GARTNER has added director Benjamin Lee Gordon to its roster, marking the first time he has been repesented in the U.S. for commercials. Gordon is an up-and-coming talent who has already made his mark in Europe, perhaps most notably with work for the Barcelona River Plate Fan Club and automotive client Seat.
Barcelona River Plate Fan Club’s “We Are Far Away, We Need To Shout Louder” campaign for Draftfcb, Barcelona, earned two Gold Caples Awards, a FIAP Award and was shortlisted at Cannes. The success of this project led to his landing Seat’s epic “Express Yourself” launch for the Ibiza ST model out of Barcelona agency Athletico International–a 50-spot multi-platform campaign spanning nine countries in Europe.
The Seat and River Plate fare was produced by The Cannonball and Sonda Productions, respectively–two production houses which continue to handle Gordon in Spain. He is also repped by Doctor Troy in Europe.
Gordon’s additional directing credits include commercials targeting audiences in Spain for Nike (“Dominoes”), Nokia (“Husband & Wife” and “Couples”), Brugal Rum (“Route 44”), Ford (“Priorities”) and for music app Shazam (“On the Beach” and “In the Park”). His short films include The Floorless, Naturaleza Muerta (Still Life), Lake Chinatown, Erhu, and La Bola Peluda (The Hairy Ball which won an Audience Award at the Malaga Fantastic Film Festival).
Gordon’s upbringing and education laid the foundation for his career as an international spot helmer. He was born in London to North American parents and raised in the countryside near the small town of Mijas, in Andalusia. Upon receiving a BA at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, Gordon returned to southern Spain, where he worked his way up in the camera department in the region’s service industry. His directing style visibly stems from his multi-cultural background, with projects based on cultural, emotional and visual juxtapositions.
Gordon rounds out a GARTNER roster comprised of directors David Cornell, James Gartner, Marcel Langenegger, Mike Bigelow, Raymond Bark, Ted Melfi, and Shona Auerbach.
Sheriff Reports Preliminary Autopsy Results On Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa
Preliminary autopsy results didn't determine how Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and his wife died at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but did rule out that they were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, the sheriff leading the investigation said Friday.
The condition of the bodies found Wednesday indicated the deaths occurred at least several days earlier and there was no sign of foul play.
At a news conference, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the initial examination by the medical examiner showed no sign of carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas produced from kitchen appliances and other fuel-burning items. When it collects in poorly ventilated homes, it can be fatal.
Mendoza also said an examination of the 95-year-old Hackman's pacemaker showed it stopped working on Feb. 17, which means he may have died nine days earlier.
Hackman's body was found in an entryway. The body of his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, was in a bathroom. She was on her side and a space heater was near her head. Investigators said the heater likely was pulled down when she fell. There also was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on a countertop.
Whether the pills or other drugs were a factor won't be known until toxicology tests are completed in the coming weeks.
Dr. Philip Keen, the retired chief medical examiner in Maricopa County, Arizona, said it would be unlikely for a person who tests negative for carbon monoxide initially to later be found to have been poisoned by it.
He also said the moment when a pacemaker stops working could mark the point when a person dies, but not always.
"If your heart required a pacemaker, there would certainly be an interruption at that point — and it might be the hallmark of when... Read More