By David Bauder, Media Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --The Associated Press says it has reached a deal with Sony Electronics to exclusively equip its photojournalists with new video and still cameras over the next two years.
The AP sends some 3,000 photos and 200 videos a day to customers worldwide. Visual journalism is a point of pride for the news cooperative, which won its 54th Pulitzer Prize this year, the 32nd it has won for photography.
The new Alpha cameras will be smaller and lighter, and employ mirrorless technology, enabling photographers to work silently.
"This is a game-changer for the AP and will give us way more flexibility into the future," said Derl McCrudden, deputy managing editor for visual and digital journalism.
The company would not discuss the size of the investment.
It will be the first time the AP uses video and still cameras from the same manufacturer, which it hopes will allow for greater consistency in the product and more speed. Photographers will be able to easily share lenses and memory cards.
"We think we can get images from the back of cameras to customers in minutes," said J. David Ake, director of photography.
Ake said he hoped the transition would be complete in between 18 months and two years, although training on the new equipment will be initially complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Neal Manowitz, deputy president for Imaging Products and Solutions Americas at Sony Electronics, said the company is "honored to equip AP's journalists with our technology and support, giving them the opportunity to capture, transmit and deliver imagery in ways they never could before."
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More