Love Song has signed U.K.-based director Max Weiland for U.S. commercial representation. Weiland’s credits include campaigns for brands such as McDonald’s, Samsung, Miller Lite, Smirnoff, BBC, Chase Bank, and a Super Bowl commercial for Google. He was previously repped by production house SMUGGLER.
Weiland grew up on set with his director father, Paul Weiland, known for directing the Mr. Bean television series, the feature film Made of Honor, as well as many commercials. Max Weiland took that experience and began his career as an advertising agency creative at Fallon London and 18 Feet & Rising before becoming a director’s assistant at Somesuch, later venturing into his career as a director in his own right.
His first short, An Arm’s Length, is a darkly comedic tale of a Jewish boy railing against his close relationship with his mother. The short premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, winning him a Cannes Lion for Best New Director. Weiland was nominated for a VMA for Best New Director for helming the first music video for Elton John’s iconic song, “Tiny Dancer.” The cinematic love letter to Los Angeles draws upon the song’s inspiration as it follows 12 L.A. denizens in their cars and on their skateboards as their lives intersect in beautiful vignettes to the iconic ‘70s tune. He has also made artfully enigmatic music videos for artists The Vaccines and Rejje Snow.
Weiland said, “I feel honored to be in such great company. Love Song puts out such incredible films, and working with [Love Song founders] Kelly [Bayett] and Daniel [director Wolfe] has been fantastic so far. This is shaping to be a wonderful creative partnership already, and I can’t wait to start.”
Wolfe added, “So excited to be working with Max again! He was a creative on a commercial I shot, then he moved over and started assisting me…he was soon directing, and incredibly talented. We’re working on a TV show together too…I love how much humanity and feeling his work has, while also witty and cinematic.”
SAG-AFTRA Calls For A Strike Against “League of Legends”
"League of Legends" is caught in the middle of a dispute between Hollywood's actors union and an audio company that provides voiceover services for the blockbuster online multiplayer game.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists called a strike against "League of Legends" on Tuesday, arguing that Formosa Interactive attempted to get around the ongoing video game strike by hiring non-union actors to work on an unrelated title.
Formosa tried to "cancel" the unnamed video game, which was covered by the strike, shortly after the start of the work stoppage, SAG-AFTRA said. The union said when Formosa learned it could not cancel the game, the company "secretly transferred the game to a shell company and sent out casting notices for 'non-union' talent only." In response, the union's interactive negotiating committee voted unanimously to file an unfair labor practice charge against the company with the National Labor Relations Board and to call a strike against "League of Legends" as part of that charge.
"League of Legends" is one of Formosa's most well-known projects. The company provides voiceover services for the game, according to SAG-AFTRA.
SAG-AFTRA has accused Formosa of interfering with protections that allow performers to form or join a union and prevent those performers from being discriminated against — a move the union called "egregious violations of core tenets of labor law."
Formosa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "League of Legends" developer Riot Games said that the company "has nothing to do" with the union's complaint.
"We want to be clear: Since becoming a union project five years ago, 'League of Legends' has only asked Formosa to engage with union... Read More