Director Rod Blackhurst has signed with bicoastal The Famous Group for spots and brand content. Blackhurst’s first feature Here Alone won an audience award at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Next month his Netflix Original documentary Amanda Knox will premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Blackhurst is probably best known in the ad industry for his recent branding campaign for Airbnb,,,.
New York-based production studio Sibling Rivalry has added Gerald Ding to its directorial roster. Ding has helmed spots for brands such as Apple (“Loved”), Google (Android “Handshake”), Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola, Gillette, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Samsung and Converse. He has also worked with musical artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Vampire Weekend and Kid Cudi….
Cast & Crew Entertainment Services has completed its previously announced acquisition of CAPS Payroll, a leading payroll provider spanning multiple entertainment markets including commercial production, venues, music tours, live events, unscripted television and independent film. As previously disclosed, Silver Lake, the global technology investing leader and controlling shareholder of Cast & Crew, committed substantial additional equity to fund the acquisition and support Cast & Crew’s continued growth. Following its acquisition by Silver Lake in mid-2015, Cast & Crew has accelerated investments to extend its technology leadership and to strategically align itself for the industry’s digital future. In addition to the acquisition of CAPS, itself a technology pioneer in the entertainment subsectors it serves, Cast & Crew’s other recent investments include the release of new and advanced digital workflow solutions and the acquisition of screenwriting software leader Final Draft, Inc….
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More