and been inspired by, Mark Gethin and Ricky Gausis,” Abdallah said. “I’m excited to collaborate with new commercial clients on memorable brand work, and now that I’m in the entertainment capitol of the world, I look forward to getting in the mix of grading films and TV series.”
Abdallah has lent his artistic touch to music videos for artists FKA Twigs, The Last Shadow Puppets, The War On Drugs and Blur, as well as short films including Tomorrow’s Flames are Already Burning. He graded FKA Twigs promo “M3LL155X” (Melissa) which was nominated in 2016 for both Best VFX at the MTV VMAs and Best Color at the UK MVAs. He also graded the Twigs’ “Two Weeks,” a nominee for Best VFX at the MTV VMAs in 2015. And H was the colorist for Clock Opera’s “Once And For All,” which earned director Ben Strebel a Cannes YDA honor.
Recent work from the MPC LA Color team includes Mike Mills’ 20th Century Women (colorist Gethin), FX’s critically acclaimed series “Atlanta” (Gausis), Samsung Surf’s “Snail” (Gausis), Vaseline’s “Wonder Jelly” (Gethin) and The Weeknd’s “Mania” (Gethin).
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More