December 11, 2009 Oscar-winning actress Anjelica Huston has joined Original Film for representation as a director of spots and branded content. Huston is no stranger to the director’s chair, having been nominated in 1997 for both a DGA Award as well as an Emmy for her helming of the dramatic special Bastard Out of Carolina…..While Mad Men has made its mark in primetime, a modern day ad agency, JWT, is looking to do the same but as a TV special creator/producer. And like Mad Men, the new show has a retro appeal, hearkening back to the yuletide tradition of the animation special which in the 1960s brought us Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Frosty The Snowman. Indeed JWT NY has its fingers crossed that Yes, Virginia, its half-hour animation special for client Macy’s, will have similar staying power for many Christmases to come. Yes, Virginia is slated to debut tonight (12/11) on CBS. Yes, Virginia was created and produced by Macy’s and JWT in conjunction with The Ebeling Group and MEC Entertainment. The special was directed by Pete Circuitt who is handled worldwide by The Ebeling Group….Director Michael Engler, a three-time DGA Award nominee for his work on the sitcoms 30 Rock (2008) and Sex and the City (‘02, ‘04), has entered into a deal to helm spots via NY production house Moon….
December 10, 2004 Marcus Kemp is joining BBDO Atlanta as vice chairman/CCO on Jan. 3. Currently, he is managing director/worldwide creative director on the Intel account at Euro RSCG Worldwide…Jeff Nieberding has joined Young & Laramore, Indianapolis, as a sr. writer. Additionally, Trevor Williams has been promoted to associate creative director….Richard Bullock and Andy Fackrell have been named joint executive creative directors at 180, Amsterdam….Michael Prieve is joining Young & Rubicam Brands, Irvine, Calif., as ECD….Kirk Souder, president/ECD of Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco, is leaving the agency to pursue a master’s degree in psychology. Jon Soto and Jae Goodman will become co-ECDs….John Immesoete, who was on the agency creative side for 15-plus years before exiting his post as group CD at DDB Chicago several months ago, has signed with Backyard as a spot director. The deal also partners Immesoete and Backyard to explore opportunities in branded entertainment….
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