Looking Glass Films, an L.A. shop under the aegis of executive producer June Guterman, has gained an infusion of international filmmaking talent, entering into an alliance with London-based Tomboy Films, overseen by managing directors Glynis Murray and Barnaby Spurrier. Per the deal, Looking Glass will handle U.S. representation for Tomboy’s roster of filmmakers. Conversely, Tomboy gains U.K. representation for the Looking Glass ensemble of directorial talent.
Looking Glass thus gains for stateside projects such notable Tomboy filmmakers as Stephen Frears (The Queen, The Grifters), John Madden (Shakespeare In Love, The Debt, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Kirk Jones (Waking Ned Devine, Nanny McPhee, Everybody’s Fine, What To Expect When You’re Expecting). Meanwhile Tomboy will look to procure select U.K. assignments for Looking Glass filmmakers including David Mamet and Jean Jacques Annaud.
Tomboy and Looking Glass feature a mix of filmmaking talent who span multiple disciplines, including features, TV and commercials. The Tomboy Films roster–now available in the U.S. via Looking Glass–is comprised of directors Frears, Madden and Jones, Andrea Arnold, Andrew Gaynord, Ben Caron, Ben Miller, Benjamin Till, Clio Barnard, Dominic Brigstocke, Fez, Gregory Rood, Hugh O’Conor, Jeremy Jeffs, Joe Cornish, John Carney, John Crowley, Justin Chadwick, Karan Kandhari, Lenny Abrahamson, Marcus Tomlinson, Mark Mylod, Matthew Huntley, Oliver Smyth, Patrick Cadell, Paul Walker, Peter Capaldi, Richard Loncraine, Sandra Goldbacher, Shane Meadows, Simon Cheek, and Zam Salim.
The Looking Glass directorial lineup includes Annaud, Mamet, Alfonso Arau, Suzuya Bobo, Laurent Briet, Kerry Conran, Renny Harlin, Lesli Linka Glatter, Fatima Andrade Koehler, Andy Dugan, Barbara McDonough, Francine McDougall, Paul McGuigan, Dito Montiel, Marine Panossian, Chris Rock, Mark Simmons, Cliff Watts and Marlon Wayans.
Many of the directors have successfully crossed over from features and other long-form fare to commercials and branded content. For example, on the Tomboy side, Jones’ ad endeavors include directing spots for McDonald’s and Werthers. Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl, The First Grader) helmed digital content for the London Olympics. Walker (Shameless) recently directed Wieden+Kennedy’s initial work for Tesco. And Sandra Goldbacher (Emmy nominated for the BBC series The Hour) has directed spots for Special K and Ferrero Rocher.
As for the multiple disciplinary exploits of the Looking Glass directors, prime examples include Mamet (The Spanish Prisoner, Heist, House of Games) who has helmed for Ford), McGuigan (Wicker Park and TV shows such as Smash and Sherlock) who directed a Radio One spot, and Montiel (Empire State, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints) with ad fare for NKLA.
Guterman said that Looking Glass Films has been producing a lot of work internationally, noting, “Commercial production is a world market today. In addition to our US.. jobs, we’ve been working with London, Brazil, Singapore, and the rest of Europe.” She mused that she’s “begun to feel like a production company/travel agent – luckily we all love to travel , and both companies’ rosters are equally comfortable shooting in the U.S., U.K. and anywhere else in the world.”
In terms of UK representation for her directors, Guterman sought a very specific fit. “I wanted people who could properly rep A-list directors and do a great job executing production, as well as partnering with us in the process–a hands-on approach is critical when dealing with major talents,” she said. “Also, production is different in every country. Tomboy Films has great relationships with U.K. agencies and an exceptional understanding of that market.” In addition to their respective rosters, both Looking Glass Films and Tomboy Films have off-roster relationships with directors available for special projects that expand options for brands and agencies.
Tomboy’s Murray observed that the production house has “an unusually eclectic roster and finding a partner who is attuned to the way we work and the caliber of directors we represent was very important for us. We are confident that Looking Glass Films and Tomboy will be a very successful combination.”
Recent work produced by Looking Glass Films includes the SK-II launch campaign with Kate Bosworth (via Leo Burnett) helmed by Cliff Watts, who also photographed 2012 Sexiest Woman Alive Mila Kunis for the November cover of Esquire. Tomboy Films’ recent work includes projects for Churchill Insurance, Tesco, 02 and Ferrero Rocher. Tomboy was one of the official digital content providers for the London Olympics.
The Looking Glass Films and Tomboy Films rosters are repped in the U.S. by Sarah Holbrook on the East Coast, Chris Breneman in the Midwest, and Marla Mossberg on the West Coast.
AI-Assisted Works Can Get Copyright With Enough Human Creativity, According To U.S. Copyright Office
Artists can copyright works they made with the help of artificial intelligence, according to a new report by the U.S. Copyright Office that could further clear the way for the use of AI tools in Hollywood, the music industry and other creative fields.
The nation's copyright office, which sits in the Library of Congress and is not part of the executive branch, receives about half a million copyright applications per year covering millions of individual works. It has increasingly been asked to register works that are AI-generated.
And while many of those decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, the report issued Wednesday clarifies the office's approach as one based on what the top U.S. copyright official describes as the "centrality of human creativity" in authoring a work that warrants copyright protections.
"Where that creativity is expressed through the use of AI systems, it continues to enjoy protection," said a statement from Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, who directs the office.
An AI-assisted work could be copyrightable if an artist's handiwork is perceptible. A human adapting an AI-generated output with "creative arrangements or modifications" could also make it fall under copyright protections.
The report follows a review that began in 2023 and fielded opinions from thousands of people that ranged from AI developers, to actors and country singers.
It shows the copyright office will continue to reject copyright claims for fully machine-generated content. A person simply prompting a chatbot or AI image generator to produce a work doesn't give that person the ability to copyright that work, according to the report. "Extending protection to material whose expressive elements are determined by a machine ...... Read More