Director Fred Savage, whose episodic TV comedy credits span It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Party Down and most recently Modern Family, has come aboard Über Content for U.S. spot representation. At press time, he was already busy shooting his first campaign for Über Content: Uni-Ball pens through new Chicago agency TRIS3CT.D
Savage is no stranger to commercialmaking. Last year he made his spot directorial debut with “Testers” for Ubisoft’s Red Steel 2 videogame. That job was produced via MRB Productions for Ubisoft’s in-house San Francisco agency (SHOOTonline, 4/8/10)
Savage spent his childhood in front of the camera as the lead in The Wonder Years and at twelve became the youngest person to receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. During that period he also starred in the memorable films, The Princess Bride and The Wizard.
After graduating from Stanford in 1999, Savage made a successful transition to the other side of the lens, as evidenced by his three DGA Award nominations for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs, the last coming for the pilot episode of Zeke and Luther (2009). He moved into episodic comedy with the aforementioned Party Down for Starz, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia for FX, and Modern Family on ABC.
Savage’s extensive directorial experience and natural gift for eliciting great comedic performances attracted Über Content. “Fred’s television work is truly some of the funniest out there. His ability to bring home fantastic performances is obvious from his body of work and after meeting him and hearing his excitement to jump into the advertising world, bringing him aboard Über was a no-brainer,” said Preston Lee, partner/executive producer of Über Content.
Savage joins an Über Content directorial roster that includes Amir Farhang, Jeffrey Fleisig, Elma Garcia, Luis Gerard, Chris Hooper, Jason Kohn, Eliot Rausch, Marc Schölermann, Steven Tsuchida, and Cole Webley.
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