Warpaint opens with nine directors, wraps first project with Darren Aronofsky
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (the Oscar-nominated Super Size Me) has teamed his New York-based production company Warrior Poets with producer Keith Calder’s L.A.-headquartered Snoot Entertainment and spot production veteran Shannon Lords to create Warpaint, a commercial production house with bases of operation in N.Y., L.A. and London.
The new venture opens with a roster of nine directors: Spurlock (The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Comic-Con: Episode IV-A Fan’s Hope, Mansome, spots for JetBlue, Hunt’s); Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes); Gary Hustwit (Helvetica, Objectified, Apple): Adam Wingard (You’re Next); Liz Garbus (Bobby Fischer Against the World); Adam Lisegar (LonelySandwich.com); Michael Tucker (Fightville, Gunner Palace, Mastercard); Maggie Choo (Nike) and Damien Toogood (Olympus, Target, Pepsi).
Furthermore Warpaint has wrapped its first project, a Revlon campaign directed by Darren Aronofsky and featuring Emma Stone and Halle Berry. Aronofsky, a Best Director Oscar nominee last year for Black Swan, is no stranger to spotmaking. Via production house Wild Plum, he helmed a Meth Project public service campaign for digital marketing agency Organic (SHOOTonline, 11/8/11).
For Spurlock, starting a commercial production company only seemed a logical, natural extension of his recent pursuits, “After working directly with brands and advertising agencies in the placement exposé The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, as well as directing multiple commercial spots for other production companies, I saw an opportunity to create a much more director-driven entity. Within Warpaint, our directors will have the freedom to not only experiment with new technologies and formats, but they will also own a larger stake in their work moving forward,” said Spurlock.
As for his alluded to commercial directing experience, Spurlock while making The Greatest Movie Ever Sold took a quick break to helm spots for Hunt’s Tomato Sauce out of New York agency Nitro via Saville Productions. The spots featured chef George Duran dropping in on the Glen Cove (NY) Volunteer Fire Department with Hunt’s to help make lasagna for the firefighters. Spurlock’s other ad credits include such clients as Ally and JetBlue.
Calder, who produced Greatest Movie alongside Warrior Poets and Spurlock’s producing partner, Jeremy Chilnick, loved the idea of forming a commercial production company from the beginning. “At Snoot, we have dipped our toes in advertising and branded content before, but we were waiting for the right partners before diving in headfirst. After a fantastic experience on The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, we’re delighted to be establishing Warpaint with Morgan and Shannon,” said Calder.
Commercial veteran Shannon Lords has been pursued by multiple production companies over the years to become a full time executive, but never felt that the timing was right. After working with Spurlock, that all changed. “I had considered other staff positions, but after working with Morgan and his unique approach to commercials, the decision to get involved with Warpaint was an easy one,” said Lords. “Opportunities to work with directors who are true filmmakers don’t come along often, so when the opportunity arose I jumped at it.” Over the years, Lords has worked with such directors as Bryan Singer, Barry Levinson, Spike Lee, Wim Wenders, Zack Snyder, Michael Bay, Noam Murro, Joe Pytka, Samuel Bayer and Steve Miller.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More