Bicoastal production company Rabbit has signed Emmy Award-winning director Ray Dillman for U.S. commercial representation. He had previously been handled by production house Wondros. Dillman won the Primetime Emmy back in 1999 for the NBC/snapchat.com commercial titled “New Friend.”
For over two decades Dillman has been known as an actor’s director with a distinct dramatic style, as seen in his work for such top brands as the U.S. Army, Kraft, Allstate, Bank of America, Sargento, Coca Cola, AARP, American Airlines and The Home Depot. He fuses his background as a creative director, his screenwriting experience and his design expertise to bring a collaborative and uniquely full spectrum approach to directing for brands.
Noted Rabbit EP Joby Barnhart, “Ray’s experience working on the agency side and deep understanding of every part of the creative process really brings a superior level of communication on set that allows for dynamic collaboration.”
Dillman said of his decision to join Rabbit, “I really like the broad range of work that they take on as a company and with my background as a creative director, I really like that they are going after a lot of brand direct work.”
After studying Design/Illustration at the Ringling School of Art and Design, Dillman started his career on the agency side, working as a creative director at top global agencies including Leo Burnett. In 1991, he transferred his in-depth knowledge of the creative commercial process and his polished design aesthetic to shift into working as a director. Starting off at boutique shop Electric Avenue Films, he quickly built a strong reel encompassing dialogue-driven storytelling pieces that have earned noteworthy acclaim, including the aforementioned Emmy Award. Production company roosts for Dillman over the years have included GARTNER (which produced the Emmy winning “New Friend”), MJZ and Avion Films. In addition to his commercial work, Dillman is currently in development on several feature projects, including a film for his original screenplay “Unmanned Warfare” originally set up with Spielberg’s longtime collaborators The Kennedy/Marshall Company and now the subject of talks with Amazon Films.
Review: Writer-Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic”
"Heretic" opens with an unusual table setter: Two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are discussing condoms and why some are labeled as large even though they're all pretty much a standard size. "What else do we believe because of marketing?" one asks the other.
That line will echo through the movie, a stimulating discussion of religion that emerges from a horror movie wrapper. Despite a second-half slide and feeling unbalanced, this is the rare movie that combines lots of squirting blood and elevated discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.
Our two church members — played fiercely by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East — are wandering around trying to covert souls when they knock on the door of a sweet-looking cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reed, offers a hearty "Good afternoon!" He welcomes them in, brings them drinks and promises a blueberry pie. He's also interested in learning more about the church. So far, so good.
Mr. Reed is, of course, if you've seen the poster, the baddie and he's played by Hugh Grant, who doesn't go the snarling, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter route in "Heretic." Grant is the slightly bumbling, bashful and self-mocking character we fell in love with in "Four Weddings and a Funeral," but with a smear of menace. He gradually reveals that he actually knows quite a bit about the Mormon religion — and all religions.
"It's good to be religious," he says jauntily and promises his wife will join them soon, a requirement for the church. Homey touches in his home include a framed "Bless This Mess" needlepoint on a wall, but there are also oddities, like his lights are on a timer and there's metal in the walls and ceilings.
Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood — who also... Read More