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.
Hwang Dong-hyuk On Season 2 of “Squid Game,” Wrapping Production on Season 3; What’s Next?
Viewers may gasp, cringe or cry out watching characters die on Netflix's "Squid Game," but those simulated deaths have a different effect on its creator, writer and director. Instead, Hwang Dong-hyuk feels happiness seeing them go.
The show has a huge cast and Hwang says it was "really difficult" to manage everyone on set.
As characters would die, Hwang recalls saying to the actors on their last day, "'Oh no! How sad! I won't see you tomorrow,' but I was always smiling inside."
"Squid Game" season two premieres Thursday. It once again stars Lee Jung-jae and centers around a secret competition in South Korea that targets people in debt and the winner gets a big cash prize. What they don't know is that losing the game is deadly.
Hwang originally conceived of the show 15 years ago as a two-hour film but it failed to gain traction with financiers or even interested actors. He put it aside and worked on other films instead. He then had the idea to make it a TV series instead and took the project to Netflix. There, it could reach a wide audience.
"I never in my wildest dream thought it was going to be this huge," said Hwang, who spoke about the show and what comes next. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Q: What have you learned from "Squid Game"?
HWANG: I learned that I shouldn't give up. If you love something and if you want to create something, it might not work now, but the time might come later. Or that idea could be the source of inspiration for something else.
Q: You've already finished filming season three of "Squid Game." Have you thought about what your next project will be?
HWANG: I'm afraid to talk... Read More