Backyard has added Swedish director Jesper Ohlsson to its roster, marking his first U.S. commercial representation. Already he has wrapped the first worldwide TV endeavor for TripAdvisor out of Boston agency The Fantastical and is currently shooting a Hershey’s spot for Arnold NYC. Ohlsson continues to be repped in Sweden by Social Club and in Germany by Cobblestone.
Ohlsson’s knack for both visual and character-driven campaigns are showcased in spots for Nokia, Carlsberg, and Hyundai.
“I enjoy creating offbeat characters and visuals that express a specific mood,” said Ohlsson. “Sometimes all it takes is one carefully delivered image or performance. Backyard’s directors, including my Swedish friend and mentor Jesper Ericstam, all do this beautifully and efficiently. Backyard has felt like my home away from home since day one.”
Ohlsson grew up and went to film school in Sweden, where his musings on film were published locally. After directing a handful of shorts, he quickly transitioned to spots. In 2006, his KPA “Landmines” work produced by Social Club was shortlisted for the Young Director’s Award at the Cannes Lions. Outside of film, Ohlsson finds inspiration in music and through his love of photography, for which he recently held a gallery exhibition in Stockholm.
Mindy Kaling and Kate Hudson Take On Pro Basketball In Netflix Series “Running Point”
In Mindy Kaling's new Netflix series, "Running Point, " Kate Hudson stars as Isla Gordon, the new president of the Los Angeles Waves, a pro basketball team that's been run by her family for years. Hudson's character has to prove herself as a woman in a man's world not only to her passed-over brothers, but also to players whose egos need checking and other executives who don't take her seriously.
If Isla's story rings a bell, take a look at the list of executive producers on the 10-episode season dropping Thursday: Among them is Jeanie Buss, the president of the Los Angeles Lakers, who was embroiled in similar turmoil over control of the storied NBA franchise after the death of her father, Jerry Buss.
Buss not only has given the show her blessing, it was her idea said Kaling. Buss was a big fan of "The Office" and approached Kaling with the premise about five years ago. Kaling ended up as the co-creator, writer and executive producer alongside Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen.
"She's in a very serious, stressful job but she loves comedy. She does not take herself seriously," Kaling says of Buss. "That's really rare when someone has that much power and that much to lose."
Jeanie Buss' blessing
In fact, Kaling said, Buss wanted the show to be funny and had "no ego" about using her real life as inspiration.
"She's had some extremely interesting things happen to her as the president of the Lakers. Some of it is she literally dated the coach for many years and she's like, 'Do whatever you want,'" Kaling says, referring to Buss' former relationship with Phil Jackson. "To get that kind of carte blanche, I'd never heard that from someone who is so famous and, you know, pretty private."
Shortly after the news... Read More