Washington Square Films has signed directing duo Spielbergs (Alex Karpovsky and Teddy Blanks) for their first commercial representation. The twosome has already co-directed three music videos with the support of Washington Square Films, including videos for Tanlines (“Palace,” starring Natasha Lyonne of Orange Is The New Black) and RAC (“Back of the Car,” starring Sasheer Zamata, Saturday Night Live). Spielbergs’ music video for Kopecky (“Talk to Me,” starring Michael Ian Black, Wet Hot American Summer) was released earlier this week.
The Spielbergs duo initially met on Lena Dunham’s breakthrough indie feature Tiny Furniture in 2010. Karpovsky played the male co-lead for the film while Blanks created titles and composed the score. Tiny Furniture went on to win Best Feature at SXSW, an Independent Spirit award and a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award.
With a shared sense of humor and lively approach to production, Spielbergs’ collaboration draws upon Karpovsky’s background as an actor to evoke subtleties in performance and Blanks’ experience as a designer to curate a stylized visual aesthetic. Spielbergs’ work fuses absurd, surrealistic visuals with dynamic character driven storytelling, as demonstrated by their work on the forthcoming Amazon series, The New Yorker Presents.
“I’m a big fan of the work Alex and Teddy have done independently. I loved Alex’s film Red Flag, and Teddy created absolutely brilliant graphics on two films we produced: Listen Up Phillip and Queen of Earth,” said Washington Square Films founder/president Joshua Blum. “As a team they have great chemistry. They are both smart, witty and creative, and their shoots are lots of fun.”
Jonathan Schwartz, Washington Square Films’ director of sales and marketing/managing director, said, “I’m excited about their enthusiasm for advertising and branded content. Alex is a former editor and Teddy has created graphics for advertising, so they have experience with clients and agencies, and since they are both talented writers, they bring a wealth of ideas to the table.”
In addition to being an accomplished singer and songwriter, Blanks is co-founder of the Brooklyn-based design studio CHIPS. He has designed and produced title sequences for over 50 films and television shows, including Still Alice, Love & Mercy and HBO’s Togetherness, as well as book covers for Kim Gordon and Lena Dunham. Karpovsky has directed five feature-length films and an episode of the HBO comedy series Girls, on which he plays the role of Ray Ploshansky. He has also acted in over 30 films, including the last two written and directed by the Coen Brothers: Oscar-nominated Inside Llewyn Davis and the upcoming Hail, Caesar!
Sinners and Saints Adds Apple Pie To Its Branded Menu
Bicoastal Sinners and Saints--the multidisciplinary studio overseen by managing director/executive producer Heather Heller, and partners/EPs Yann Henric and Thomas Carroll--has added Apple Pie Tabletop to its roster for branded content. Known for its food and beverage content creation, Apple Pie comprises the husband-and-wife team of director/DP Gene Dubin and director/art director Alisa Volodina. In addition to representation, the move expands Apple Pie’s production capabilities through the combination of its centrally located full-service studio in New York and a newly established mobile studio in Los Angeles. Apple Pie recently teamed with Sinners and Saints on a Wienerschnitzel project created by Innocean.
“We believe that our dual studio strategy positions us uniquely in the competitive landscape of food and beverage storytelling,” said Heller. “By blending the artistry of the New York studio with the flexibility of our Los Angeles location, we can tailor our productions to meet the unique demands of each project, regardless of geography.”
“Working with Sinners and Saints in the demanding field of tabletop was an absolute pleasure,” shared Apple Pie Tabletop in a joint statement. “Warm welcome, unwavering support and dedication--everything a director can ask for. The entire experience was both enjoyable and rewarding. We will not miss an opportunity to collaborate with them again.”
“The first thing you notice is that Apple Pie has beautiful work,” Heller observed. “Having worked with them, I can say that Gene and Alisa are extremely meticulous and detail-oriented; their combination of talent and agility appeals to agencies and clients.” Also appealing to Heller is Apple Pie Tabletop’s brisk international... Read More