Veteran commercial producer Dodonna Bicknell, formerly head of production/producer at bicoastal Epoch Films, has opened her own production company, Vamp Films, on the Hollywood Center Studios lot. The new venture opens with a directorial roster consisting of Dale Heslip, Len Peltier, Frank Samuel, Ron Hamad and Danny Kaplan.
A London native, Bicknell has worked for 16 years in the commercial production industry, initially establishing herself as a producer in Toronto. After moving to Los Angeles in 1990, Bicknell freelance produced numerous jobs for major clients (e.g., Pepsi, Toyota, Budweiser), collaborating with such directors as Steve Chase, whos now with bicoastal Reactor Films. In October 94, she moved to New York, joining Epoch as head of production/producer. While there, Bicknell worked primarily as a producer for director Jeff Preiss, both in New York and L.A., to which she returned in 96.
As Vamps exec. producer, Bicknell said, she wants to maintain a boutique-sized company that can give highly creative directors the kind of personal attention and professional management they need in order to develop their careers, whether theyre already established and want to push forward into higher-profile work, or relative newcomers who need some additional cultivation and guidance.
One of the more established directors on Vamps roster is Heslip, whose Canadian-market work combines a sense of film style with performance-based humor and sophisticated visual effects. Heslip started as a graphic arts designer for record labels before segueing into the film industry as a production designer for commercials and music videos. He was first represented for clips by the since-closed Canadian production company Vast. In 1992, he signed on with The Partners Film Company, Toronto, for directorial representation. In 96, he moved to Blink Pictures, Toronto, which continues to rep him in Canada.
Heslips first directing job was a music clip for Crash Test Dummies The Superman Song, which won Best Video and Peoples Choice honors at the 1991 Much Music Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the MTV awards. His AIDS PSA, Rubbers, gained industry recognition in 93 and his Last Supper PSA for the Share Life charity was a finalist at the Cannes Festival in 95. He has also won two Canadian Bessie Awards for Labatts Genuine Kelly, via Ammirati Puris Lintas, Toronto, in 96, and for the 97 Butterfinger spot Hula, via Maclaren McCann, Toronto.
Heslip met Bicknell in the late 1980s while she was producing spots at Champagne Pictures, Toronto. Currently, Heslip said, he is seeking to expand his work in the U.S. and joined Vamp because he trusts Bicknells sensibilities.
Director Peltier started in advertising in 1986 as an agency art director at now-defunct Cabot Advertising and moved to Ingalls Quinn & Johnson (now simply Ingalls), Boston, in 88. He relocated to Los Angeles in 90 to become associate creative director for A&M Records, then moved in 95 to Virgin Records as creative director. He made his directorial debut on music videos while working at A&M with clips for the bands Kitchens of Distinction and Soundgarden. He developed his commercial reel through an informal relationship with Palomar Pictures and Squeak Pictures, both in L.A., with spots for Virgin Megastore. In 94, while still with A&M (and continuing through his stint with Virgin), he signed with Zooma Zooma, Venice, for commercial representation. After having helmed spots for McDonalds, Fila, Citibank and ESPN, among others, Peltier left Zooma Zooma this year.
Peltier said hed known Bicknell from her work at Epoch and was attracted to the quality level she maintains. His recent work includes the Trendy campaign for Luxottica eyewear via Deutsch Inc., New York.
Meanwhile Samuel has already helmed Vamps first commercial, produced while the company was still being organized. Freezer, for Blades snowboards through J. Walter Thompson, New York, is the second Blades spot Samuel has directed. His earlier Blades spot, Inside Tip, was a dramatic descent into a strange back-alley world of extreme sports.
Samuel began working in commercials as an art director, and after directing a spec spot for Teva sandals, he was signed by redBACK films, Venice, in 1996. He then directed Inside Tip and was recruited shortly thereafter by bicoastal Bedford Falls, his roost prior to Vamp.
Samuel described his style as very visual and strongly art-directed, with a feel for black humor rather than straightforward comedy. Through Vamp, he says, hes seeking interesting boards that will allow me to create bigger visuals with strong messages.
Hamad, well-established in the Midwest through his Hamad Films, Cincinnati, came to Vamp for national representation. Known for visual and human-based storytelling, Hamad directed Michael Jordan in a series of spots for the Illinois Lottery and has created commercials for numerous other clients, including Motorola, First Union Bank, adidas, Nescafe and Finish Line. Among his recent credits is a campaign for Cincinnati Bell Telephone via Northlich Stolley LaWarre, Cincinnati.
Hamad got his start in the film industry in 1988 working with his brother, who owns the Cincinnati postproduction facility Instant Replay. There Hamad learned all aspects of film production. He moved to Chicago in 89, where he was represented nationally by Chicago Story. He joined the Los Angeles office of editorial house Red Car when it opened a commercial production division in 90. Hamad then shifted over to Bruce Dorn Films, Los Angeles, where he stayed from 92 to 94, but with directing projects in the Midwest keeping him busy, he opted to focus on developing Hamad Films.
Kaplan joins Vamp with a reel of comedy spots and experience in brand development, design and episodic comedy television. As the co-founder of Venice-based CoLAB, a film, television and new-media development and production company, he is developing original comedy programs in addition to focusing on his commercial career. Prior to joining Vamp Films, Kaplan was represented for spots by Dix Productions, Chicago, from 1996 to 97, and by 11/11 Productions, New York, from 97 to 98.
Kaplans ad work has ranged from strident, in-your-face humor to quirky, offbeat comedy. Kaplan said his spot goal is telling a story with a twist, an approach already embodied in his Nike spec spot Field Goal Kicking Granny and the Sony spot Boxer for Chicago agency Upshot.
-Millie Takaki
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More