The Cavalry Productions has signed director Laurence Dunmore for commercials and digital work in the U.S. Dunmore is a lauded Cannes Lion-winning director with credits for American Express, Dodge, AT&T, ING, Liberty Mutual, Bank of America, BMW, Cadillac, Ford, Mercedes, Dewar’s, Jameson, Lexus and Turkish Airlines.
Prior to The Cavalry, Dunmore was handled by production house Superprime, which he joined in 2015 after a lengthy tenure with RSA Films. He continues to be repped in France by The Gang Films.
Dunmore began his career in graphic design and art direction in the media and music industries before moving into directing. Dunmore was quickly signed by RSA, where he made a string of award-winning commercials and films.
Dunmore is also known for directing The Libertine, a feature film starring Johnny Depp. While shooting a Eurostar commercial with John Malkovich, the actor gave Dunmore the script for The Libertine, a darkly humorous Restoration-era drama which would become Dunmore’s feature film debut. The film was a visceral immersion into the troubled genius and debauched life of John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester. It was nominated for seven British Independent Film awards, including two for direction.
Dunmore has directed a number of iconic campaigns, perhaps none more so than for Tullamore DEW. “The Other Wall” spot features four friends dressed for a funeral, sitting on a wall in the rain, lamenting the demise of their brother Jerry, only to find Jerry’s funeral is his wedding. Or was his wedding his funeral? The spot took Silver at Cannes. Dunmore’s credits also span luxury brand work for Diesel, Giorgio Armani and Hermes, the latter winning an EPICA for Direction and Cinematography for his stunning 2016 Terre D’Hermes campaign.
The director’s body of work additionally includes films that address social issues or take controversial stands. He points to work for the Commission for Racial Equality and a campaign promoting women’s equality in the workplace (‘Change for Good’). In his latest films for Tullamore DEW, Dunmore has crafted cinematic stories rich with social poignancy addressing immigration, acceptance, and integration in the timely “Beauty of Blend” campaign. “These are films with worth and value, their social commentary is important and resonant as it defines the culture and heritage of the brand and a relevant commentary on the Irish as immigrants,” said Dunmore. “But it also engages the essence of the product–a blend. The films wouldn’t have quite the relevance if they were just for a single malt.”
“With Laurence it’s all about the subtleties and genuine moments that make his films truly special,” said Ross Grogan, founder/exec producer of The Cavalry. “He finds the right tone, that right look that never feels forced or intrusive; it’s why his work resonates so deeply.”
Tanya Cohen, EP at The Cavalry, added, “Laurence encompasses the true essence of a cinematic visual storyteller. His films resonate with a captivating style defined by character performance and arresting visuals–receiving critical acclaim in the process. He can work across any platform.”
Dunmore is currently working on a handful of feature and TV projects, including a film set against the epic landscape of 19th century frontier America.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More