Director Scott McCullough, whose work includes spots for Ford, EA Sports, Budweiser and NAPA Auto Parts, has joined Story, bicoastal and Chicago, for exclusive national representation in commercials.
McCullough, who often works as his own DP, comes over from BeachHouse Films, Santa Monica, where he was on staff since 2001. His credits include much automotive-related ad fare, including Ford for J. Walter Thompson, Detroit, NAPA Auto Parts via Fahlgren Advertising, Columbus, Ohio, EA Games’ “NASCAR Thunder” for Odiorne Wilde Narraway & Partners, San Francisco, and a PacifiCare spot featuring actor Paul Newman and his Haas Racing Team for Doner, Detroit.
McCullough’s initial success came in music videos. He spent nearly two years working with rock star Prince on assorted music video and film projects. McCullough then broke into commercials via James Productions in his native Minneapolis, where he helmed Rollerblade’s “Cats” for Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis, a spot that was short-listed at Cannes. The director then moved to the West Coast in ’01, first hooking up with The Directors Network, Studio City, and shortly thereafter shifting over to the then newly formed BeachHouse.
Besides spots, McCullough has experience in longer form fare such as NASCAR Winston Cup 100%, an 11-minute 65mm film produced for R.J. Reynolds that covered action from seven races in the NASCAR Winston Cup series. McCullough also has three short dramatic films to his credit, including Innocent, which garnered a best director award at the ’03 Festival Internactional de Biarritz, and God’s Helper, a winner of jury and best actress awards at the same fest.
McCullough said he was drawn to Story’s national presence, reputation and sales support. The company is headed by executive producer Mark Androw.
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