Production studio Picrow has signed director Sara Shelton for her first U.S. commercial representation. She has turned out work for such brands as Sprint, Xfinity, Walmart, Johnsonville Sausages, Hormel, Sugar Mutts Rescue, IHOP, and Country Time Lemonade.
For the latter, her “Legal-Ade” spot took home six Cannes Lions, including a Gold for Brand Experience & Activation: Social Behavior & Cultural Insight. The campaign out of Leo Burnett earned the honors for its clever fusion of humor and real action, with the brand pledging to cover the costs of permits and fines up to $300 for kids whose lemonade stands were shut down by city authorities for operating without a business license. The campaign also earned a Silver Clio, and a Gold Pencil at The One Show 2019.
Shelton began her career as an agency creative, serving as a writer for such shops as Droga5 and Johannes Leonardo, and working on accounts including Prudential, Macy’s, Motorola and Pure Protein.
Shelton said she was drawn to working with Picrow EPs Dal Wolf and Anthony Ficalora, noting “their approach to creative collaboration syncs up perfectly with mine. Picrow has an impressive series of top-level partnerships with such major players in the entertainment space as Amazon Studios, and I’m excited to see how I can grow my work in commercials in that direction.”
During her tenure on the agency side, Shelton also pursued improv comedy at the renowned Upright Citizens Brigade and sketch comedy writing at the PIT in New York City. Her passion for comedy eventually led her to the lesser-known art of story performing. She’s been performing for almost a decade, and has opened for 20-time Moth Slam-winning Adam Wade in his solo show “Adam from New Hampshire”. She’s also made multiple appearances at Eric Vetter’s “SUPER Storytellers”, Asher Novak’s “The Whole Story” and “So What Happened Was…” in NYC.
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