In late 2017, it was announced that Disney would buy 20th Century Fox, including all of the beloved properties such as X-men, Fantastic Four, and… I guess, The Simpsons? The studio system continues to shrink down to a smaller number of big studios. Whether or not that portends doom for the industry or not (I tend to think not), remains to be seen. read more
It’s no secret that millennials stare at screens for a collective hours a day. Truth is, there’s tons of interesting stuff in the world captured by artistically minded folks on Instagram. However, I do subscribe to the notion that we can all put our phones down once in a while. Maybe we don’t have to take a picture of every boutique coffee we drink.
Some advertisers know where millennials’ eyeballs are, and they make sure to be there, as well. According to a recent study done by Bustle and reported by Adweek, 40% of millennial women prefer ads via Instagram. What is it about the visual social media app that draws such a preference from a large consumer pool? How have we collaborated with brands to reach and ignite these consumers’ interests?
Gather ‘round the fire, kids. Let me tell you about our 20th year of being in business. There are many heroes to this story: an alien, a solar eclipse, a physics-defying quarter, a magic set of headphones, and a garbage truck ramming through a bedroom wall. Rapid-fire year-in-review starts now! read more
I’m not sure who you are, or what your life is, but I’ve already had to go back to Kroger to buy candy a second time for the trick-or-treaters because I ate the bag I had. If you’re one of those people who can buy a bag of candy and save it for Halloween night, send me your address so I can send you a trophy with a personalized note.
That brings me to my topic for the day: candy brands, and how they break ahead of the pack in time for one of the three biggest holidays for candy. (Wait, there are at least three holidays centered around candy…?! Guys, we need to reflect on who are as a people.) read more
It’s happened. Late last Wednesday night, Mark Zuckerberg, himself, took to Facebook to announce Facebook Watch, their original video content service. The Watch tab to be featured on the Facebook website interface will feature original scripted and unscripted content from a wide range of genres. Today, we’ll be running down a number of the logistics of Facebook Watch (what set’s it apart, who’s a part of it, etc). We’ll also give some thoughts on the complete implications of a new player in the streaming services lineup. read more
I remember seeing commercials when I was a kid growing up in the 90s. They all looked similar; upbeat music bed, high-key lighting, cheesy product shots, lots of flying graphic text. There was always two boys of different ethnicities saying “WOW!” at the latest and greatest toy. Then, one of their moms would come in, tilt her head slightly, and ask “What are you kids up to?” Then, (presumably) her son would say, “Aw gee whiz, Mom, we’re battling Galactor!” (Galactor is a villain in my space opera I’m writing. Watch out, James Gunn.) Now, I see ads on TV that utilize sweeping, panoramic drone shots. I see wonderful, nuanced lighting that highlights the emotionality of brand’s story. The new generation of marketing content could be bonafide short films. When did this transition from sappy to spectacle happen? Where does the video marketing world go from here? Today, we’ll explore those topics.
This past week, our own Randy Brewer, executive producer of Remand, traveled to Dallas, TX to watch the screening of the film at the African Film Festival and accept the award for Best Documentary alongside the film’s stars, Tumusiime Henry and Jim Gash. Remand has been a film project that has spanned two years and two continents. It has endured the trials of sending film crews to Uganda twice to capture all of the incredible stories. This film couldn’t have happened without the help of key creatives and believers in this story, especially Angela Bassett who lent her harrowing voice as the narrator of the film. It has been an incredible experience to get to show people our hard work.
Today, we’ll hear from Randy Brewer about how Remand came to be and its journey since being finished.
This year, we teamed up with Enviromedia and the Tennessee Department of Transportation to bring a fresh, innovative way to stop littering on the highways. The concept: simple. The execution: not so easy. I sat down with the director, Sean Davé, to discuss how he interprets a creative idea, the beauty of practical effects, and what it was like for his first shoot in studio. It’s a miracle we didn’t go off on a tangent and talk about the Star Wars prequels (just kidding, we did, but I didn’t write any of that down).
