Director Eriq Wities–whose work calls on a range of techniques from stop-motion (with people, puppets and inanimate objects) to trick photography, hand-crafted art direction and in-camera, design-driven practical effects–has joined the roster of The Artists Company. Wities has up to this point done most of his projects through his own shop, Open Content; he previously was with mixed-media house ka-chew!
The New York-based director’s stop-motion and storytelling acumen are showcased in a campaign for the Illinois Institute of Art which takes accomplished professionals back in time before our eye to their beginnings as students at the art institute; Open Content produced the spots for David&Goliath. Among Wities’ other credits are a Save The Bay spot, out of agency Free Range Studios and produced by Open Content, in which plastic bags collectively form a rising tide that engulfs a woman standing at the shoreline; and client-direct gigs for the American Jewish World Service, Rainforest Action Network and U.C. Berkeley. All these jobs reflect a strategy of taking on socially conscious PSAs rather than spec work to not only demonstrate his talent but also gain airplay and online exposure to promote worthwhile causes.
Wities’ reel also includes a Djuice spot for Lowes Ukraine, and a client-direct YouTube job.
Wities was raised in the rolling foothills of Kilimanjaro, in the beautiful Tanzanian town of Moshi. He began experimenting with filmmaking and animation at an elementary school age, and his early works reflect colors and motion deeply influenced by centuries of East African dance and ancient textiles. It was in the Tanzanian street markets where Wities’ early sense of design and body movement was defined. The traditional East African wooden dolls were his original puppets. Fabricating joints and armatures from scrap metal and found soda cans, he assembled puppets out of antique Makonde sculptures and a love for animation and stop-motion was born.
“Red One” Tops Weekend Box Office With $34.1 Million
Moviegoers were not exactly feeling the Christmas spirit this weekend, or at least what "Red One" was offering. The big budget, star-driven action comedy with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans sold $34.1 million in tickets in its first weekend in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It easily topped a box office populated mostly by holdovers.
For traditional studios, a $34.1 million debut against a $200 million+ production budget would be a clear indication of a flop. Some even peg the budget closer to $250 million. But "Red One" is an Amazon MGM Studios release and they have the luxury of playing the long game, accounting not only for global box office where Johnson tentpoles often overperform, but its life on Prime Video for years to come.
"Red One," in which Johnson plays Santa's bodyguard, was also originally built to go straight-to-streaming. There's a narrative that the theatrical earnings are not only just a bonus, but that it's an additive gesture towards struggling theaters looking for a consistent stream of new films. The first major studio holiday release since 2018, "Red One" opened on 4,032 screens, including IMAX and other large formats, on an otherwise quiet weekend for major releases.
Warner Bros. is handling the overseas release, where it has made an estimated $50 million in two weekends from 75 territories and 14,783 screens.
Still, it's certainly not a theatrical hit in North America. Even "Joker: Folie à Deux" made slightly more in its first weekend. "Red One," directed by Jake Kasdan and produced by Johnson's Seven Bucks, was roundly rejected by critics, with a dismal 33% Rotten Tomatoes score. Jake Coyle, in his review for The Associated Press, wrote that it "feels like an unwanted high-priced Christmas... Read More