Register

    Short Takes: Radar Brings Life to Sign Painting

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments5087 Views
    Alec Helm
    --

    Have you ever noticed the faded mural on the side of an old brick building selling auto parts or a Pepsi Cola for 5 cents? Have you ever wondered who actually painted those signs way up there on that 100-year old brick building? Sign Painters marks Radar Studios’ first long-format endeavor. The 75-minute film features stories and photographs of more than two dozen sign painters working throughout the country, shedding some light on this skilled trade and offering the first anecdotal history of the craft. Sign Painters has been featured for audiences internationally and is in the process of securing distribution. Radar has also begun screening the film throughout agency and advertising communities. Radar’s Sam Macon teamed with Faythe Levine to direct Sign Painters.

    The film debuted at the Smithsonian in March. Sign Painters is scheduled for future screenings in the U.S. and overseas. After distribution, the movie will likely be available for digital download and streaming in first quarter of 2014.

    STREETLIGHTS MVC BESTOWED UPON AICP
    The Streetlights organization has honored the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) as its Most Valuable Company (MVC) of the year. Streetlights provides job training, job placement and career advancement to socially and economically disadvantaged ethnic minorities living in Los Angeles. The award recognizes companies which support and promote the Streetlights mission. Dorothy Thompson, founder/executive director of Streetlights, presented the award to Matt Miller, president and CEO of AICP, who accepted it on behalf of AICP and its membership.

    “The AICP membership is extremely honored that our organization is a recipient of the Streetlights MVC Award,” said Miller. “For many years, AICP has been a proud supporter of Streetlights through the AICP Foundation, which promotes education and diversity initiatives in the advertising and commercial production industry. Most importantly, our members have made the real difference–by hiring graduates of the Streetlights Production Assistant training program. That is what makes the real difference, and ensures that deserving kids are given the opportunity to gain a foothold in the production industry.”
    Streetlights creates careers in the entertainment industry for severely low income young adults while simultaneously increasing ethnic diversity on the sets and stages of Hollywood. Since its inception in 1992, the organization has placed thousands of its graduates on commercial, film and TV sets around L.A.

    PEOPLE IN THE NEWS….
    Tool has added director Alec Helm who has already been recognized this year with a spate of industry awards, including honors from the Cannes Lions, Art Directors Club, Young Guns, AICP, CLIO, D&AD, LIA and ANDY awards. These accolades arrive on the back of Helm’s evocative, documentary-style output, including the short film Les Ballets de Faile for the New York City Ballet, and the cinematic vignettes of “Hashtag Killer” and “4 Year Old’s Bucket List” for Water is Life. Helm was also recognized at One Club’s 2013 Emerging Directors Showcase in the PSA category….Christopher Harrington, former creative director for MartianCraft, has joined Imaginary Forces as director of user experience and technology, reporting to EP/GM Gabriel Marquez. Harrington will oversee the strategic direction, growth and operation of Imaginary Forces’ interactive capabilities…..

    Category:Short Takes



    Review: Director Ben Taylor’s “Joy”

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    Toward the end of Netflix's "Joy," the muffled cry of a newborn baby prompts a man and woman in a hospital to embrace out of pure bliss. They aren't the parents, but they had as much to do with the birth as the mom and dad.

    This charming and winning movie charts the decade-long true story of how the world's first IVF baby was born in England in 1978 — a 5-pound, 12-ounce girl who paved the way for millions more. It's an upbeat, very English affair, mixing sober discussion of endometriosis with chocolate biscuits.

    The couple embracing that day were pioneering scientist Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy, a young nurse and embryologist. Together with surgeon Patrick Steptoe, the trio succeeded with in vitro fertilization, a method of treating infertility. Edwards would go on to win the Nobel Prize.

    "Joy" has been birthed at a time when science is under threat in America — even IVF — so it's downright inspiring to see plucky, smart scientists working hard to change the world. "What we're doing, it matters," says Steptoe, played with quiet economy by Bill Nighy.

    "Joy" is the personal stories of the three scientists — mostly through the eyes of Purdy, a polite lab-coated warrior. "If I hear a commotion, I'm not very good at staying out of it," she says. Perfectly played by Thomasin McKenzie, Purdy is both vulnerable and strong, learning through the process to be a better human. James Norton plays Edwards with charm, self-doubt and calm spirit.

    Jack Thorne's script nicely explains the massive pressure the trio faced. IVF may have become common and uncontroversial over the last decades, but back in the late '70s it was experimental and shunned. The Anglican church called it a sin, the newspapers labeled it Frankenstein-ish and other... Read More

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment