Director Renee Mao has landed her first representation, joining bicoastal production and post company Greenpoint Pictures which will handle her globally. Mao is an Australian filmmaker based in NYC whose directorial work is marked by narrative-driven visual storytelling that often tackles emotional, intimate subjects. Before moving to NYC, she spent several years living in Beijing, to which she credits the beginnings of her creative pursuits and distinctive visual style.
Mao’s body of work reflects her dedication and passion for creating commercials and films which promote social causes. Her latest project is “We Won’t Stop,” a fierce, emotional and rhythmically-driven anthem for March of Dimes that depicts real women in their journey before, during and after new motherhood.
The director’s short film Dear Mr. President, which features elementary school students voicing their concerns in letter form to President Donald Trump, was featured on Huffington Post. Her portfolio of work also includes branded content for clients such as Google, Pepsi, Chivas Regal and Meals on Wheels.
Mao kicked off her commercial directing career in-house at Greenpoint Pictures and her creative and collaborative process is informed by her roots in DIY filmmaking and her extensive experience working in every department from production to post.
“Renee naturally grew into her rightful role as a rostered director due to her undeniable talent and passion for filmmaking,” said Jordana Freydberg, executive producer, Greenpoint Pictures. “Her work stands out from frame one and her ability to craft powerful narratives with both actors and real people is really exciting.”
While attending New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Mao had short films premiere at festivals all around the world including NFFTY, winning several awards including Best Cinematography at the First Run Film Festival.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More