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.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More