Josh Soskin has joined the directorial roster of L.A.-based production studio Hey Baby. He had previously been repped by Station Film.
Soskin’s two most recent works premiered during Super Bowl LI. Through Hey Baby, Soskin directed the comedic Amazon campaign “Alexa Moments,” with five out of the 10 spots airing during the big game. He also shot the “Learn to Thrive” commercial for Arizona State University, a 60-second docu-film following an ASU student as he works to bring clean water to parts of the world in dire need, which also aired regionally during the Super Bowl.
Soskin’s ability to weave both emotional content and comedy is what drew Hey Baby executive producer/partner Johnny Parker to his work, particularly after seeing his “Aquarium” spot for Match.com, an adorable mini-narrative following a 9-year old boy’s quest to find a romantic partner for his dad. Parker notes, “Josh has a unique creative drive that leads him to work in various capacities – writer, director, photographer, creator. Hey Baby is built upon supporting our directors in all of their endeavors, so I’m excited to be behind Josh as his work continues to evolve.”
Beginning his career in the documentary world, Soskin produced and directed hundreds of short films for Current TV, including Modern Day Pirates, which earned him national attention, with Vanguard calling it one of “50 documentaries to see before you die.” In 2007, he left Current TV to travel the world, eventually making Spain his home base. There he continued to hone his writing and directing style, moving into the narrative realm with commercials, films, and TV, in addition to being an avid and published photographer.
Soskin has worked with such agencies as Team Detroit, Omelet, Ogilvy, and Grey, creating content for brands as varied as Amazon, Ford, Microsoft, Intel, and Starbucks. His short films have earned him five Vimeo Staff Picks, and garnered several awards on the festival circuit. Last year, Soskin’s now-viral “Shubham” ad for Intel won a Webby Award, was shortlisted by AICP for Best Branded Content, and was selected as a “Top Spot of The Week” in 2015 by SHOOTonline.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More