Director Gavin Bowden, whose filmography spans commercials, music videos and long-form fare, has come aboard Culver City-based Bandito Brothers for exclusive U.S. spot representation. His ad credits include Chevrolet, Toyota, Subaru, Ford, Fanta, VH-1 and Nike.
Bowden got his start filming music videos in the 1990s, when, as he described it, “Bands were open to having experimental and challenging ideas in their videos and MTV was playing them based upon their creative merits.” His work includes videos for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, Henry Rollins, and Matchbox 20, as well as the 1992 documentary Funky Monks, which is a revealing look at the recording of the Chili Peppers’ landmark album, “Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik.”
Bowden made the jump into advertising with Original Film when his video “Pepper” for the Butthole Surfers caught the attention of Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore., which recruited him to apply a similar style to spots for Nike. Bowden also directed spots through A Band Apart, Plum Pictures, Uncle and most recently Safehouse Pictures before joining Bandito Brothers.
His latest and best-known commercial work has been for car makers. For Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Bowden directed a campaign for Toyota’s launch of its redesigned RAV-4, and employed his trademark style of animation using stills. He wanted to explore and develop more unique ways of showcasing the cars in the spots rather than relying solely on running footage. Bowden has a track record in this regard, spanning such approaches as a CG rendering of the Chevrolet Sonic’s engine and a single-shot motion control exploration of the Nissan Rogue. His atypical automotive spot endeavors include Subaru’s “Peel Out” which entailed an animated rendition of the Subaru Impreza as it emerges from magazine pages. SWAY Studio was visual effects house on the job, which Bowden directed during his Plum Productions tenure. Bowden teamed with a graphic designer to personally create the scores of magazine pages featured in the commercial.
At Bandito, Bowden will be able to tap into the VFX talent and resources of Cantina Creative. Bandito partnered in Cantina’s launch, bringing VFX capabilities in-house.
Bowden rounds out a Bandito roster comprised of partners/directors Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh, directors Stewart Hendler, Sinuhe Xavier and Jacob Rosenberg, the helming duos of Gentlemen, and The Polish Brothers, and directors/cinematographers Shane Hurlbut, Mitchell Amundsen, Peter Rodger, Matt Goodman and Vic Huber. Hispanic division Los Banditos includes directors Igor Jadue, Flavio Labiano, Robert Maya, and Leonardo Ricagni.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More