Passport Films has added to its stateside directorial roster while extending its production reach Down Under. On the former score, the Santa Monica-based Passport has secured director Mat Humphrey for U.S. representation. Additionally, Passport–headed by owners/executive producers Patti and David Coulter–has entered into an affiliation with The Guild of Commercial Filmmakers, an Australian production house launched by Humphrey and producer Helene Nicol in 2007.
This is the first of several planned international alliances for Passport, intended to give it production footholds globally.
As for Humphrey, joining Passport reunites him with Michael Romersa, who became the company’s executive producer/head of feature development earlier this year (SHOOT, 4/16). The two were together at Romersa’s since closed Reactor Films, which had handled U.S. representation for the Australia-based director. Among their collaborations was a Brinks Security spot assignment for Doner, Detroit.
Humphrey has been active stateside with select projects over the years, including a memorable PSA for the Minnesota Partnership For Action Against Tobacco, out of agency Clarity Coverdale Fury, Minneapolis. In the ad, a woman who’s holding a baby speaks to a video camera. “Hi, Emma,” she says. “It’s Mommy, and this is you. Mommy is really sick, so I wanted to do this so you’ll always know how much I love you.” Then the mother sings “You Are My Sunshine” to her daughter. A graphic reads, “Be there tomorrow. Stop smoking today.”
The PSA was produced by Aussie house Filmgraphics, which was Humphrey’s roost Down Under prior to his partnering in The Guild of Commercial Filmmakers.
Humphrey’s credits span poignant dramatic fare akin to the anti-tobacco work; actor-driven comedy; dialogue/people work; and other varied forms of storytelling. Over the years, his work has been recognized at such competitions as The One Show, Clios, the London International Awards, and the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
At the latter show, “Consequences,” a PSA for New Zealand’s Land Traffic Safety Association, won a Bronze Lion in 2002. Out of Clemenger BBDO in Wellington, New Zealand, the spot depicts via flashbacks a man driving a car at excessive speed. His vehicle rear-ends an SUV that’s stopped at a crosswalk. The man examines the damage to his front fender and approaches the female driver of the SUV to tell her there’s more damage to his vehicle than hers. She looks horrified, oblivious to what he’s saying. Her eyes lead us to the crosswalk, where we see that her vehicle was hit so hard from behind that it ran over a young woman, apparently killing her. A small boy standing next to the body calls out, “Mommy!” A graphic reads, “The faster you go, the bigger the mess.”
“Consequences” also earned Humphrey a Bronze Clio for direction in ’02, one of two consecutive years he copped a directing honor at the Clio Awards. He earned a Silver Clio in the directing category in ’01 for the Traffic Accident Commission PSA “Never,” which also garnered Gold for best direction at the London International Advertising Awards (now the London International Awards).
Humphrey comes aboard a Passport directorial roster which includes Marco Schillaci, Marshall Vernet, Monty Miranda, Ari Sandel, Stephen Sommer, Domenic Mastrippolito and Larry Carroll.
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