Creative advertising and digital experience company Stink Studios has hired Victoria Thomas as director of business development at the studio’s new San Francisco shop. Thomas, who will report to CEO Mark Pytlik, had most recently served as business director at COLLINS, where she drove partnerships with brands such as Credit Karma, Facebook, Mattel and Nike. Now at her new roost, Thomas is charged with building awareness of Stink Studios in the Bay Area, particularly with technology and Silicon Valley-based clients, and playing a key role in building out a brand new Stink Studios office and team in San Francisco. Prior to her time at COLLINS, Thomas was managing director at Pivot Design where she led the West Coast office’s cross-functional design and account teams. She also worked in publishing at Chronicle Books, where she developed and managed business relationships for the company. Her client roster includes work for Adobe, Google, Pixar, Red Bull, Uber, and Urban Outfitters…..
London-based Ncam Technologies, developer of real-time augmented reality technology for the media and entertainment industries, has named Jerry Du as its business development director for the APAC region. The appointment will support Ncam as it continues to extend its presence in this key region for film and television production. Du brings over 35 years of industry experience and market knowledge to the role. With early practical experience as a TV engineer and a VT operator and editor, he has spent the past two decades leading companies in GM roles. Following two years at Philips DVS China and three years at Pinnacle Systems China, Du led Vitec Group Production Solutions Division China for 16 years, handling leading Vitec brands including Vinten, Sachtler, OConnor, Litepanels and Anton Bauer. He was responsible for driving sales growth and transformation in a highly competitive market, with a focus on securing business objectives and building strong relationships with both customers and business partners. Du was introduced to Ncam solutions during this time, and successfully integrated Ncam products into bundle sales to the top TV stations, filmmakers and live event crew in the region.
Blue Zoo Animation Studios, a London shop known for its multi-BAFTA Award winning work in broadcast, is now looking to expand in the advertising production sector, having credits that span such brands as Kellogg’s, Microsoft, Clarks, Just Eat, Pokemon, Playmobil, Lego and Disney. Towards that end, Blue Zoo has brought new business manager Craig Purkis on board its short-form and advertising team. Purkis will work in concert with creative director and head of short form Damian Hook. Purkis brings over 15 years of experience in leading new business ventures for both film and animation production companies……
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More