Alex Anderson has opened Strange Attractor, a firm focused on the representation of innovative talent. Strange Attractor opens with a roster for national representation which includes Animal Music, Detour Films, Fellow, Public-Library, † TGNSF † and Trollbรคck+Company. Regarding the moniker of Anderson’s new venture, by definition a strange attractor is a solution to a chaotic system which yields a mysterious and captivating fractal design form, essentially turning chaos into art. Anderson maintained his own creative consultancy before signing on in 2015 as managing director at GenPop, a Los Angeles-based production company launched by Ben Conrad, formerly of Logan. Prior to GenPop and his consultancy, Anderson was known for helping to grow GreenDot Films….
The Gersh Agency has signed DP Ed David for exclusive representation…..
Independent creative agency David&Goliath (D&G) has appointed Stephen Larkin to serve as chief marketing officer. Larkin will be responsible for fueling agency growth and driving overall reputation. He will report directly to Brian Dunbar, president of D&G. Larkin brings more than two decades of ad and marketing experience to D&G. Most recently, he was CMO of 180LA, where he spent over three years. During his tenure, the agency experienced tremendous momentum and growth including winning roster spots with Pepsi and HP, projects with Mattel, Dollar Shave Club, Pacific Life, and AOR duties for both University of Phoenix and Miller Lite. Larkin also led assignments with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Hollywood Foreign Press and UNICEF, for which 180LA’s “Unfairy Tales” campaign won five Lions at Cannes including the Grand Prix for Good. Prior to 180LA, Larkin led new business efforts and client services as managing director for Mullen Pittsburgh. Before that, he was sr. VP, brand evangelist at Mullen Boston where he led new business and worked on clients including Planet Fitness, Boston Bruins and Foxwoods Resorts and Casino. Earlier in his career he spent over 10 years at Hill Holliday, where he managed relationships with brands such as the Boston Globe, Massachusetts State Lottery, Bank of America, AMD and Tyco….
Art Machine, a full-service creative agency which is part of Engine Group, has named Steven Komarnitsky its VP, new business development. Komarnitsky will be tasked with providing strategic solutions for clients, such as the Los Angeles Rams, in addition to building out Art Machine’s client acquisitions team. He will also be a critical asset as the agency continues to create industry-leading work and push boundaries within the hospitality, sports, automotive and entertainment industries. Komarnitsky will report to John McMahon, Art Machine’s president and creative director. Komarnitsky joins Art Machine from JoyStick Interactive where he oversaw the digital production company’s new business and client development efforts on a national scale. Komarnitsky has also held development positions at Brandmovers and MediaTree Group, where he worked with brands,including Old Navy, UFC, Pepsi, eBay, Kettle One, Gap and Bank of America….
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this โ and those many "Babadook" memes โ unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables โ "Bah-Bah-Doooook" โ an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More