Arts & Sciences has added director David Dearlove to its U.K. and European roster. With a background in creative direction at agencies Engine and Droga5, his deep experience in the ad space informs his knowledge of commercial filmmaking and innovative means of storytelling. His short films Fighting Talk and Taj Mahal Presents…A Short Film find inventive ways to heighten production value on smaller budgets, speaking to Dearlove’s prowess as a filmmaker. Dearlove’s commercial work ranges from a gut-wrenching film for Women’s Aid to a confronting film for Breast Cancer Now, an inspirational ad for the Royal Air Force, and a film for the Kiyan Prince Foundation that won a Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes Lions. He has won four other Cannes Lions Awards, as well as several Creative Circle, Clio Awards, British Arrows, D&AD Awards, Young Director Awards, and One Show honors. Dearlove was also named Best New Director by Creative Circle, and LIA. Prior to joining Arts & Sciences, Dearlove was repped by Blink for commercials and branded content in the U.K. and Amsterdam….
Havas has acquired French data consultancy firm TED Consulting. Specialized in all aspects of digital transformation, TED Consulting will join the organization under Havas Media Network to enhance its use of data through unique expertise in AI powered hyper-automation, creating a range of optimization solutions for clients. Founded in 2016 by Mathias Chaumon, and having quadrupled revenue in just three years, TED Consulting helps clients automate business processes in all areas of operations thanks to RPA (Robotic Process Automation) technology. The uniqueness of TED Consulting lies in its early integration of artificial intelligence models into robotization processes. TED Consulting deploys tailor-made applications on Cloud infrastructures. Its data DNA, technology-driven culture, and business-centric positioning combine to create a premium approach to the market with the ability to deliver high-stakes business optimization projects. This acquisition capitalizes on the synergy of talents in terms of technological expertise and consulting know-how, which will enable Havas Media’s Business Science division, a unit dedicated to harnessing the power of data and AI, to further accelerate its development by offering increasingly innovative solutions to support brands in their transformation challenges. In doing so, Havas is creating a solution that it bills as unprecedented on the market, combining data, automation, robotization and artificial intelligence. As a result, Havas’ teams can deliver process automation projects powered by AI, allowing them to achieve a heightened level of accuracy as well as operational and financial efficiency. Supported by a network with global reach as well as local expertise, these solutions will be available both in France and internationally for companies operating in all sectors….
Review: Director-Writer Megan Park’s “My Old Ass”
They say tripping on psychedelic mushrooms triggers hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia and nervousness. In the case of Elliott, an 18-year-old restless Canadian, they prompt a visitor.
"Dude, I'm you," says the guest, as she nonchalantly burns a 'smores on a campfire next to a very high and stunned Elliott. "Well, I'm a 39-year-old you. What's up?"
What's up, indeed: Director-writer Megan Park has crafted a wistful coming-of-age tale using this comedic device for "My Old Ass" and the results are uneven even though she nails the landing.
After the older Elliott proves who she is — they share a particular scar, childhood memories and a smaller left boob — the time-travel advice begins: Be nice to your brothers and mom, and stay away from a guy named Chad.
"Can we hug?" asks the older Elliott. They do. "This is so weird," says the younger Elliott, who then makes things even weirder when she asks for a kiss — to know what it's like kissing yourself. The older Elliott soon puts her number into the younger's phone under the name "My Old Ass." Then they keep in touch, long after the effects of the 'shrooms have gone.
Part of the movie's problem that can't be ignored is that the two Elliotts look nothing alike. Maisy Stella plays the coltish young version and a wry Aubrey Plaza the older. Both turn in fine performances but the visuals are slowly grating.
The arrival of the older Elliott coincides with her younger self counting down the days until she can flee from her small town of 300 in the Muskoka Lakes region to college in Toronto, where "my life is about to start." She's sick of life on a cranberry farm.
Park's scenes and dialogue are unrushed and honest as Elliott takes her older self's advice and tries to repair... Read More