Director Ben Hoffman has joined Camp Lucky for exclusive U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. Hoffman spent his formative years in the industry working with directors Jeff Bednarz and Tom Ryan, with whom he now reunites on a company roster which also includes directors Adam Littke, Andrew Shepherd, Rob Pritts, Augustine Frizzell and Sailor Bear.
“Camp Lucky is the North Star for my career–it’s a group of longtime friends who are genuine, and wildly creative people,” said Hoffman. “You learn a lot about people from the way they approach creative problems, and I was lucky to learn from two of the best in the business. Add to that the many talented post artists and exceptional producers at Camp Lucky, and you have the opportunity to bring that creative thinking and expert partnerships into the process early on. It’s really a dream come true and I am excited to see what we create together.”
Hoffman’s directorial credits–encompassing pure aesthetics, human interest and lifestyle–span such brands as Burger King (The Pitch Agency), Ronzoni (Faultline Creative), McDonald’s (Moroch), Swift Meats (Commerce House), and client-direct work for El Chingon and Kate Weiser Chocolates.
“I was fortunate enough to encounter Ben early on in my career, allowing me to witness firsthand his overwhelming dedication to the craft and willingness to go above and beyond to make sure a production was successful,” noted Camp Lucky EP Brandon Tapp. “It had a lasting impact on me, challenging me to raise my own bar. He embodies a work ethic we look for in every team member we bring into the Camp Lucky fold.”
Hoffman learned production from the inside out, starting at the bottom of the call sheet and working his way through nearly every discipline. Among them, working alongside Bednarz on docu-style narratives before entering the studio with director Ryan to learn the technical and creative complexities of tabletop. Spending his formative years schlepping cameras through caves, desserts and mountains while also working on painstakingly orchestrated tabletop and VFX jobs has given Hoffman a huge toolbox with which to approach his projects.
“Ben is someone who brings together so many wonderful qualities–he’s super talented and also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet,” said Bednarz. “After being connected for so many years, having him join Camp Lucky really feels like a homecoming. We’ve traveled together in the pursuit of story and it is wonderful to welcome him back as a director.”
Prior to joining Camp Lucky, Hoffman was with charlieuniformtango for representation in the advertising arena–and prior to that, Noonday.
Ryan added, “Ben is someone who constantly seeks to perfect technique and understand everything involved in precision filming. He also has the ability to put people at ease in any situation. I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with him in the studio, and I am happy to have a fellow director who shares my passion for tabletop at Camp Lucky.”
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More