In SHOOT’s recent online survey asking for feedback on last month’s Advertising Week in New York, the majority of respondents felt that the event did a good job of promoting the industry but unfortunately was undermined by yet another crop of negative political advertising that is an embarrassment to our business.
While this is most painfully evident in mudslinging political spots in which character assassination–not to mention assassination of the facts and the issues–remains the norm, there’s plenty of cause for embarrassment outside that overtly offensive realm. Consider the authority figures who appear in ads.
Last week The Los Angeles Times reported on the money being spent by the tobacco industry to defeat the Proposition 86 cigarette tax initiative and by the oil business to combat Proposition 87, which would place a tax on big oil. Both propositions are on the California ballot for the November election. In return for significant sums of money, many spokespeople carrying weight have come out against both initiatives.
But perhaps more telling is The Times’ account of Dr. Americo Simonini, who refused to appear in a No on 86 spot. When a casting call went out for a doctor-actor to appear in a commercial, Simonini read for the part and impressed those casting the job. However when offered the gig, Simonini declined upon realizing he was siding with the tobacco industry. Like many in the healthcare field, Simonini believes the tobacco tax would do some good, helping to discourage some people–particularly minors–from smoking. “I’m a cardiologist. I can’t do that,” he was quoted as saying in the Times article.
Still Big Tobacco tried to entice Simonini, telling him that the initial $5,000 fee could double if his name could be used and he could be identified as a physician. Simonini added that he was told if the ad ran for the duration of the campaign, the pay would multiply accordingly. While he has student loans to repay, Simonini still respectfully declined.
“It would have been a feather for them to have a doctor come on board,” he said to The Times. “There are people working very cleverly to achieve their ends, to undermine what is good for us. Why?…So much is at stake.”
The Times published a chart of special interest payments ranging from $18,600 to $160,000 to authority figure spokespeople–or their “agents”– in order to help defeat or pass certain propositions. Paid endorsements can include TV and radio spots, mass mailings, press conferences and public appearances. Campaigns pay for such testimonials because they frequently work.
On the subject of these paid endorsements, Elisa Odabashian, West Coast director of the nonprofit Consumers Union, told The Times, “In the marketplace, consumers can get bamboozled in every direction. Unfortunately, the initiative process is a marketplace. It has become no different than selling a drug or a car. The idea is the product, and somebody is paying for it.”
Oscar Nominees Delve Into The Art Of Editing At ACE Session
You couldn’t miss Sean Baker at this past Sunday’s Oscar ceremony where he won for Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay and Editing on the strength of Anora. However, earlier that weekend he was in transit from the Cesar Awards in Paris and thus couldn’t attend the American Cinema Editors (ACE) 25th annual panel of Academy Award-nominated film editors held at the Regal LA Live Auditorium on Saturday (3/1) in Los Angeles. While the eventual Oscar winner in the editing category was missed by those who turned out for the ACE “Invisible Art, Visible Artists” session, three of Baker’s fellow nominees were on hand--Dávid Jancsó, HSE for The Brutalist; Nick Emerson for Conclave; and Myron Kerstein, ACE for Wicked. Additionally, Juliette Welfling, who couldn’t appear in person due to the Cesar Awards, was present via an earlier recorded video interview to discuss her work on Emilia Pérez. The interview was conducted by ACE president and editor Sabrina Plisco, ACE who also moderated the live panel discussion. Kerstein said that he was the beneficiary of brilliant and generous collaborators, citing, among others, director Jon M. Chu, cinematographer Alice Brooks, and visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman. The editor added it always helps to have stellar acting performances, noting that hearing Cynthia Erivo, for example, sing live was a revelation. Kerstein recalled meeting Chu some eight years ago on a “blind Skype date” and it was an instant “bromance”--which began on Crazy Rich Asians, and then continued on such projects as the streaming series Home Before Dark and the feature In The Heights. Kerstein observed that Chu is expert in providing collaborators with... Read More