Mar Frutos and Chiky Cáceres have been named chief creative officers of el taier DDB Centro, an agency ranked #1 in the Effie Effectiveness Index for Guatemala. Frutos and Cáceres are a multidisciplinary Spanish creative duo who have been working in communications for more than 20 years and are familiar with different agency models, in different cultures and countries. They previously worked in Perú as CCOs at Pragma, a Peruvian agency that became part of DDB, and later at Y&R Colombia as creative VPs….
Independent full-service production studio Oak Leaf Productions (OLP) has promoted Daniel Marin to president. Marin, who joined the bicoastal, minority-owned company in June 2021 as head of production, has successfully enhanced and expanded OLP’s services beyond its postproduction origins. Marin, who reports to OLP founder and CEO John Gallegos and is based in Huntington Beach, Calif., oversees a wide range of services, including content production, postproduction, as well as innovative solutions like AI-generated marketing campaigns. Under his guidance, OLP’s production capabilities and studio space have expanded exponentially. Since June 2021, OLP’s revenues have grown by 40%. Noteworthy new clients, such as luggage maker Travelpro and Italian coffee company Massimo Zanetti, have joined its roster. Marin and Gallegos are collaborating on the design and build of a new, state-of-the-art production studio in Huntington Beach. The space will have dedicated areas to film, record audio, mix, edit and deliver on additional production needs. Additionally, OLP is building a new production space in New York City. Both studios are expected to be complete by early 2023. At the same time, Marin is growing OLP’s team by bringing in experienced house editors, producers, motion graphics animators and other production experts. Prior to joining OLP, Marin–a marketing and media industry veteran with more than 20 years’ experience–built and led production at firms within Publicis, WPP and most recently at JOAN….
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More