STUART RIDEOUT LEADS RESISTANCE FOR PS3
Crossroads‘ recently signed director Stuart Rideout helms a terrifying tale of Armageddon for the PS3’s Resistance 2 game via Deutsch LA. The spine-chilling :60 titled “Resistance 2” cuts to menacing prophets from various periods in time including: the desert prophet, the oracle, the young Buddhist monk, the blind man, and the voodoo lady. Their sensory accounts anecdotally tell the story of impending doom. Interspersed scenes from the game mix with supposed reality.
The Deutsch creative ensemble included creative directors Jason Elm and Michael Bryce, art director Brandt Lewis, copywriter Josh Fell and producer Marisa Wasser.
Rideout directed the job via Rascal Films prior to joining Crossroads. Exec producing for Rascal were Jim Golden, Pete Christy and Scott Horan. The DP was Bill Pope.
Editor was Lisa Gunning of The Whitehouse, with post/effects from Zoic, and sound design by Loren Silber of Lime Studios.
A FRANTIC SEARCH FOR SPOT DIRECTORS Frantic Branded Content + Commercials, a division of film and television production company Frantic Films Corp., and Toronto-headquartered ad agency TAXI, along with spot production company Soft Citizen, have partnered to develop Commercial Break, a reality television series on the hunt for Canada’s next big commercial director. The show centers on weekly challenges in which contestants create television spots for actual brands. The activities of a real-world ad agency, their clients and unique advertising challenges are incorporated into the plot of each episode.
In the 10-episode original series set to launch this year, 10 contestants, chosen from a cross-country search, compete for an exclusive one-year contract with Soft Citizen, Vancouver and Toronto. Each week a panel of judges comprised of TAXI executive creative director Steve Mykolyn, Soft Citizen exec producer Dr. Link York and a guest evaluate constestants’ work. As each contestant is eliminated, projects become increasingly challenging.
For TAXI, co-creating a reality TV series offered a new type of brand exposure for clients (even for those who do not typically advertise on TV), and exposure for the agency beyond the trade community. But most importantly, the program provides viewers with a rare glimpse into advertising at a time of tremendous popular interest in the craft.
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS…. Rick O’Hare has joined Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc., headquartered in Hollywood, as senior VP, studio account management and operations. He will manage Deluxe’s relationships with studio clients and be responsible for servicing major accounts across all divisions, achieving process improvements, and integrating Deluxe’s many service offerings. The hire marks O’Hare’s return to Deluxe. He began his career with Twentieth Century Fox/Deluxe Laboratories when Deluxe as owned by Fox. He served as VP of administration at Deluxe and executive in charge of Fox Worldwide Technical Services and Fox Movietone News. Among other positions he held was senior VP of digital distribution for Sony Pictures Entertainment….Global independent ad agency la comunidad, with its stateside foothold in Miami, has appointed Richard Monturo as executive director of strategy and technology. He formerly was head of strategic planning tams for Lowe, TBWA and StrawberryFrog….
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More