Skunk has signed director Ben Strebel for representation in the U.S. and U.K.
Strebel has picked up multiple awards and nominations for his shorts, music videos and commercials, including one Gold and four Bronze Lions at Cannes as well as five D&AD pencils for his film “A Trip To Sea” for Guy Cotton. His commercial reel spans such brands as Nike, Lexus, Apple, Adidas, BMW, LG and ALLSAINTS. He’s also made videos for Naughty Boy, Phoenix, Animal Kingdom, Clock Opera. In his most recent video for Parisi (featuring RZA), “No Refugee,” Strebel boldly explored the uncertain and painful lives of refugees. All proceeds from streaming went to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
Strebel–who prior to joining Skunk was repped in the U.S. and U.K. by Caviar–seeks to tell stories that move him by representing subjects that he feels are misrepresented in the mainstream media. By finding truth in unexpected places, he hopes to diversify the viewer’s perception of the world. Describing his style as cinematic realism with a surreal, metaphorical twist, Strebel commands a vivid filmic canvas with which to tell human stories.
Kate Taylor, Skunk’s managing director in London, said, “Ben is a rare and exciting director. He has a deft ability with storytelling, emotion and nuance that is incredibly engaging. We feel privileged to be able to build on what is already a striking collection of work and can’t wait to see what he’ll do next. His ability to transcend genres and styles means he’s capable of many things.”
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More