HSI Productions has entered into an arrangement with digital creative shop Heavenspot whereby the former will represent the latter to ad agencies and clients. Via the partnering, HSI gains digital chops, enabling the longstanding commercialmaking house to package its production acumen with Heavenspot’s web and interactive talent and resources. Conversely Heavenspot picks up access to live-action directors and production, thus allowing it to offer more comprehensive capabilities to not only its clientele but also those advertisers, marketers and ad agencies it’s introduced to by HSI.
According to HSI head of sales Michelle Ross, the two companies have already collaborated on an Old Navy project for Crispin Porter+Bogusky, with HSI handling the commercial production and Heavenspot the digital element of the campaign, including web banner work. HSI also secured for Heavenspot the digital portion of a Quiznos job (with live action spot work done by another production house).
Heavenspot’s portfolio includes the creation of graphically rich websites, movie and games trailers, and banner ads for global brands like Disney, Adobe, Hasbro, Fox Broadcasting, Focus Features, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Heavenspot earned this year’s “People’s Voice” Webby Award for “Adobe Brilliant.” Creative entrepreneur Chevon Hicks–who earlier served in senior creative positions at Universal New Media, Sony Online Entertainment, Attitude Network, and MGM Creative Advertising–is founder and president of Heavenspot.
“We know that HSI is the perfect representative to help us expand our capabilities in production and client relations,” said Hicks. “We look forward to leveraging our strengths in the evolving digital space on behalf of HSI clients as we move forward together to create memorable digital content for current and future clients.”
Heavenspot’s sister company AppWagon publishes games and applications for the new wave of portable touch devices.
HSI produces commercials and music videos for global brands and entertainment artists such as Activision, Pepsi, Burger King, adidas, Britney Spears, Madonna, Justin Timberlake to Jay-Z, while representing such notable directors as Brett Ratner, David LaChapelle, Joseph Kahn, Hype Williams and Allen Hughes. Founded by president/producer Stavros Merjos in 1986, HSI has offices in Los Angeles, New York and London.
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More