World Cup Madness with Johan Kramer & BAM

Well, madness isn't actually the right word, because Kramer's 2003 film The Other Final, is really a meditative and thoughtful look at the quieter side of international soccer, documenting a match between the world's lowest raking teams, Bhutan and Montserrat, played the same day of the 2002 World Cup. But the film is being including in the Brooklyn Academy of Music's "Soccer Fever!" film series in anticipation of the World Cup, so we have to use "madness" at least once in the post. Anyway, it is playing three time on June 3rd at BAM, in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. Check out the trailer below and here's the link for tickets and info on the BAM website.

Alex Gibney in Time Magazine 'Phenomenon Watch'

Well, it might not be a regular feature, but it's the subtitle for the piece on Alex Gibney in the lasted issue of Time magazine, and it's accurate. The piece starts by explaining the difficulties of being a documentary filmmaker, and then continues with:

Then there's the curious case of Alex Gibney. The 56-year-old UCLA film-school grad, who won an Academy Award for 2007's Taxi to the Dark Side, has no fewer than four new features hitting screens this year. The most provocative is an as yet untitled Eliot Spitzer documentary, which charts the former New York governor's meteoric rise and scandalous fall and quickly became the hottest ticket at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Check out the full article here and don't forget to check out Alex's Tribeca roundup in the earlier posts!

Her Craft Service is the Best - Leslie Evers, Head of Production

Just to keep everyone up on the latest office happenings, we are thrilled to announce Leslie Evers as the new Head of Production for Chelsea! An international production guru and all-around superstar, Leslie brings a wealth of experience and set of perfect teeth to Chelsea. You'll find her based in the Los Angeles and out and about wherever Chelsea productions are happening.

EDIT: Check out Leslie's mention on Creativity!

D.A.R.Y.L. - Shoot New Directors!

It was an exciting day on both sides of the pond when Pulse@Chelsea directors D.A.R.Y.L. were selected to be part of Shoot Magazine's 2010 New Directors Showcase, and even MORE exciting to see their work on the big screen last Tuesday at the DGA theater in Manhattan. Chelsea folks were there in full force to cheer, and D.A.R.Y.L.'s work was met with applause. The directing duo, composed of James Montgomery and Edward Lovelace, showcased their recent work for Myspace. Not presented at Shoot but soon to be released to the world is their first feature length film, Werewolves Across America. You can see their full Shoot profile here, their Shoot video compilation below, and their movie trailer here. Congrats to everybody!

The Tribeca Film Festival - Starring Alex Gibney

Maybe that's a stretch, but not by much. As referenced in a previous post, Alex Gibney has three films in the 2010 festival, but now he's getting a lion's share of the press too, mostly surrounding his untitled Eliot Spitzer documentary. Listed below is a round-up of some the more interesting articles about his trio of films:

- The New York Times roundup of the festival, featuring Alex

- The New York Post calling Alex's Spitzer doc the 'hottest ticket of the Festival'

- An interview with Alex in NY Magazine about political sex scandals

- Great interview in Movieline with Alex about the Spitzer vs. Tiger Wood's scandals

- Shoot Magazine article / interview regarding Alex's history with Tribeca

- Article about and clip from the Spitzer doc from New York Times Art's Beat

- A quick mention in Variety about HBO buying the rights to "My Trip to Al-Qaeda"

- A summary article from NBC New York

- And, we must confess, the About.com article who's title we borrowed for this post

Congrats to Alex and everyone at Jigsaw Productions!

Alex Gibney's Hat Trick at the Tribeca Film Festival

The hardest working man in documentary film has scored a hat trick at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and his latest movie isn't even in it! As mentioned in a previous post, Alex Gibney's latest feature length documentary, Casino Jack and the United States of Money, premiered at Sundance and is getting a wide release in May. And here's the trailer, exclusive to Apple

So instead, Tribeca gets a work-in-progress screening of Gibney's Eliot Spitzer documentary, the full length My Trip to Al-Qaeda, and closing night coup Freakanomics, of which Alex directs a section, along with all-star filmmakers Morgan Spurlock, LOKI, and Eugene Jarecki. Click the links for summaries, schedules, and if you're able to score one, a ticket. It's a exciting line up and the Chelsea NY team will be at the Festival in full force. See you there!

Nike and "Johan" from ... Johan

It is always exciting to see new work from Johan, all the way over in Amsterdam, and this time we get the pleasure of a new commercial and a new film. The ad is another intense spot for Nike's World Cup campaign, building off the BEZET spot from earlier in the year. Check out that post here. Needless to say, this spot also snagged Creativity Top Spot honors.

And on a lighter-but-also-about-soccer note, here is the trailer for Johan's latest film, titled "Johan". It is not an autobiography, we swear, despite being about a crazed soccer fan named Johan. We'll let you know when it heads stateside!

