International production company Great Guns has named Oliver Fuselier managing director and executive producer for the U.S.
Fuselier’s 20-years-plus career has seen him produce for and manage high-profile talent including directors Michael Bay, Danielle Levitt, David Fincher, Alma Har’el, Jaci Judleson and Mike Mills. His work has been recognized at numerous awards ceremonies, including winning a Palme d’Or for Production Company of the Year at Cannes Lions and two Emmys. He has also served on juries for Cannes Lions, LIAs, AICP, and Ciclope and is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Fuselier joins Great Guns USA from L.A.-based production company Keeper (formally known as Eskimo) where his role as MD, partner, and strategic consultant saw him orchestrate numerous projects end-to-end, leverage relationships with talented creatives, and fuel revenue growth.
Prior to this, he was managing partner, live action at Tool of North America for eight years. During this time he oversaw every component of Tool’s operations, working closely with creatives across production to drive innovation and compelling storytelling.
In his new role at Great Guns, Fuselier will strive to keep “creative first,” raising the profile of the company’s global roster of talent in the U.S. and continuing to highlight the importance of diverse perspectives in production–championing the notion that talent is defined not only by the director but influencers, artists, innovators, and technicians. He will search for U.S.-based and global directors and artists, supporting the roster by sourcing creative opportunities wherever the path leads. He will confront, support, and keep talking about the efforts that need to be made in the industry and its approach to discovering talent and new partners.
Laura Gregory, founder of Great Guns, said, “We’d been planning our expansion in America for many months before the impact of coronavirus rippled across the globe. The U.S. now faces a more challenging future than we had imagined, so we couldn’t have asked for a better person to be on board to help our clients. It’s always been our philosophy to support young talent and Oliver’s ambitions fit perfectly with the ethos we’ve built across the years. He will no doubt push our global reach to new heights whilst making us question everything in order to drive forward.”
Fuselier is enthused over joining Great Guns where he will set out to help “continue the growth of a company where Laura has been such a trailblazer when it comes to supporting global talent. Great Guns’ incredible roster is testament to this – I’m looking forward to showing the U.S. ad community what we can offer. Clients and agencies are having to adjust to completely new ways of working and I believe with Great Guns’ capabilities we can help them navigate these challenges while offering a more innovative, inclusive approach to production. Now truly is the time for industry to embrace these changes and refocus on what is important in this day and age–we want to be at the forefront of this.”
Damien Chazelle, Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons On The Return Of “Whiplash” To Theaters After 10 Years
Ten years after " Whiplash " took the film world by storm, Damien Chazelle's breakthrough feature is returning to theaters nationwide Friday.
In 2014, "Whiplash" was the ultimate indie movie Cinderella story — a Sundance discovery made by a 20-something that that would go on to become both a box office hit and an awards darling: It won three Oscars, including for J.K. Simmons ' portrayal of a semi-sadistic and ever quotable jazz ensemble instructor; launched Chazelle's directing career into the A-list stratosphere; and established Miles Teller as a next generation movie star. Now, audiences will get another chance to experience it on the big screen.
Chazelle, Teller and Simmons spoke recently about the re-release, their memories of the 20-day shoot (including when Teller accidentally broke his co-star's rib) and making something with staying power. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: What has it been like watching "Whiplash" settle into the culture in the past decade?
CHAZELLE: It's very cool, a little surreal. It doesn't feel like 10 years. It's fun to have a moment like this to relive it a little bit.
SIMMONS: It's sobering to know that I'm 10 years older. It's kind of shocking and kind of awesome that the movie actually holds up. I just saw it a few days ago in Toronto: That's a good piece of cinema.
TELLER: This is the first time I've ever had a movie re-released. I'm still fairly young into my career, but it's an incredible movie. The one thing that's frustrating for me is that people just yell out at me all the time, " not my tempo." So that's stuck around well.
SIMMONS: Maybe if you get the tempo... Read More