Ampersand, the production company recently launched by managing director Phillip Detchmendy, has added director Hisashi Eto to its roster. This marks Eto's first signing in the U.S. market.
One of Japan’s leading advertising directors, Eto brings to Ampersand an exceptional command of storytelling and visual expression. He credits his unique perspective to his experience on both sides of the Pacific, having studied filmmaking at New York University before returning to his native Japan where he began working as a commercial director.
This exposure to diverse cultures led Eto to hone a distinctly global aesthetic, which has resonated with commercial clients such as Google, AIG, Mazda, Uniqlo, Uber Eats, Apple Watch and Audi. Along the way his advertisements have received widespread critical acclaim, plus awards from AdFest, Spikes Asia, and more.
Eto is represented in Japan by the AOI Pro Network, a creative production company with offices throughout Asia including Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. AOI Pro Network is a partner of Ampersand. The signing of Eto in the U.S. demonstrates the shared commitment behind the companies’ alliance, which is to create prolific and engaging commercial work through its coterie of worldwide talent.
Detchmendy remarked, “Hisashi brings a sense of intention to every visual he creates, be it intimate and emotional storytelling to automotive mega-productions. There is a playfulness and sense of movement to his work, paired with an impeccable understanding of casting and performance.”
Eto, who considers America a second home, jumped at the chance to join the Ampersand roster. “It is such a thrilling opportunity to explore my range in a different market. I’m inspired by the challenges that can enrich my life, and surely this is one of them.”
In the future, Eto hopes to broaden his body of work with long-form narrative projects. But for now, the objective is clear: “I want to create highly original advertising in the U.S., to create ads that stick in your memory as something you’ve never quite seen before.”
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