DGG @ SXSW (See Post For Translation)

Spelled out with full words, the title of this post is "David Gordon Green at South By Southwest", but acronyms actually work better in this case. However you say it, David one of the many attractions at this year's SXSW festival, at a panel appropriately titled "A Conversation With David Gordon Green". Billing itself as "Music+Film+Interactive," the 2010 festival in Austin was an exciting time for everyone, bringing together some of the top names in indie music and film, as well as creative types across a number of industries.

Here is a clip from David's talk, from the SXSW YouTube channel, with mentions of his upcoming film Your Highness, and his script-to-screen ratio:

And for you David superfans, here is a 40 minute video of David's interview with The Voice of Young America radio program, with more info about his work process and upcoming films:

David Gordon Green from Jesse Thorn on Vimeo.

He's A Red Sox Fan, Despite The Photos

Down in Tampa to shoot a not-yet-released but extremely delicious product, director Rick LeMoine had a birthday! And yes, hard to believe, but he is older than Justin Beiber, but just as much a teen sensation. Helping him celebrate were Joe Girardi, Mariano Rivera, and Chelsea superstar Allison Amon. Also, the Yankee cake is ironic, we swear.

We Ran Out of Chairs!

And it's a good thing. A busy day at 33 Bond with Chelsea, Lair, and Pulse Films all working feverishly. Luckily we found these folding chairs in a nearby store, which will be put out to pasture in the back garden come springtime.

Lauren Greenfield on Special Assignment For New York Magazine's Spring Fashion Issue

Lauren Greenfield just completed a major multiplatform fashion project for New York magazine. Greenfield shot more than 50 runway shows in Paris, Milan, and New York, resulting in a twenty-four page spread in the Spring Fashion Issue, as well as a short film that debuted on the magazine's website. Greenfield's focus was deconstructing the traditional "look" of fashion week photography and addressing the multifaceted creative processes that come together to create high fashion. The shoot has been commented on and reblogged all across the internet, but the main page of it is here, a really good interview with Greenfield about the project is here, and included in this post is her video montage and selected tear sheets from the magazine. Congrats to Lauren and everyone who made this major project possible!

Charles Mehling for Corinne Bailey Rae, "Paris Nights / New York Mornings"

Charles Mehling's work in beauty advertising and his deep connection to the music scene come together flawlessly in the new music video for Corinne Baily Rae's latest single, "Paris Nights / New York Mornings". Mehling's dreamy portrait of the singer in the cafes and streets of Paris pairs seamlessly with the Rae's airy, uptempo melody. The single comes Rae's sophomore album "The Sea", described by Rolling Stone as "both reckoning and rebirth...Fragile arrangements — guitar, auto-harp, orchestra — suggest indie rock ("Are You Here") as much as R&B (the Isley Brothers-ish "Closer"). Rae celebrates love .... and confronts death with the greatest weapon: life, fully lived."

Straight From London - Anthony Dickenson + Nike + Wayne Rooney

Chelsea has some very exciting news from London for 2010. The full details are still under wraps, but this new spot from Nike and Anthony Dickenson will give you a clue.

This spot also made the rounds in the ad world publications, so look for it on Creativity and 'boards.

Alex Gibney - Sundance 2010 Roundup

Alex Gibney had, not surprisingly, one heck of a Sundance experience. The world premiere of "CASINO JACK and The United States of Money" was a major event, and the film marked Gibney's return to his core subject, the intersection of money, power, and politics. The Sundance catalog summarizes the film thusly:

This portrait of Washington super lobbyist Jack Abramoff—from his early years as a gung-ho member of the GOP political machine to his final reckoning as a disgraced, imprisoned pariah—confirms the adage that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. A tale of international intrigue with Indian casinos, Russian spies, Chinese sweatshops, and a mob-style killing in Miami, this is the story of the way money corrupts our political process.

Check out Alex's own take on the whole experience here, on his blog for The Atlantic, and the Cinematical review here. Magnolia is aiming for a wide release of the film in spring of 2010.

Johan + Nike + Orange Tape = Creativity Top Spot!

Creative superstar Johan Kramer just finished this sweet guerilla spot for Nike out of Wieden + Kennedy, celebrating the start of the World Cup tournament. Though the excitement and visceral appeal of the spot is universal (giving it Top Spot status at Creativity Online), there is a very specific Dutch element, as explained by Amsterdam Ad Blog:

The word ‘BEZET’ means ‘taken’ and is inspired by Queen’s Day (April, 30) when the Amsterdammers claim their street market stall space the nights before the actual event by taping off an area and writing ‘bezet’. The words ‘bloed oranje’ ask the Dutch to ‘bleed orange’ for their country. Usually the ‘orange’ advertising around big football (soccer) tournaments is overwhelming and not very subtle, which makes it difficult for an advertiser to stand out. This video – distributed through Nike’s websites – is therefore well timed and with its grassrooty character (reinforced by the catchy music by Dutch electro band ‘Daily Bread’) more sympathetic than your regular over-obvious ‘orange painting’. For those of you not interested in (Dutch) football; the guy at the end is Frank de Boer – assistant coach of the Dutch team.

Check out the Youtube below, or catch it on Creativity, or, obviously, Nike!