Standard Time, a content and design studio based in L.A., has made a number of new hires and promotions. On the latter score, Spencer Somers has been upped to creative director from associate creative director while Sara Karnowski has been promoted to account director.
Somers joined Standard Time in 2012 as a copywriter and has served as a creative problem solver for such clients as Starbucks, CVS Pharmacy, TOO FACED Cosmetics and olloclip. He’s been a key contributor—helping win new business, creating holistic campaign strategy, managing freelancers and partnering directly with a diverse set of clients. Somers is a graduate of the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where he created one of the first mash-up movie trailers. His work was exhibited in 2013 at The Museum of The Moving Image in NYC.
Karnowski started at Standard Time nearly 18 months ago. In her new capacity she will lead both client side management and project management departments. She has international experience managing successful campaigns across a variety of media for such global brands as Red Bull, L’Oreal Paris, Lexus and Triumph International. It was while living in Cape Town, South Africa, a city bursting with culture and creativity, that she realized her love for all things creative.
As for Standard Time’s hires, Amy Marek has come on staff as production head in charge of the agency’s in-house production and postproduction divisions, as well as broadcast. And Ashley Jones has joined as associate creative director.
Marek began her content producing career at The Martin Agency and several years later moved to San Francisco to work at Camp+King where she led in all parts of the process from research and strategy to production, while also helping with new business. Key clients have included Expedia, Discover Card, Hanes, Experian and Pizza Hut. In the past year Standard Time has produced all video work in house for Sephora, Twitter, CVS Health, and Ole Smoky Moonshine.
Born and raised in Toronto, Jones has spent most of her career in New York City. She worked at the design firm RoAndCo where she was the studio’s art director in addition to leading all interactive design projects. In 2013, Jones was awarded a Young Guns award from the ADC. She then worked as an art director at Partners & Spade, where she combined her love for branding, art direction and the online world, to build holistic brand identities for a diverse portfolio of clients. Jones has experience with larger brands, such as Warby Parker, Target, Moda Operandi, and Etsy, as well as smaller brands such as M. Gemi, Frances Valentine and Loeffler Randall. She recently led the rebrand for Peloton Cycle.
Somers and Jones will lead Standard Time’s creative department and report directly to executive creative director Michael Sharp.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More