Founder and President
Humble
1) We’ve arrived at an exciting moment in our industry. In stark contrast to the rigid separation of the past, we are finding that more and more companies are enthusiastically adopting the integrated production model that Humble and Postal were born from. When Humble began a decade ago, we were one of the first hybrid studios out there with a wholehearted adoption of this integrated model that puts production and post production under one roof. We put a core team of killer young artists who could concept, direct, shoot, edit, and design all in the same room and sparks flew. Shortly after, other production companies followed suit. Agencies starting developing production companies in-house and production companies took on more original content and creative responsibilities. It’s impossible not to see that the continued integration of our industry has lead, and will continue to lead, to more efficiently produced, beautifully crafted quality content.
2) In the New Year I am more inspired than ever to continue to push the unique culture we have here even further and redefine what it means to be a fully integrated production company. As Humble and its sister post production company Postal continue to grow, we know that our culture is our greatest strength. While the directors are still the heart of Humble, our creative roster has grown to include more writers, performance artists, performers, and non-commercial filmmakers. Our best work happens when we break the old relay race model, with each department passing the baton to the next, and we let this extended roster get involved in ideation and execution from day one. For example, some of the best original content projects we have in development came from our Office Manager in LA, we are in post production on our first ever interactive feature film, and we won a Cannes Lion for a Snapchat. I really believe that when you remove barriers, good ideas can come from anywhere.
3) I’ve learned that curiosity and openness are key. We are always searching for new platforms and mediums to tell stories no matter how far outside of our comfort zones they may be. Take the past year at Humble and Postal – while a big part of the team was focused on bigger and bigger spots, feature films, and longer form content, a series of unexpected projects taught us that good things really do come in small packages. Our first foray into micro-storytelling came in 2014 when we partnered with BBDO on the award-winning “Fix in Six” Vines campaign for Lowe’s. We later partnered back up with the brand to produce their first-ever Snapchat videos which racked up over 300,000 views in just 3 days. With 30+ stop motion animations, over 50 million impressions, and a Cannes Lion – we’re sold. What’s next?
4) To land bigger fish. You can take that as a metaphor or not.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads โ essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More