By Brian Diedrick
To quote fictional architect Howard Roark, the strapping, yet cerebral hero of Ayn Rand’s 1943 novel The Fountainhead: "No building can be reasonable or beautiful unless it is made by one central idea, and the idea sets every detail. A good building is alive, like a man."
Much the same can be said for advertising. A good spot turns on a single defining concept-a focused, streamlined premise. Certainly this is the case with BBDO New York’s new :30 for Pepsi Twist: "Britney Sighting," directed by Bryan Buckley of bicoastal/international hungry man.
The spot’s underlying foundation-its "prime mover," if you will-is this: an Austin Powers karate chop applied directly to the lovely young kisser of Ms. Spears, pop star par excellence. Truthfully, the ad might well have been titled, "Hit Me, Baby, One More Time … in the Face!" Apologies to Mr. Roark, but a commercial is also alive, like a man. Like a man, baby! Shoot Online subscribers may read this week’s Top Spot of the Week in full by accessing the Current Issue in the Members Area.
CLIENT
PepsiCo./Pepsi Twist.
PRODUCTION CO.
hungry man, bicoastal/
international.
Bryan Buckley, director; Russell Carpenter, DP; Stephen Orent,
executive producer/N.Y.; Dan Duffy, executive producer/L.A.; Kevin Byrne, producer. Shot at Sony Stages, Culver City, Calif.
AGENCY
BBDO New York.
Ted Sann, chairman/chief creative officer; Jimmy Siegel, executive creative director; Susan Levine, associate creative director/art director; Jordan Allen, associate creative director/copywriter; Bob Emerson, senior VP/executive producer/producer; Loren Parkins, executive music
producer.
EDITORIAL
Crew Cuts, bicoastal.
Sherri Margulies, editor; Jake Jacobsen and Matt Shapiro, assistant editors; Nancy Shames, executive producer; Michelle Bellaff, producer.
POST
Nice Shoes, New York.
Lez Rudge, colorist.
Buzz, New York.
Peter Flack, online editor.
VISUAL EFFECTS
The Mill, New York and London.
Lorraine McLaughlin and Chris Knight, Flame artists; Aron Hjartarson, 3-D artist; Wendy Garfinkle, producer.
Quiet Man, New York.
Johnnie Semerad, creative director/Inferno artist; Amy Taylor, executive producer; Gray Hirshfield, producer.
AUDIO POST
Buzz.
Michael Marinelli, mixer.
MUSIC
Big Foote Music, New York.
Darren Solomon and Chris Jordao, composers.
SOUND DESIGN
The Anx, New York.
Carl Mandelbaum, sound designer.
“Overnight Success” Has Been More Than A Decade In The Making For Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson
Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson, two of the stars of Netflix's whodunit "The Perfect Couple," have news for you if you want to call them breakouts: They've been working in this business for more than a decade.
Fahy made her TV debut in 2009 in an episode of "Gossip Girl." Hewson's first big film role was in 2011's "This Must Be the Place." They do concede, however, that it's recent TV roles — "The White Lotus" for Fahy and "Bad Sisters" for Hewson — that have led to new frontiers of opportunity.
Susanne Bier, who directed "The Perfect Couple," says both Fahy and Hewson are "going to be big stars."
"They certainly have proper, profound star quality, Both of them in very different ways," Bier says. "Both are incredibly creative, incredibly smart, and also have a impressive insight as to who they are. You can be a great actor or actress and not necessarily really know who you are yourself. And they do."
Hewson, 33, whose dad is U2 front man Bono, may have grown up in a famous family but she's now in demand in her own right. She will next be seen in a second season of "Bad Sisters, " out in November. She's in Noah Baumbach's next film, alongside Adam Sandler, George Clooney and Riley Keough. She's also been cast in Steven Spielberg's next production and is set to star opposite Murray Bartlett in a racing series for Hulu.
Fahy, 34, is in production on a limited series with Julianne Moore and Milly Alcock called "Sirens," written by Molly Smith Metzler ("Maid") for Netflix. She also has two films in the can with Josh O'Connor ("The Crown," "Challengers") and Brandon Sklenar ("It Ends With Us").
The two actors spoke candidly about this phase of their careers. This interview has been condensed for clarity and... Read More