HOFFMAN BROTHERS GO PAVLOVIAN
Talk about your conditioned Pavlov’s response. In this spec spot directed, edited and conceived by The Hoffman Brothers (Mark and Matt) of Santa Monica-based harvest, it’s not dogs that are salivating at the perceived promise of a reward but rather grown men who are turning tricks in return for a special treat.
We open on two women in a public park venue that’s reminiscent of a doggie park, except the canines are their husbands who are running wild and free. The guys are having a grand old time, not listening to anything or anyone, including their spouses.
That is, until, one wife gets her hubby to retrieve a thrown ball. She explains to her fellow wife that it’s “all about praise and reward.” He brings the ball to her but refuses to relinquish it, until he gets his treat: a bottle of Bud Light. He drops the ball to the ground and takes off with the brew.
After a product shot, we’re back to the park where the untrained husband is dry humping a park fixture. Asked where she found him, the wife responds, “He’s a rescue.”
Bonnie Goldfarb and Scott Howard exec produced for harvest, with Rob Sexton serving as producer. The DP was Joe Meade.
CANADIAN DPS GO ONLINE–FOR REEL An online reel library for Canada’s IATSE Local 667 has been launched by adbeast which specializes in digital asset management solutions for the advertising and production communities. Local 667 members–DPs as well as camera operators–are now able to promote and share their work in a state-of-the-art, rich-media environment.
“Thanks to adbeast our members no longer have to struggle with the production of cumbersome DVDs. Adbeast streamlines the storage, distribution, and promotion of our members showreels saving us time and money. More than that, it allows us to bring our members’ work to a much larger audience,” said Rick Perotto, Local 667 business rep.
Reels from more than 120 of Eastern Canada’s top DPs and camera operators will be available online through the new adbeast service. Plus there’s the added value of Local 667 staffers being able to log on to their adbeast studio to build and send out reels directly to the inboxes of top producers in Hollywood and around the world.
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS…. Roger Baldacci has been promoted from executive VP/creative director to executive VP/executive creative director and Wade Devers from executive VP/creative director to executive VP/creative director/head of art at Arnold Boston where they will partner with chief creative officer Pete Favat. In his new role, Baldacci–who’s been with the advertising agency for eight years–will touch more businesses at Arnold with the goal of inspiring the best work, and mentoring staff. Meanwhile Baldacci is also charged with bringing new talent into the agency’s headquarter offices, and overseeing all new hires in the creative department. Devers has been with Arnold for nine years. The head of art role has been created to drive visual communication and execution across all aspects of Arnold’s creative product. In addition to working with and mentoring the art and design staff, he will also collaborate with Arnold’s digital and print production groups, as well as the studio, to ensure the highest quality across all work that the agency produces….
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More