Washington Square Films has signed director Michael McCourt for exclusive representation in commercials and content. He has already wrapped four campaigns for his new roost….XYZ has signed director Mat Landour for representation in the U.S. and Australia. Landour’s spot credits span such clients as Coca-Cola, Royal Bank of Canada, TNT and the International Olympic Committee. He has collaborated with Wieden+Kennedy, Y&R, Sapient and Cole & Weber, among other agencies….Audio post mixer Rob DiFondi has returned to Sound Lounge after three years at audioEngine. DiFondi originally joined New York-based Sound Lounge as an intern upon graduating from SUNY Fredonia, where he earned a B.S. in Sound Recording Technology. He became a mixer in 2002, where he worked with several leading brands and agencies such as Crispin Porter Bogusky, Anomaly, Google Creative Labs, McGarry Bowen, Modernista!, Nicebigbrain, BBH, Saatchi & Saatchi and Hill Holiday….Digital creative studio Struck has hired Jennifer Hughes as director of strategic planning, a newly created position at the shop. Most recently Hughes was with 3M and earlier spent nearly 10 years in strategy and account planning with McCann Erickson and MRM worldwide….
FireAid Concert Features Major Music Stars, Shares Stories Of Loss To Raise Money For L.A. Wildfire Relief
Pop stars, first responders, rock stars and those who've lost everything in the devastating LA-area wildfires came together for FireAid, a massive benefit concert Thursday that combined spectacular performances with moving storytelling from survivors and reminders of the destruction.
In a night full of surprises, a reunion of Nirvana — fronted by St. Vincent, Kim Gordon and Joan Jett in the place of the late Kurt Cobain — tops the list. They launched into "Breed," "School" and "Territorial Pissings" respectively, inspired and unexpected choices.
Drummer Dave Grohl's daughter, Violet, then emerged on stage for "All Apologies."
Closer Lady Gaga, after powering through the Oscar-award winning "Shallow" and "Always Remember Us This Way" from "A Star Is Born," played a new song on the piano. "It's just for tonight, it's just for you," she said of the song she wrote with fiancé businessman Michael Polansky. "Time is a healer."
"All I need is time," she sang in the folk-y pop chorus. "To heal my broken wings and then I'll soar."
Green Day kicked off the massive show by launching into "Last Night on Earth" at the Kia Forum and were soon joined by Billie Eilish for the first surprise of the night. The lyrics are surprisingly astute: "If I lose everything in the fire / I'm sending all my love to you."
After their set, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong hugged actor Billy Crystal, who was there to welcome to the crowd at the Kia Forum.
"Our goal is simple tonight, to spend more money than the Dodgers spent on free agents," he joked. He told the audience U2 offered the first big donation of the night: $1 million dollars.
Crystal said he was wearing the clothes he had on when he evacuated. He lost his home in... Read More