LOS ANGELES -- Jill Soloway knows a thing or two about the Emmy Awards. She earned multiple nominations as a producer/writer on Six Feet Under , and a pair of wins for Best Directing for a Comedy Series in 2015 and last year for Transparent (Amazon). She is now once again in the Emmy conversation, not just for Transparent but also for her new Amazon series, I Love Dick , which she co-created with writer/EP Sarah Gubbins while also serving as a writer, EP and director. But in a recent Amazon FYC (For Your... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- The AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the American Commercial premiered this evening (6/7) at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. Earning Best in Show distinction were the winners in the Advertising Excellence/Single Commercial and Advertising Excellence/Campaign categories which were, respectively, Sandy Hook’s “Promise” directed by Henry-Alex Rubin of Smuggler for BBDO New York, and Nike’s “Unlimited You” campaign directed by Max Malkin of PRETTYBIRD for Wieden+Kennedy. “... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- The AICP Next Awards debuted this evening (6/6) at The Tishman Auditorium at The New School. Earning Best in Show distinction with the Most Next Award was Lockheed Martin’s “The Field Trip To Mars,” produced by Framestore for McCann New York. The experience follows children on a school bus as they experience a trip to Mars via virtual reality. The winner of the Most Next honor directs a $5,000 grant from the AICP Foundation to an educational institution of their choosing. This year’s grant went... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- FX Networks was named North America Marketing Team of the Year for the seventh consecutive year at the 2017 PromaxBDA Promotion, Marketing and Design Awards Thursday night (6/8), while CNN Worldwide won Marketing Team of the Year for the third straight year in the Global Excellence competition. Stun Creative was named North America Agency of the Year, while bpg took home the Global Excellence Agency of the Year honors. Longtime ABC marketing executive Marla Provencio was presented with the 2017... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- Though there are pitfalls--as evidenced by Pepsi’s widely panned and then pulled Kendall Jenner commercial, and Starbucks’ attempt to spark conversations about race relations via its “Race Together” campaign--brands are increasingly taking stands on causes and issues, and in the process helping to drive social change. Consumers expect them to, according to a Havas study, and it’s a responsibility that was embraced by panelists during a discussion session on the wrap day of the PromaxBDA... Read More, Comment

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Developments on the camera front and insights from cinematographers relative to technology and the creative process were prevalent at the 22nd annual Cine Gear Expo at Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood which wrapped this weekend. And capping the proceedings was a notable donation to the Sarah Jones Film Foundation, the nonprofit formed to foster on-set safety through awareness and accountability. The Foundation was created to honor the legacy of Sarah Jones, a 27-year-old camera assistant... Read More, Comment

