In a surprising development–both to would-be handicappers and to the winner himself–Peter Thwaites of Gorgeous Enterprises, London (who’s repped stateside by bicoastal Anonymous Content), received the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award as Best Commercial Director of 2008.
When he was announced as being the winner during the DGA Awards gala on Saturday (1/31) in Los Angeles, Thwaites came on stage and said he hadn’t prepared an acceptance speech. “I’m very surprised,” related Thwaites who noted that he is “so amazed” by the work of his fellow nominees that “being here in their place humbles me to a great degree. I’m very grateful. Thank you very much.”
While Thwaites sounded a bit stunned, his nominated work was stunning enough to win over DGA judges. Thwaites earned the Guild honor on the strength of two entries: Barclaycard’s “Water Slide” for BBH London, and Guinness’ “Light Show” out of Irish International BBDO, Dublin.
The former shows a swim trunks-clad employee taking a wondrous amusement park-like commute home from the office–his mode of transportation being an enormous waterslide that winds its way throughout the city all the way to his suburban abode. Along the way he slip slides through a grocery store where he buys a banana which he pays for by sliding his Barclaycard past a sensor. He is able to use the card repeatedly without slowing down his slide home.
“From a directing point of view, the spot was a huge balancing act,” related Thwaites. “The key was balancing elements of postproduction and live action and trying to make something so technical be true to a human narrative storyline that connects with people. That’s always the hardest thing for a director who serves as a balancing force, and overseer and creative force on this kind of project. The director has to keep his eye on the ball, making sure you stay true to the simple idea. I felt sort of a ringleader with so many post people [from The Mill, London] involved.
Guinness’ “Light Show” also entailed collaboration with The Mill. “The idea was an office building being a pint of Guinness as reflected in the configuration of lights that are on inside the building,” said Thwaites. “Again for me it’s important within this essentially visual piece to keep a narrative flow by managing the scale of the job and keeping the ultimate focus on the simplicity of the idea.”
First-time DGA Award nominee Thwaites topped a field of nominated spot directors that included Anonymous Content’s David Fincher, a past winner of the DGA commercials honor (as the top spot helmer of ’03) and twice a commercial director of the year nominee. (Fincher was also nominated this year for the feature film DGA Award on the basis of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; the DGA Award for best feature helmer ultimately went to Danny Boyle for Slum Dog Millionaire).
Rounding out this year’s DGA spotmaking nominees was a trio of directors from bicoastal/international MJZ: Fredrik Bond who’s been nominated for the honor three times during his career; and Tom Kuntz and Rupert Sanders, who have each received two career nominations.
Thwaites’ win breaks a streak of three consecutive years in which an MJZ director won the DGA spot honor. Nicolai Fuglsig was best commercial director of ’07, Dante Ariola earned top spot helmer distinction in ’06, and Craig Gillespie took the ’05 honor.
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