Bicoastal/international Moxie Pictures has signed its first London-based director, James Griffiths, for commercial and music video representation worldwide. His credits include spots for adidas, Coca-Cola, Lynx and Sony PlayStation, and music videos for Groove Armada, HAL and Goldfrapp. His first assignment under the Moxie banner is a music video for Petra Jean Phillipson….Creative Film Management International (CFM), the New York production house headed by president Lou Addesso, has added Andrew McCarthy to its spot directorial roster. McCarthy recently made his writing and directorial debut in the screen adaptation of a Frank O’Connor short story, News for the Church. As a performer, his credits include The Joy Luck Club, Pretty In Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire, as well as the Tony Award-winning Sideman….Director Nigel Dick has signed with DNA, Los Angeles for music video and spot representation. Meanwhile, also joining DNA is L.A.-based director Fritz Flieder, for representation in the American ad market. He is known for his spotwork in Europe and the U.S…..Director Paula Walker has joined Bruce Dowad Associates, Los Angeles, for exclusive representation in North America and nonexclusive representation in the rest of the world for commercials….BeachHouse Films, Santa Monica, has signed comedy/dialogue director Jeff Gordon for U.S. representation. He comes over from X-Ray Productions, part of the Crossroads (bicoastal and Chicago) family of companies…..Feature filmmaker Stephen Daldry, a two-time Oscar nominee (Billy Elliot, The Hours), has signed with international shop Saville Productions for commercials….A Band Apart, Los Angeles, has signed director Adam Pollina and Ben Dickinson for exclusive representation in music videos and commercials. Polina is a well known comic book artist and video game designer who diversified into directing last year. Dickinson is one of a group of former NYU students who formed the Brooklyn-based directors collective Waverly Films, which has made inroads in spots and music clips….Richard P. Crudo has been re-elected for a third term as president of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC)…..Barbara Marshall has been promoted to managing director of Encore Hollywood, a post facility that’s part of the Ascent Media Creative Services Group family of shops. Marshall formerly served as director of Encore Visual Effects……The industry is mourning the death of director Bruce Malmuth following a courageous fight against cancer. Malmuth, 71, was active in commercials, music videos, documentaries and features. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Bruce Malmuth Build a Child Foundation, P.O. Box 570625, Tarzana, CA 91357-0625…..
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More