Tool of North America has signed L.A.-based director Kevin Cornish who’s known for his breakthrough work in virtual reality.
In 2014, Cornish founded Image Theory, a 3D animation company specializing in cutting edge digital marketing content, working with clients including Apple and Taylor Swift. In 2015, he founded VR agency Moth + Flame, where he has partnered with brands and clients including MTV, Google and AT&T.
In addition to his VR and brand fare, Cornish is also known for feature film work, including executive producing Barely Lethal and co-producing Are We Done Yet? and Beyond A Reasonable Doubt. Cornish’s first project for Tool is “Fall in Love VR,” which was financed by Oculus Studios and inspired by the New York Times piece, “The 36 Questions That Lead to Love” (and Arthur Aron’s study “The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness). “Fall in Love VR” was shortlisted for a Cannes Innovation Lion at the 2017 festival.
“I could not be happier with the strides that the world of Virtual Reality has been producing,” said Cornish. “Tool is unrivaled in its commitment to innovation in storytelling, and I could not be happier to collaborate with them on this project and officially join the team.”
“We are just scratching the surface of what is possible through virtual reality, and Kevin has an undeniable talent in the field,” said Oliver Fuselier, Managing Partner at Tool. “He’s got this drive and this determination to make film an ethereal experience, and we are all ecstatic to see what he can accomplish. It’s not about going to the theater and being passive anymore–viewers can create the story as they experience it.”
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More