Director Matt Ogens–who made his first major ad industry mark back in 2005 when he was included in SHOOT‘s New Directors Showcase as well as Y&R New York’s Young Guns emerging directors showcase–has joined the roster of Tool of North America. He comes over from Rabbit.
Since his initial showcase splash, Ogens has gone on to shape a career spanning multiple disciplines: assorted commercials; the well received feature-length documentary Confessions of a Superhero (centered on the dreams of stardom and backstories of Hollywood Blvd. street performers who portray costumed comic book superheros); Toyota’s third season of The Line of Scrimmage, the documentary shorts series from Saatchi & Saatchi LA that appeared during halftime of NBC’s Sunday Night Football; a web docu short series True Stories for Hitachi and McCann Erickson, San Francisco; and television fare such as ESPN series Timeless, which received two Sports Emmy nominations (he had earlier done ESPN’s The Life), segments from the awards show CNN Heroes, and sequences of a Victoria’s Secret fashion show for CBS.
Among Ogens’ other notable projects was being selected by the Red Cross as one of a handful of filmmakers assigned to document the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Rita in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. He shared his experiences on that job with SHOOT‘s readership in an October ’05 column titled “Gulf Coast Diary,” a moving account which resonates to this day as the fifth year anniversary of Katrina and Rita is nearly upon us. More recently. Ogens documented the behind-the-scenes goings on at the Hope For Haiti Now telethon.
Ogens’ filmmaking chops were evident prior to his becoming known in the ad biz in ’05. While a student a Tulane University, he directed and produced Ray of Hope, a documentary principally shot behind the walls of the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Ogens went on to also direct the documentary Harvest which was released in ’01, and a VH-1 pilot, Players, profiling hip-hop artist Ludicris in ’03.
Prior to Rabbit, Ogens’ commercial production house roosts included the former HKM and Headquarters, the latter shop having produced the work which helped him gain entry into the ’05 SHOOT New Directors Showcase: Wildaid’s “Defense” spot for JWT New York, and Ping Golf’s “Ticket” for The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Ogens is also a noted print photographer, underscoring the visual acumen exhibited in his spot, TV and documentary pursuits. His documentarian skillset translates into emotionally charged storytelling and insights into people from varied walks of life, qualities evident in his commercialmaking and branded content endeavors.
“Se7en” Turns 30, Gets A Special Restoration From David Fincher For Its Re-Release
For David Fincher, seeing “Se7en” in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.
“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.
“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”
Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored “Se7en” will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.
The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut “Alien 3” had not gone well. “Se7en” was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.
Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more... Read More