Creative collective Wild Gift, founded last year by production veterans David Mitchell and Tomer DeVito, has signed award-winning director/DP Antony Hoffman whose body of work includes campaigns for Vodafone, Lamborghini, Audi, adidas and Peroni. His exploits range from run-and-gun projects with a small crew during lockdown all the way to epic large-scale productions–the common bond being that the work, for big and small screen, evokes a sense of humanity and emotional truth
Wild Gift’s managing director Mitchell said of Hoffman, “He brings a remarkable combination of talent and experience, having filmed extensively around the world with leading brands and agencies. He’s versatile in comedy and drama, and can shoot automotive and action-oriented campaigns like nobody’s business. He knows every angle and camera move, and has the innate ability to place the camera in the perfect spot.”
Hoffman shared, “For the past six years I’ve been freelance and in the wild, working directly with agencies and brands. I’ve been entrepreneurial, focused and on the daily hunt, but when I talked with David and his team, including his sales reps at Pop Arts, Commonwealth and House of Representatives, their passion awoke something in me. It simply felt right to have such a great experienced team behind me and to hand over the keys.”
Hoffman got his start as a journalist for AP and BBC, documenting anti-apartheid uprisings around his native Cape Town, while also getting experience in production on commercial sets. His childhood dream of being a director came true when he moved to the U.S. and studied at AFI, then embarked on a full-time career as a commercial director. He thrived traveling to exotic and remote locations and working under pressure, often as both director and cinematographer.
Among his credits are high-profile Super Bowl commercials, including the iconic Budweiser “Clydesdales,” now part of the MoMA’s permanent collection, and Fiat’s comedic hit “Blue Pill,” number 3 on USA Today’s AdMeter in 2015. He’s collaborated with many celebrities, directing Benedict Cumberbatch, Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz, Idris Elba and David Beckham, along with some of Asia’s biggest stars such as Tony Leung, Eddie Peng, Fan Bing Bing, Karen Mok and Lin Chi Ling, to note only a few–and Formula 1 champions Fernando Alonzo and Michael Schumacher. Hoffman has also photographed Patrick Dempsey in a print campaign for Tag Heuer.
“I really like working with celebrities and athletes,” Hoffman said. “They are obviously at the top of their game, and you have to match that. I’d love to work on campaigns for the World Cup later this year. I have some ideas using immersive cameras that will really capture the essence of the game.”
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More