The Directors Bureau has added director Sam Brown to its roster for North American representation spanning commercials and music videos. Brown continues to be repped in the U.K. for spots and videos, respectively, by Rogue Films and Flynn Productions.
Brown made his first directorial mark in the music video arena. He has turned out clips for such artists as Corinne Bailey Rae (“Put Your Records On”), Doves (“The Man Who Told Everything”), The Verve (“Love Is Noise”), The Fray (“How to Save A Life”), Elbow (“Asleep In the Back”), James Blunt (“You’re Beautiful,” “Goodbye My Lover”), Mew (“Zookeeper’s Boy”), The Duke Spirit (“Lion Rip”), Gemma Hayes (“Let A Good Thing Go”), Foo Fighters (“The Pretender”), and earlier this year a controversial joint Jay-Z/Swizz Beats video (“On To the Next Day”). Brown’s videos have been lauded over the years, earning such honors as an MTV VMA.
The director also successfully diversified into the ad biz with a Nike commercial for Wieden+Kennedy, London. Brown has since gone on to helm spots for Samsung, Audi, BBCRadio1 and the U.K. Lotto, among others. His dual mastery of classic cinematic tools as well as the latest VFX technologies has earned him recognition at competitions such as BTAA, Cannes, Creative Circle, and D&AD. The latter bestowed a Yellow Pencil for best direction upon him for Virgin Media’s “Fantastic Journey” spot out of RKCR/Y&R, London.
Brown joins a directorial lineup at The Director Bureau which includes Roman Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Mike Maguire, Patrick Daughters, Melodie McDaniel, M. Blash and Aaron Rose. At his new roost, Brown will work closely with executive producers Cayce Cole and Melissa Culligan, and music video producer Lana Kim. Prior to The Directors Bureau, Brown was handled for U.S. commercials by DNA.
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