Director Jeff Low, who’s handled in Canada by production house OPC, has gained U.S. representation by joining the roster of Biscuit Filmworks. The move marks his breaking out as a solo director. Up to this point, Low’s most notable directorial credits–including the recent Skittles “Touch The Rainbow” campaign for BBDO Toronto–have been done in tandem with Chris Woods of the duo Woods+Low. While the two will continue to work together on select projects via OPC, Woods too has branched out and is repped as an individual helmer stateside by The Sweet Shop.
The Skittles campaign enables computer users to play a participatory role in video fare as it unfolds on the Internet–just through the simple placement of a finger on a strategically positioned dot on the computer screen. In one online video, for example, a cat licks your finger. The feline is then succeeded by an offbeat guy in a cat costume who too licks your extended finger. The video opens with an invite for us to “Touch the Rainbow” and ends with a declaration that we have licked the rainbow.
In another video, a well placed finger stops an oncoming getaway car, allowing a winged cop to cage a would-be Skittles bandit. Turns out the cop–who is little more than a head with wings attached, as well as a police cap–knew the culprit years ago when they were fellow summer campers. The video’s parting slogan is an earnest “Reunite the Rainbow.”
Woods & Low’s other credits include campaigns for WWF, BMW Mini, Baskin-Robbins, Brita and Habitat for Humanity. Various pieces of the work have been recognized and honored in the Communication Arts Design and Advertising Annual, The One Show, London International Awards and The Bessies.
Shawn Lacy, managing director of Biscuit, described Low’s work as spanning “both comedic and visual storytelling, and we are happy to be the first to bring his talents to the U.S. market.”
Oscar Nominees Delve Into The Art Of Editing At ACE Session
You couldn’t miss Sean Baker at this past Sunday’s Oscar ceremony where he won for Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay and Editing on the strength of Anora. However, earlier that weekend he was in transit from the Cesar Awards in Paris and thus couldn’t attend the American Cinema Editors (ACE) 25th annual panel of Academy Award-nominated film editors held at the Regal LA Live Auditorium on Saturday (3/1) in Los Angeles. While the eventual Oscar winner in the editing category was missed by those who turned out for the ACE “Invisible Art, Visible Artists” session, three of Baker’s fellow nominees were on hand--Dávid Jancsó, HSE for The Brutalist; Nick Emerson for Conclave; and Myron Kerstein, ACE for Wicked. Additionally, Juliette Welfling, who couldn’t appear in person due to the Cesar Awards, was present via an earlier recorded video interview to discuss her work on Emilia Pérez. The interview was conducted by ACE president and editor Sabrina Plisco, ACE who also moderated the live panel discussion. Kerstein said that he was the beneficiary of brilliant and generous collaborators, citing, among others, director Jon M. Chu, cinematographer Alice Brooks, and visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman. The editor added it always helps to have stellar acting performances, noting that hearing Cynthia Erivo, for example, sing live was a revelation. Kerstein recalled meeting Chu some eight years ago on a “blind Skype date” and it was an instant “bromance”--which began on Crazy Rich Asians, and then continued on such projects as the streaming series Home Before Dark and the feature In The Heights. Kerstein observed that Chu is expert in providing collaborators with... Read More