CULVER CITY, Calif. -- PRETTYBIRD, the production house founded by executive producer Kerstin Emhoff and director Paul Hunter, has signed writing and directing duo Geremy & Georgie (Geremy Jasper, Georgie Greville) for global representation for branded entertainment and music videos. The longtime filmmaking team—known largely for stylish and surreal music videos, film and commercial work—will be rostered as separate directors. Jasper hails from Hillside, New Jersey, while Greville boasts a varied background from... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- Director Saul Dibb, whose filmography spans features, TV and commercials, has joined Hungry Man for spotmaking representation worldwide. Dibb has written and directed both cinema and TV films. He wrote and directed the features Bullet Boy (2004), The Duchess (2008), and Suite Francaise (2014). Dibb additionally directed the telefilm NW (2016) as well as the feature Journey’s End (2017). He is currently awaiting the release of the latter which was snatched up by Lionsgate. Dibb’s feature and TV... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- McCann NY has appointed Pierre Lipton to serve as a global executive creative director. Lipton joins McCann from 360i where he served as chief creative officer. The hiring of Lipton follows McCann NY’s recent expansion of responsibilities on the Verizon business. Lipton has more than a decade of experience developing award-winning campaigns, securing new business wins and reimagining the agency model. At 360i, Lipton played a key role in connecting the tech and creative departments, helping to... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- CoMPANY Films, the boutique production house headed by executive producers Robin Benson and Richard Goldstein, has signed director Paul Fox for commercials and branded content. Fox has helmed the majority of episodes for the comedy Schitt’s Creek , starring Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara. The Canadian network (CBC) sitcom has found an audience in the U.S. on POP TV. Additionally Fox is currently directing the new CBC comedy series Workin’ Moms , created by and starring Catherine Reitman. Both... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- Director Kevin Bray has come aboard the roster of L.A. based Hound for U.S. representation spanning commercials, branded content and music videos. Bray got his start as a director in the music video arena, working with such notable artists as Jennifer Lopez, Brandy, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Biz Markie and Eric B. & Rakim. In the ad space, he has helmed spots for brands such as USA Network, Nike, Puma, Verizon, Macy’s and the Florida... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- John Kahrs, the former Pixar/Disney animator and director who won a Best Animated Short Film Oscar for Paperman in 2013, has joined Not To Scale’s newly opened Los Angeles office for exclusive commercial representation. Kahrs has focused on animation for his entire professional career, beginning at Blue Sky Studios in New York in 1990. Kahrs moved to California in 1997 to join Pixar, where he worked as an animator on films including A Bug’s Life, The Incredibles and Monsters, Inc . In 2007... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- The Artists Company and its longtime director/executive creative director Otis Mass have announced an amicable split. The news comes on the heels of the theatrical release of their feature documentary The Incomparable Rose Hartman , directed by Mass with The Artists Company owner/executive producer Sally Antonacchio who served as the film’s EP. The Incomparable Rose Hartman rolled out at Manhattan’s newly renovated Quad Cinema and is scheduled to open on July 7 at the Laemmle Monica in Santa... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood celebrated the best in motion picture marketing and a big win for female directors and female driven films at the 18th Annual Golden Trailer Awards on Tuesday night (6/6) at the Saban Theater. More than 1,000 studio marketing executives, movie fans, celebrities and trailer editors were on hand as Open Road Entertainment and AV Squad’s work for Warner Bros. Wonder Woman trailer titled “What She Is” won the Best of Show Prize and the top honor for Best Fantasy/ Adventure Trailer. While... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- Burger King’s The McWhopper Proposal campaign from Y&R New Zealand with contributing agencies DAVID The Agency, ABPR, Code and Theory and Turner Duckworth was awarded the Grand Effie trophy (best in show) at the 2017 North American Effie Awards. The rankings for the most effective North American holding companies, marketers, brand and agencies were also revealed at the end of the show. Since 1968, the Effie Awards have honored marketing ideas that work. Tied for number one, the most... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- Kees van Oostrum has been re-elected president of the American Society of Cinematographers, based on votes at this week’s Board of Governors meeting. This will mark his second term at the helm of the ASC. The ASC Board also elected its officers for the 2017-2018 term, including: Bill Bennett, John Simmons and Cynthia Pusheck as VPs; Levie Isaacks as treasurer; David Darby as secretary; and Isidore Mankofsky as sergeant-at-arms. “As an organization, we are focused on education, international... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- When Diane Keaton accepts the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award this week, she'll say it's all because of her mom, dad and Woody Allen. The Oscar-winning actress credits her parents with instilling her creativity and work ethic, and Allen's "Annie Hall" with launching her career, which has spanned five decades and more than 80 films so far. Beyond acting, Keaton is also a celebrated fashion icon (thanks to mom), architecture enthusiast (dad's influence) and best-selling author... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- Editorial and postproduction house Final Cut has added independent feature film editor Jim Helton to its international roster for commercial, branded and long-form work. Helton is a longtime friend, collaborator and editor for independent filmmaker and Radical Media director Derek Cianfrance, known for his features Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond The Pines and The Light Between Oceans . Those three features were cut by Jim Helton and Ron Patane. (Cianfrance also earlier this year won the DGA... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- Batman is the superhero with the calling-card beam of light, but Wonder Woman sent a signal over the weekend that even Hollywood couldn't miss. Patty Jenkins' "Wonder Woman" grossed $103.3 million in North America over its debut weekend, a figure that easily surpassed industry expectations, set a new record for a film directed by a woman and bested all previous stand-alone female superhero movies put together. (There aren't many and there hasn't been one in 12 years.) Strong reviews (93 percent... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- "Wonder Woman" conquered milestones and movie myths at North American theaters, where the Patty Jenkins-directed superhero film powered its way to a $100.5 million debut this weekend and became the biggest blockbuster ever directed by a woman. The well-reviewed movie easily surpassed industry expectations with one of the summer's biggest debuts, according to studio estimates Sunday. Starring Gal Gadot as the Amazonian warrior princess, "Wonder Woman" is the rare - and most successful - female-... Read More, Comment

