Bicoastal/international Partizan has extended its global reach this week with the opening of an office in Berlin under the aegis of executive producer Moritz Merkel.
The new shop will handle representation in Germany for all of Partizan’s labels: Partizan lab (animation and special effects), the darkroom (content) Partizan Films (feature film and documentary) and of course Partizan’s TV commercial division.
Merkel, who recently came aboard Partizan, has years of experience working on both sides of the advertising business, having held senior production roles in German production companies and agencies, including Kolle Rebbe and Jung von Matt, where he was head of TV.
“Germany is one of the seven most important markets for content and films, said Georges Bermann who is chairman and global executive producer of Partizan. “Our rapidly growing activity in feature films, documentaries, TV and Internet content means we had already developed strong contacts there and the only missing piece was a full production operation to offer our directors and experience to the German agencies and advertisers.
“Advertising is changing very quickly these days and will probably evolve even faster than people think,” Bermann continued. “Partizan has anticipated these changes and has prepared for them with a combination of more global offers [films, content, post production, online and print projects] and a local proximity in key territories.
Bermann further noted that in the next six months Partizan’s presence will expand in emerging markets, citing India, China for Asia, and Brazil for Latin America.
Partizan is currently developing and producing six feature films, three TV shows, and several 360˚ content projects with agencies alongside its traditional production activity in commercials and music videos. A new management division will be added next month to provide screenplay writers and content projects.
“The financial crisis is not freezing Partizan’s projects,” said Bermann.
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