Friends Electric, with bases of operation in London and L.A, has signed Cris Wiegandt, a Berlin-based multimedia artist and director, for animation representation in the U.S., U.K. and Amsterdam. She had previously been handled by HUSH in the U.K. and BODEGA in the U.S.
Wiegandt has carved out a distinct career that started in crafted stop motion, but her repertoire now spans many disciplines working in 2D, 3D, stop-motion, character design, illustration and making crafts–her work is textured, witty and bold. Her colorful South American heritage complements her drive to explore ideas and storytelling and she is always eager to experiment with mediums in mixed-media whether commercially, in music videos, social, shorts and culture. She adds further dimension to Friends Electric’s creative roster that very much lives in a multi-disciplined universe. She’s won a bunch of awards and has worked with clients such as Pepsi, TED, Coca Cola, Adobe, Ben and Jerrys and more.
Wiegandt has also joined the jury at the Clio Awards 2020 judging Film Craft: Animation & Visual Effects.
Wiegandt said, “Coming from stop motion and getting more and more digital, I was looking for a place where I can merge all animation techniques. I love how Friends Electric has so much passion towards all details in every single frame. I’m sure that with their know how and my vision we will create colorful worlds in all manner of ways.”
After 20 Years of Acting, Megan Park Finds Her Groove In The Director’s Chair On “My Old Ass”
Megan Park feels a little bad that her movie is making so many people cry. It's not just a single tear either — more like full body sobs.
She didn't set out to make a tearjerker with "My Old Ass," now streaming on Prime Video. She just wanted to tell a story about a young woman in conversation with her older self. The film is quite funny (the dialogue between 18-year-old and almost 40-year-old Elliott happens because of a mushroom trip that includes a Justin Bieber cover), but it packs an emotional punch, too.
Writing, Park said, is often her way of working through things. When she put pen to paper on "My Old Ass," she was a new mom and staying in her childhood bedroom during the pandemic. One night, she and her whole nuclear family slept under the same roof. She didn't know it then, but it would be the last time, and she started wondering what it would be like to have known that.
In the film, older Elliott ( Aubrey Plaza ) advises younger Elliott ( Maisy Stella ) to not be so eager to leave her provincial town, her younger brothers and her parents and to slow down and appreciate things as they are. She also tells her to stay away from a guy named Chad who she meets the next day and discovers that, unfortunately, he's quite cute.
At 38, Park is just getting started as a filmmaker. Her first, "The Fallout," in which Jenna Ortega plays a teen in the aftermath of a school shooting, had one of those pandemic releases that didn't even feel real. But it did get the attention of Margot Robbie 's production company LuckyChap Entertainment, who reached out to Park to see what other ideas she had brewing.
"They were very instrumental in encouraging me to go with it," Park said. "They're just really even-keeled, good people, which makes... Read More