Bicoastal Original Film has brought filmmakers Peter Lydon and Rupert Wainwright aboard its roster. Lydon was most recently repped for spots by Hungry Man, while Wainwright joins Original following three years at bicoastal Saville Productions.
Although known primarily for his comedy ads, Lydon actually got his start directing documentaries for the BBC. He turned that knack for finding the drama in everyday lives to directing episodic television including the popular British shows Shameless and Secret Diary of a Call Girl, as well as the upcoming four-part miniseries Garrow’s Law about the pioneering barrister William Garrow that will air next month on the BBC.
Lydon’s ad work includes recent spots for the Discovery Channel, Ikea and a package for Sky TV.
“I really enjoy transferring my skills from the world of TV into making commercials,” said Lydon. “In particular my experience with actors in long form comedy has really rubbed off in my comedy spots. That, combined with a desire to bring a cinematic look to the work, helps to set them apart. Many comedy spots have a tendency to look a little flat. I try to bring a little more gloss, a little more visual daring, but always with a strong performance.”
Rupert Wainwright
Wainwright began his career directing high-profile music videos for such artists as Michael Jackson, NWA and MC Hammer. The helmer then diversified into commercials (Reebok, AT&T, Sega, Sprite, and Russia’s 2014 Winter Olympics bid) and feature films (Stigmata, The Fog, The Sadness of Sex) and TV (NBC’s Fear Itself).
Wainwright said he was drawn to Original based on its creative reputation and its involvement in not only traditional commercialmaking but other new forms of content in the advertising/marketing arena.
Original is headed by exec producers/partners Bruce Mellon, Jeff Devlin and Joe Piccirillo.
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