Helmer comes over from Morgan Spurlock's Warpaint Films
Filmmaker Paul Stone has signed with Superlounge for exclusive U.S. spot representation. Stone’s first short film Tales of Times Square took the Best Documentary prize at multiple festivals including the LA Shorts Film Fest. His latest short, Man Under–which examines the rise in NYC subway suicides–had its world premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.
In the commercial arena, Stone is known for visually rich imagery and docu-style storytelling. Recent spot work includes Procter & Gamble’s “Zombie” (Publicis), Fidelity Investments’ “Dream Job” (Fidelity Communications & Advertising) and Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ “More Than Tired/Sleep” (Scout Advertising). The bicoastal director was previously represented for commercials by Morgan Spurlock’s Warpaint Films.
Brooklyn-born Stone began his career as an Avid editor at Ridley Scott & Associates, cutting spots and music videos for the likes of Luke Scott and Michael Moore, and working with agencies including Crispin Porter + Bogusky (Truth.com) and Leo Burnett (Fiat). His keen eye for compelling, visual storytelling made for a seamless transition to directing. Stone began helming spots through his production company Firebrand Films, and went on to direct projects for Instagram, Polaroid and Craftsman, among others. In addition to Tales of Times Square and Man Under, Stone’s shorts include The Prince of Elizabeth Street and The Boombox Project, which was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick. Of his diverse projects, Stone said, “My films tend to be hybrids. My docs feel like narrative films and my narrative films seem like docs.”
Currently, Stone is shooting the feature film documentary Mulberry, which explores the people and places of Little Italy that inspired Martin Scorsese’s film Mean Streets. “I am an Italian-American, Sardinian to be exact. Storytelling is in our DNA,” said Stone. “I grew up in Brooklyn and we hung out on street corners and told stories day and night. We raise our voices, and use our hands a lot when we speak. It’s very entertaining and visual. I guess that is where my gift for storytelling really originated.”
Stone comes aboard a Superlounge directorial roster that includes company partner Jordan Brady, Daniel Sheppard, Brett Wagner, Dane Hanson, Jeff Aron Lable, Patrick Bergh and the helming duo Jacob Slade.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More