By Kristin Wilcha
CHICAGO --The Altoids campaign “Altodia,” out of Leo Burnett USA, Chicago, freshened up the Chicago Creative Club (CCC) Awards, held late last month at The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. The package, won Best of Show–Television, as well as numerous other accolades. It also scored best multimedia campaign.
The campaign, which includes the TV spots “Mastering the Mother Tongue,” “People of Pain,” and “Fable of the Fruit Bat,” features the exploits of Sir Gerald Pine, an explorer to the land of Altoidia, who encounters tribes who have made the Altoids line of products an integral part of their daily lives. Humorously, the hapless researcher gets himself into sticky situations with folks he encounters. Craig Gillespie of bicoastal/international MJZ directed the trio of ads. In addition to Best of Show, the spots won for best 30-second television campaign. “People of Pain” scored three crafts honors–editing, cinematography, and direction. Paul Martinez of bicoastal Lost Planet cut the spots, and Neil Shapiro served as director of photography. “Mastering the Mother Tongue” was honored for 30-second single/television spot.
A Miller package comprising the ads “Voices,” “Victims” and “Football,” out of Young & Rubicam, Chicago, was honored for longer length campaign/television. Rocky Morton of bicoastal/international MJZ directed the ads.
For television production under $50,000, the Chicago Music Exchange ad “Smash,” out of Element 79 Partners, Chicago, was honored. Evan Bernard of bicoastal/international Chelsea Pictures directed the spot. For special effects, Dell’s “Clay’s Talent,” out of DDB Chicago was singled out. David Shane of bicoastal/international Hungry Man directed the spot. Bicoastal Brand New School did graphics and effects on the ad. The Pontiac ad “Mesmerize” out of Leo Burnett Detroit, Troy, Mich., was honored for music. The team Crime of the Century from bicoastal Supply & Demand directed the spot, which featured licensed music in the form of Kasabian’s “Club Foot.”Review: Malcolm Washington Makes His Feature Directing Debut With “The Piano Lesson”
An heirloom piano takes on immense significance for one family in 1936 Pittsburgh in August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson." Generational ties also permeate the film adaptation, in which Malcolm Washington follows in his father Denzel Washington's footsteps in helping to bring the entirety of The Pittsburgh Cycle — a series of 10 plays — to the screen.
Malcolm Washington did not start from scratch in his accomplished feature filmmaking debut. He enlisted much of the cast from the recent Broadway revival with Samuel L. Jackson (Doaker Charles), his brother, John David Washington (Boy Willie), Ray Fisher (Lymon) and Michael Potts (Whining Boy). Berniece, played by Danielle Brooks in the play, is now beautifully portrayed by Danielle Deadwyler. With such rich material and a cast for whom it's second nature, it would be hard, one imagines, to go wrong. Jackson's own history with the play goes back to its original run in 1987 when he was Boy Willie.
It's not the simplest thing to make a play feel cinematic, but Malcolm Washington was up to the task. His film opens up the world of the Charles family beyond the living room. In fact, this adaptation, which Washington co-wrote with "Mudbound" screenwriter Virgil Williams, goes beyond Wilson's text and shows us the past and the origins of the intricately engraved piano that's central to all the fuss. It even opens on a big, action-filled set piece in 1911, during which the piano is stolen from a white family's home. Another fleshes out Doaker's monologue in which he explains to the uninitiated, Fisher's Lymon, and the audience, the tortured history of the thing. While it might have been nice to keep the camera on Jackson, such a great, grounding presence throughout, the good news is that he really makes... Read More