principal/CEO
charlieuniformtango
1) I think one of the most exciting things for our industry in 2017 is the coming wave of Augmented Reality (AR) applications. Though AR has been gaining steam in recent years, this year marks a turning point for the technology, which blends digital objects with live photo and video on mobile devices. This is in part fueled by Apple’s soon-to-be released iOS 11, which features their new ARKit development framework, allowing for AR content. The examples I’ve seen so far (http://www.madewitharkit.com/) indicate that this cutting-edge technology is the next frontier for creative content. I can’t wait to see how people use this once they have it in their hands, and I definitely want to create experiences for this next generation format.
2) One piece I keep coming back to this year is a Pearle Vision spot from Energy BBDO Chicago called “Ben’s Glasses.” I won’t spoil it (you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4PbTeOIHe4), but it tells a story that is simple, universal, and emotional. Moreover, it does so using beautiful, classical techniques while still feeling thoroughly modern. “Ben’s Glasses” is both current and timeless. It’s a reminder that, whatever exciting new path our industry leads us down, a compelling story well told will always catch one’s attention. Even, and maybe especially, for something as simple as a visit to the eye doctor.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this โ and those many "Babadook" memes โ unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables โ "Bah-Bah-Doooook" โ an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More