Blink has added directorial duo Jungle to its roster. Based in Berlin and Sao Paulo, Jungle has a body of work that is filled with remarkable imagery and art direction, often applying visual effects in a unique and naturalistic way that creates striking heightened realities for commercials, music videos and film. Earning the Gold Arrow at the recent British Arrows Craft awards for new director. Jungle has credits that span Jagermeister and Nike. Their work has gone on to debut, win, and be nominated at international film and advertising festivals including, NYC independent film festival, EL Ojo der Iberoamérica, and the Brazilian Cinema GrandPrix…..
Industry and agency vets Yates Holley and John Kim have launched Los Angeles-based hybrid company Rideview, which is billed as a one-stop shop for automotive art direction and visualization. Rideview offers services including visual effects, production, virtual production, experience design, development, retouching, and strategy. Holley is Rideview’s executive producer/partner while Kim serves as creative director/partner. While their creative partnership spans nearly a decade, beginning with interactive projects for Toyota at Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, Holley and Kim have each showcased their individual talents and versatility for three decades. During his lengthy career, Holley has not only worked with automotive clients, but for brands like Disney, Nike, Coca-Cola, Google, Apple, and Samsung, Holley has also contributed to award-winning projects such as Where Cards Fall, Unity Awards’ 2019 Mobile Game of the Year. He has earned multiple Cannes Gold Lions and AICP Show distinctions. Kim has established his technical prowess and creative expertise as a sought after CG artist, with projects including the first teaser for Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. Transitioning to the agency side of the industry he has built extensive production skills. In the process, Kim has worked with industry leaders like Toyota, focusing on car configurators and other interactive content. Eventually he was entrusted with overseeing creative direction on running footage. Rideview is already going full speed ahead with multiple projects for automotive brands including Toyota and Ford. Just as importantly, the content company has reinforced its commitment to being eco-friendly. First, Rideview has joined sustainability-focused organization Green the Bid to help reduce carbon footprints on and off set. Second, the company is continuing its fruitful working relationship with Faraday Future, a pioneering, sustainability-driven EV brand. To celebrate the carmaker’s recent IPO launch, Rideview collaborated with prolific photographer Richard Thompson to craft a mood film. Rideview has also developed a car configurator used in the Faraday Future app….
Toronto’s Westside Studio has added director Jesse Hunt to its roster for representation in Canada. Hunt has produced commercial work for clients including Welch’s, Chevrolet, Google, Taco Bell and Casper. His recent work includes the emotionally charged Meet Me at the Stairs, an autobiographical film telling the story of the pandemic’s impact on his relationship with his wife, an emergency services worker. Because Hunt is a kidney transplant recipient, he was at risk for contracting COVID, meaning the couple had to maintain physical distance during the pandemic’s early days. The four-minute short was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick, while also placing third out of 1,080 submissions in the Musicbed Reopen Challenge, the theme of which was films capable of inspiring hope. It also premiered at the 2021 Brooklyn Film Festival. Prior to joining Westside Studio, director Hunt was handled in the Canadian market by Sequoia. Hunt currently does not have U.S. representation…..
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