Comedy director Craig Melville has joined Naked City for U.S. representation and production. An Australian who has lived in New York City for the past five years, Melville remains on the roster at AIRBAG in Australia, which recently struck its own U.S. representation deal with Naked City.
Melville is known for his docu-style comedy films for both television and advertising. His work has won more than 60 awards, including multiple Cannes Lions, Australian Directors Guild awards, and the Grand Prix at both the Mumbrella Awards and Spikes Asia.
Melville has directed more than 120 TV episodes for the likes of Late Night with Seth Meyer, and Aussie comedians John Safran and The Chaser. Advertising clients include Pepsi, Expedia, Target, McDonald’s, Honda, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, and Qantas. Prior to joining Naked City, Melville was handled by Hey Presto! in the U.S. market
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Melville’s narrative short film, Smithston, which was an official selection at multiple film festivals, is a tragically hilarious story of a man coping with his son’s accident and his heart wrenching, ridiculously misguided battle with the aftermath.
“While I think Craig is a uniquely skilled comedy director and writer, it’s his subtle and assured way with talent and his understated sense of wit that made me want him to join our cool group,” explained Mark Sitley, Naked City’s founder and executive producer.
Melville said, “Mark and Dave (director Schmidt) have created so many standout creative campaigns over the years, it’s great having such an experienced team behind me in the U.S.”
Naked City, which celebrated its first year in business this month, is represented on the East Coast by Minerva x Mr. Bartlett, the business development team made up of Shauna Seresin, Mary Knox, and James Bartlett. Kristina Kovacevic of KK Reps handles the Midwest.
Singer-Songwriter and Actor Kris Kristofferson Dies At 88
Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, has died.
Kristofferson died at his home on Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88.
McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. No cause was given.
Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas native wrote such country and rock 'n' roll standards as "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," "Help Me Make it Through the Night," "For the Good Times" and "Me and Bobby McGee." Kristofferson was a singer himself, but many of his songs were best known as performed by others, whether Ray Price crooning "For the Good Times" or Janis Joplin belting out "Me and Bobby McGee."
He starred opposite Ellen Burstyn in director Martin Scorsese's 1974 film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," starred opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 "A Star Is Born," and acted alongside Wesley Snipes in Marvel's "Blade" in 1998.
Kristofferson, who could recite William Blake from memory, wove intricate folk music lyrics about loneliness and tender romance into popular country music. With his long hair and bell-bottomed slacks and counterculture songs influenced by Bob Dylan, he represented a new breed of country songwriters along with such peers as Willie Nelson, John Prine and Tom T. Hall.
"There's no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson," Nelson said at a 2009 BMI award ceremony for Kristofferson. "Everything he writes is a standard and we're all just going to have to live with that."
Kristofferson retired from performing and recording in 2021, making only occasional guest appearances on stage, including a performance... Read More