Of all the CGI-ed supernatural forces slung in Alex Kurtzman's "The Mummy" (and, believe me, there are a lot), none can compete with the spectral spectacle of Tom Cruise, at 54. He and his abs are almost creepily ageless. So it's almost fitting that in one of the typically bonkers scenes in "The Mummy," Cruise awakes naked and unscathed alongside cadavers in a morgue, where he bewilderedly removes the tag attached to his toe. Indefatigable and un-killable, Cruise really is the undead. He's like... Read More, Comment

"It Comes at Night " has the title of a horror film and, at times, the mood of one, but it is far too restrained to get the juices of the genre crowd going. That's not an accident or a mistake, however. More likely, it's a cheeky riff on the leaden, generic titles of so many jump-scare films before it. The "It" in writer and director Trey Edward Shults' "It Comes at Night" might be the deadly disease that's turned an isolated family into ruthless survivalists or the actual intruder that upends... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA Finals is off and running with its best ratings through two games since the Chicago Bulls’ last championship in 1998. Now ABC has to hope the Cleveland Cavaliers can make it competitive. The first two games, both won by the Golden State Warriors, averaged 19.2 million viewers, the Nielsen company said. The interest in championship series usually increase if they are evenly matched, so if the Cavs can take a few games ABC would be in great shape. Unfortunately for the network, the... Read More, Comment

This short kicked off Apple’s recent annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). Directed by Tom Kuntz of MJZ, the film--titled Appocalypse --deploys levity to illustrate our daily reliance on apps and how they make even the most mundane tasks easier and more enjoyable. But, more importantly, it underscores the crucial role that Apple developers play in our society. What would the world be like without apps? How would we navigate without Waze? Who would we date without Tinder? Apocalypse... Read More, Comment

This comedy spot continues a campaign for Aspen Dental conceived by agency CP+B Miami which confronts the public mistrust of dentists--surprising bills, inconvenient hours, impersonal care--and pledges to make it right. One of two new Aspen Dental commercials directed by Jason Farrand via Plus Productions, “Bank” puts us in the midst of a bank robbery when a dentist comes to the rescue despite everyone’s skepticism. Read More, Comment

This one-minute spot for the Lenovo YOGA 910 notebook--created by EP+Co. (formerly Erwin Penland), directed, shot and edited by Manfred Reiff and produced by JH Artist Group--uses grains of rice to represent pixels in a visually impressive demo of what 4K resolution looks like on the new Lenovo YOGA 910. The voiceover reveals that standard definition screens have 350K pixels, while HD screens have 2 million pixels. While the voiceover is explaining this, we see a team of black-clad artists in a... Read More, Comment

Directed by Malcolm Venville of Anonymous Content, this national TV spot is reminiscent of a Vanity Fair photo shoot and features the actual distillery workers from Lynchburg, TN, dressed to the nines and looking distinguished in their usual surroundings. The film reminds viewers that even though they take the time to mellow the Tennessee Whiskey for Gentleman Jack twice, the first and foremost ingredient is, as always, the very genuine down-to-earth people of Lynchburg as we then see them in... Read More, Comment

Director Joshua Cox and his colleagues at Bent Design Lab, a brand that emerged out of Portland, Ore.-based studio Bent Image Lab, crafted three metaphorical animated online spots for Cramer-Krasselt and freight and logistics solutions provider, ArcBest, for a campaign that spans the web and conventional print media. In this :15 commercial titled “Clouds,” a semi-truck is seen towing a cumulus in the desert, underscoring that ArcBest has a hand in making unimaginable deliveries every day... Read More, Comment

In this :30, a party host thrills his guests with a series of increasingly impressive tricks until he reveals his showpiece — a fridge full of cold Stella Artois. “Party Trick” was directed by Joachim Back via Anonymous Content X Somesuch for agency Mother. Read More, Comment