Bicoastal/London-based Park Pictures has signed director Seb Edwards for commercial representation in the U.S. Edwards continues to be handled in the U.K. by Academy Films.
Edwards has directed multiple award-winning campaigns for brands such as HSBC, AT&T, VW and Vodafone. His work in commercials has earned multiple BTAA Awards and Gold Lions, most recently for his spots “Debris” and “Waiting To Happen” for The British Army. His new Nike campaign, “Find Your Greatness,” including the :60 “Greatness Anywhere” co-directed with Park’s Lance Acord, will air throughout the Olympics. Edwards was previously represented in the U.S. by Station Film.
Edwards’ own work reflects a sophisticated understanding of cinema and filmmaking technique.
“I admire films and commercials that are incredibly crafted, but you never feel that craft,” Edwards said. “They emotionally engage without feeling manipulative or showy.”
His emergence as a director marks the culmination of a 180-degree career transition from time in front of the camera as the star of Hope and Glory, John Boorman’s Oscar®-nominated 1987 film about a child’s adventures during the London blitz. As Edwards grew older, he discovered his true passion for creating images and directing actors, not performing himself.
Edwards began developing his directorial eye as a Fine Arts student at Leeds University in the U.K. Painting soon gave way to video installations and the storytelling roots ingrained in Edwards from his early days as a child actor began to reemerge in increasingly sophisticated video narratives. This evolution led him to direct his first short, which gained him admittance into New York University’s graduate MFA program in 2000.
During his time in New York, Edwards supplemented his visual acumen with an American indie film influence, developing a storytelling style that meshes striking visuals with a strong emotional pull. Upon returning to the U.K. post-graduation, he worked his way up through the production ranks, from runner to directing spots for Home (formerly Brave Films) in just a few short years. During this time, he directed spots for GLA (Euro RSCG London), Nokia N-Gage (Grey Worldwide) and the notable Sony Playstation “Time Crisis 3” spot.
Edwards continues to expand his storytelling output beyond the scope of commercials, having returned to shorts again with 2011’s Friday and most recently directed the music video of James Blake’s cover of the Joni Mitchell classic, “A Case of You,” featuring actress Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Prestige, The Town).
Supreme Court Allows Multibillion-Dollar Class Action Lawsuit To Proceed Against Meta
The Supreme Court is allowing a multibillion-dollar class action investors' lawsuit to proceed against Facebook parent Meta, stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.
The justices heard arguments in November in Meta's bid to shut down the lawsuit. On Friday, they decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place.
The high court dismissed the company's appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward.
Investors allege that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users' personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump 's first successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016.
Inadequacy of the disclosures led to two significant price drops in the price of the company's shares in 2018, after the public learned about the extent of the privacy scandal, the investors say.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company was disappointed by the court's action. "The plaintiff's claims are baseless and we will continue to defend ourselves as this case is considered by the District Court," Stone said in an emailed statement.
Meta already has paid a $5.1 billion fine and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users.
Cambridge Analytica had ties to Trump political strategist Steve Bannon. It had paid a Facebook app developer for access to the personal information of about 87 million Facebook users. That data was then used to target U.S. voters during the 2016 campaign.
The lawsuit is one of two high court cases involving class-action lawsuits against tech companies. The justices also are wrestling with whether to shut down a class action against Nvidia.... Read More