Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (the Oscar-nominated Super Size Me) has teamed his New York-based production company Warrior Poets with producer Keith Calder’s L.A.-headquartered Snoot Entertainment and spot production veteran Shannon Lords to create Warpaint, a commercial production house with bases of operation in N.Y., L.A. and London.
The new venture opens with a roster of nine directors: Spurlock (The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Comic-Con: Episode IV-A Fan’s Hope, Mansome, spots for JetBlue, Hunt’s); Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes); Gary Hustwit (Helvetica, Objectified, Apple): Adam Wingard (You’re Next); Liz Garbus (Bobby Fischer Against the World); Adam Lisegar (LonelySandwich.com); Michael Tucker (Fightville, Gunner Palace, Mastercard); Maggie Choo (Nike) and Damien Toogood (Olympus, Target, Pepsi).
Furthermore Warpaint has wrapped its first project, a Revlon campaign directed by Darren Aronofsky and featuring Emma Stone and Halle Berry. Aronofsky, a Best Director Oscar nominee last year for Black Swan, is no stranger to spotmaking. Via production house Wild Plum, he helmed a Meth Project public service campaign for digital marketing agency Organic (SHOOTonline, 11/8/11).
For Spurlock, starting a commercial production company only seemed a logical, natural extension of his recent pursuits, “After working directly with brands and advertising agencies in the placement exposé The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, as well as directing multiple commercial spots for other production companies, I saw an opportunity to create a much more director-driven entity. Within Warpaint, our directors will have the freedom to not only experiment with new technologies and formats, but they will also own a larger stake in their work moving forward,” said Spurlock.
As for his alluded to commercial directing experience, Spurlock while making The Greatest Movie Ever Sold took a quick break to helm spots for Hunt’s Tomato Sauce out of New York agency Nitro via Saville Productions. The spots featured chef George Duran dropping in on the Glen Cove (NY) Volunteer Fire Department with Hunt’s to help make lasagna for the firefighters. Spurlock’s other ad credits include such clients as Ally and JetBlue.
Calder, who produced Greatest Movie alongside Warrior Poets and Spurlock’s producing partner, Jeremy Chilnick, loved the idea of forming a commercial production company from the beginning. “At Snoot, we have dipped our toes in advertising and branded content before, but we were waiting for the right partners before diving in headfirst. After a fantastic experience on The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, we’re delighted to be establishing Warpaint with Morgan and Shannon,” said Calder.
Commercial veteran Shannon Lords has been pursued by multiple production companies over the years to become a full time executive, but never felt that the timing was right. After working with Spurlock, that all changed. “I had considered other staff positions, but after working with Morgan and his unique approach to commercials, the decision to get involved with Warpaint was an easy one,” said Lords. “Opportunities to work with directors who are true filmmakers don’t come along often, so when the opportunity arose I jumped at it.” Over the years, Lords has worked with such directors as Bryan Singer, Barry Levinson, Spike Lee, Wim Wenders, Zack Snyder, Michael Bay, Noam Murro, Joe Pytka, Samuel Bayer and Steve Miller.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More