For Joseph Abboud’s menswear line JOE, Carolyn London, co-owner of London Squared Productions, New York, directed a series of viral videos. The client agreed to two-and-a-half-minute, dark little character studies as a way to launch the brand. The characters, including a hardened criminal and drug-addled rock star, talk longingly about their connection to this mysterious “Joe.”
“I thought that was pretty adventurous for a retail brand,” London said.
Like the viral videos, London’s new short, I’m In The Mood For Death, has a dark-comedy vibe. The film , which made its world premiere at the LA Shorts Fest yesterday and has been selected for the 10th annual Mecal, the International Short Film Festival of Barcelona, which starts today, follows Jamie, who has planned her perfect death down to the very last detail. But just as she is ready to die, life decides to get in the way. London teamed with husband Andy, who is also co-owner of London Squared Productions, to execute the project, which she admits was inspired by her own life and work. “My husband and I have a production company that specializes in ridiculously obsessive type work such as insane animation projects and music video shoots with 35 locations. This film is about someone who has created a world of her own making–one that makes sense only to her. It’s completely reasonable that she’s trying to perfect the art of death. And she’s going to keep doing it until she gets it right. I suppose that’s how I feel about being a filmmaker.
“When I’m in the throes of writing and creating, my OCD kicks in big time. I become a lock-checker, almost as if everything would be right in the world if I could tame locks and oven knobs. My husband teases me about it so I wanted to delve in deeper and see what was behind this anxiety and desire to control the tiniest details. I believe that it rises from a fear of death and the unknown, of jumping into the world without a safety net. But that’s the ultimate joke–only when you do is when you really start to live.”
Temporary insanity One of the insane animation projects London mentioned is a film she and Andy are currently working on, which will be released this fall. The film is loosely based on events from Andy’s life–being obsessed with a woman in high school and the devastating circumstances of a certain night. To properly do justice to this film, the husband and wife team played around with many techniques for six months: cel drawing, flash, different animation styles.
“Then we hit upon it– rotoscoping actual video footage. So, in essence, Andy and I acted out the events of this high school experience over several weeks with a room full of extras and then it was rotoscoped and traced scene by scene. So just in case high school wasn’t bad enough the first time, now we’re revisiting it frame by grueling frame,” said London.
Meanwhile the independently financed I’m In the Mood For Death took three months to wrap from start to finish, and required some clever finagling of resources. The 350-square-foot NYC apartment in the film belonged to actress and friend Sonya Rokes, who plays the lead protagonist Jamie. Other key collaborators include editor/line producer/post producer O’Hara Tudor, DP Bill Lucia, art director/production designer Michael Vadino and animator Pascal Campion.
London’s background in advertising–she was a copywriter at Saatchi & Saatchi New York and Lowe Worldwide–has informed her directing. She understands the importance of starting with a really good idea. “And spend a lot of time beta-testing that concept before you invest thousands of dollars to execute it,” London said. “Andy and I collaborate on all of the writing, and we spend a lot of time making sure the idea is ironclad and watertight.
“On set, I’ve learned that everything comes from the top down. Trust, faith, security, comfort, excitement–whatever. I picked that up early in my career when I was a copywriter going on shoots. I also try to infuse the spirit of my projects with an optimism and sense of daring…I go in with a strong idea, but I’m open to how we come to the end product. I like to have a sense of discovery. I think that’s where film and advertising sometimes depart. It’s just way too expensive to ‘discover’ on a commercial shoot. Clients need a sense of security. And who can blame them?”
As far as clients she’d love to direct for, she has a fondness for Target spots and their visual wit as well as how they pull in theatrical bits.
“My recent films are human-scaled, black-comedy-type stories, but in my heart I feel like Vincente Minnelli. I’m a big fan of choreography and precise timing. Many years ago I was studying dance and when I figured out I wasn’t a great dancer, I became interested in choreography and directing performances, which is partly what got me on the path to directing. So timing and syncopation and musicality still figure largely in my approach to work. I’d love to work on any spot that has a bit of panache, a little wink and nod. Bring on the sunshine and the dancing girls. I’m a shameless sucker for raw entertainment for the masses.”
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More