Head of Integrated Production
Venables Bell + Partners
1) It’s impossible to ignore today’s polarized society and the current state of distrust and uncertainty in the US, which affects who we look to for information and inspiration, and how we process messages too.
Consequently, this is shifting the role that brands play in our culture and what consumers need from them nowadays, which extends far beyond the products that they sell. It’s been great to see many brands rise to the occasion, take a stand on key issues that reflect their values, and do their part to create positive change. It seems that the brands that don’t take an active role will quickly become irrelevant.
2) I’ve been moved by various long-form videos that do a remarkable job of combining film craft with emotional storytelling, like The Red Cross spot “Hope,” P&G’s “Love Over Bias” and “The Talk,” which all deliver valuable messages. At the other end of the spectrum, I’ve enjoyed spots that are entertaining due to their sense of humor, like “It’s a Tide Ad,” or the exceptional technique of Dougal Wilson’s or Spike Jonze’s Apple spots. I was also extremely impressed with the level of production design and effects work in recent Adidas creative.
3) In today’s political and social climate, and with midterm elections approaching, I think many clients will proceed with increasing caution with their marketing and advertising spends. Also, there will be continued pressure to not only have an active voice in culture but to also take actions that instill positive change and resonate with consumers in meaningful ways.
4) Brand messaging that makes a social statement or inspires positive change is one direction of work that’s rising to the top at recent awards shows. More “conventional” ads that employ outstanding creativity, innovation and craft will certainly continue to be honored too, but the bar is being raised with work that’s doing it all.
5) We are constantly searching out state of the art technology and upgrading the capabilities of our in-house post-production division, Lumberyard. We’ve upgraded our messaging and conferencing systems to an integrated collaboration platform with best in class, end-to-end 256bit encryption. Additionally, we’ve recently upgraded to a next generation firewall that supports 10Gb/s internet connections allowing us to move more data faster to our clients and vendors when needed.
6) Diversity, inclusivity and equal representation are hugely important to us, and we’re doing a number of things to ensure we’re always getting stronger in these areas as an agency, from developing training programs, community outreach initiatives and partnerships with organizations like MAIP to bring new talent into the industry and developing a returnship program to reintegrate women that have taken time off to raise children. Additionally, we’re actively implementing a pledge that ½ of all of the vendors that we use (including those that offer office supplies, food, etc.) are minority or women-owned businesses.
In the production realm, specifically, we applaud organizations like Streetlights Production Assistant Program, whose mission is to create careers for poverty level and socially disadvantaged minorities, while promoting ethnic diversity in the entertainment industry workforce. Additionally, we’re looking to work and partner with production companies that integrate their services.
In terms of mentoring, one of our philosophies is to challenge our employees to work outside their comfort zones, which at times translates into working on projects beyond their experience level. This provides an opportunity for our employees to elevate their skills and confidence while knowing they have a support system along the way.
Review: Writer-Director Aaron Schimberg’s “A Different Man”
Imagine you could wake up one morning, stand at the mirror, and literally peel off any part of your looks you don't like — with only movie-star beauty remaining.
How would it change your life? How SHOULD it change your life?
That's a question – well, a launching point, really — for Edward, protagonist of Aaron Schimberg's fascinating, genre-bending, undeniably provocative and occasionally frustrating "A Different Man," featuring a stellar trio of Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve.
The very title is open to multiple interpretations. Who (and what) is "different"? The original Edward, who has neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes bulging tumors on his face? Or the man he becomes when he's able to slip out of that skin? And is he "different" to others, or to himself?
When we meet Edward, a struggling actor in New York (Stan, in elaborate makeup), he's filming some sort of commercial. We soon learn it's an instructional video on how to behave around colleagues with deformities. But even there, the director stops him, offering changes. "Wouldn't want to scare anyone," he says.
On Edward's way home on the subway, people stare. Back at his small apartment building, he meets a young woman in the hallway, in the midst of moving to the flat next door. She winces visibly when she first sees him, as virtually everyone does.
But later, Ingrid (Reinsve) tries to make it up to him, coming over to chat. She is charming and forthright, and tells Edward she's a budding playwright.
Edward goes for a medical checkup and learns that one of his tumors is slowly progressing over the eye. But he's also told of an experimental trial he could join. With the possibility — maybe — of a cure.
So... Read More