Kaboom productions, headed by founder/executive producer Lauren Schwartz, has signed director Michele Atkins who this past May earned inclusion into SHOOT‘s annual New Directors Showcase unveiled at the DGA Theatre in NYC. Atkins garnered her Showcase slot largely on the strength of “Back to Basics,” her winning entry in Levi’s “Show Us The Way” competition for up-and-coming filmmakers.
Atkins joins a kaboom directorial roster consisting of Brandon Dickerson, Kent Harvey, Joe Meade, Erik Moe, Gary Schaffer, Joe Stevens, Ricki+Annie, Reynir, and Doug Werby.
“Michele is a true storyteller who creates beautiful and compelling narratives, but it was when we met in person that I really understood the depths of her talent and passion,” said Schwartz whose kaboom maintains offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. “She’s come up through the ranks of production, and is a writer, photographer and even edits her projects as needed, all of which is a tremendous asset in today’s market. She’s a perfect complement to our director roster.”
Atkins related that she was referred to Schwartz by an agency friend who praised her work ethic. “I love that she’s intentionally kept the kaboom roster small to best serve her directors and clients, and has a very hands-on approach as an executive producer,” said Atkins whose enthusiasm for TV and film has been a constant companion since she was a child. She was the girl who stayed indoors, watching “oldies” and creating imaginary shows. At university in New York, Atkins studied documentary filmmaking and launched her career shooting and editing news segments. This rapid-fire production served her well as she transitioned into working on indie films, music videos and commercials.
Since 2006, Atkins has produced commercials for national brands such as UPS, Budweiser, Pepsi, Oscar Mayer, Hallmark, McDonald’s, Burger King, and IBM, frequently working with directors Joe Pytka and Zack Snyder. These collaborations provided an unprecedented opportunity to learn from the best in the business, and garner keen insight to serving agency and client needs.
Review: Drew Hancock Makes Feature Directorial Debut With “Companion”
"Iris, wake up!"
Early in "Companion," lovely Iris and her nerdy-nice boyfriend Josh are driving to a secluded lake house for a stay with friends. Iris wakes from a nap and lovingly tells Josh she was dreaming about him. They reminisce about how they first met at the supermarket. All those oranges tumbling onto the floor! Ha ha.
In 20 minutes, absolutely everything about this sweet scene will be turned on its head in a terrifying and sinister manner. You will be surprised and shocked. Unless you saw the trailer, which reveals the whole thing.
And so we begin with a dilemma, dear moviegoer. "Companion," an exceedingly clever and entertaining sci-fi-horror-thriller-comedy by Drew Hancock in his feature debut, has more twists and turns than a corkscrew. But it's utterly impossible to write about the film without revealing the first of those twists.
So if you like coming in totally cold to a movie, then we're sorry to see you go, but stop reading! Otherwise, stay with us — we promise there'll be more surprises to come.
Moving on: Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Jack Quaid) arrive at the estate. A nervous Iris stops at the door, worried that Josh's friends won't like her. He urges her to simply brighten up and act happy.
Kat (Megan Suri), Josh's ex, greets them. She is gorgeous, and frosty to Iris. Eli (Harvey Guillén) and his handsome boyfriend Patrick (Lukas Gage) are nicer. Then there's Sergey (Rupert Friend), Kat's aloof Russian boyfriend — sugar daddy, really — and owner of the house. The password to his devices is Stalin's birthday, which tells you something.
Things get dark, quickly. The next morning, someone dies. They will not be the first — this is a horror movie. And suddenly Iris, caked in blood,... Read More