Super Bowl Ads Roundup: Betty White, Bud Light, Big LaughsBy Emily Fredrix, Marketing Writer
NEW YORK (AP), February 08, 2010 -- Betty White plays football, babies talk about "milkaholics" and a house made of Bud Light cans falls slowly apart. It must be the Super Bowl — or at least the advertising showcase that entertains amid the gridiron action.  Not every commercial was strictly humorous. Automaker Toyota....

The Best Work You May Never See: MADD's "Broken Teens" Helmed By The Wade BrothersFebruary 05, 2010 -- We open on a teenage girl who looks directly at us, a tear streaming down her face. Next we see a male teen who proceeds to take a bottle of booze and strike himself against the head, causing him to fall out of sight. One teenager after another does the same, the repetition of shattered glass heightening the poignancy of each youngster's plight.

The Best Work You May Never See: Colorado Lottery's "Chain" Directed By Peter Martin DuoFebruary 05, 2010 -- This spot offers assorted mundane slices of life--a man waking up in the morning, taking a shower, getting dressed, driving to work, stopping off for a quick cup of coffee, sitting in his office cubicle, wrestling with the lunch room vending machine, eating a sandwich, heading back home--except all the while he's shackled at the ankle to a long chain, presumably with a large ball at the end which we don't see.

Top Spot of the Week: "Miller High Life Super Bowl Initiative" From Saatchi & Saatchi N.Y.February 05, 2010 -- As we enter Super Bowl weekend, here's a spot from Miller High Life that takes the initiative, particularly in light of the perennial fact that competitor Anheuser-Busch InBev has beer category advertising exclusivity on the Big Game telecast. Nonetheless Miller High Life is making a media buy which will cover a significant portion of the U.S. via assorted major market TV stations.

Screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher is 'Precious' Finds Much Common Ground With Film
By Ryan McLendon
NEW YORK (AP) , February 05, 2010 -- On Tuesday morning, just before the 2010 Academy Award nominations were announced, screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher couldn't get his TV to work. He scrambled to his computer and searched for the online broadcast of the nominations, his ears perking up for his name to be called....

Film Companies Lose File Sharing Case in AustraliaBy Rohan Sullivan
SYDNEY (AP), February 04, 2010 -- An Australian Internet provider cannot be held responsible for copyright violations when its users illegally download movies, a judge said Thursday in a ruling against major film companies.

ANA Survey: Marketers Optimistic Despite Ongoing Pressures to Cut Their SpendingNEW YORK, February 03, 2010 -- According to a new survey by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), marketers are still being pressured to reduce their costs and spending in light of the economy, though reductions are less severe than were reported in the three previous surveys conducted over the past 18 months.

FilmTecknarna Signs Director Lucas ZanottoSTOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, February 03, 2010 -- FilmTecknarna, headquartered in Stockholm with offices in New York, has inked a deal to represent Berlin-based director Lucas Zanotto for exclusive commercial representation in the U.S., Canadian, French and Nordic markets. This marks the first time Zanotto has been repped stateside; he continues to helm projects independently in Germany.

The Long And Short Of It: Oscar Nominees Have Commercial TiesSpotmaking Artisans Make Their Mark In Feature Film, Documentary, Cinematography, Live-Action And Animation Short Film Categories
HOLLYWOOD, February 03, 2010 -- From the marquee feature film categories to those for short-form fare that often get overlooked in the mainstream press, artisans with spotmaking ties made their mark in this year's field of Academy Award nominees. Among the leading directors in the mix are Kathryn Bigelow, Jason Reitman, Neil Blomkamp, the Coen Bros., Nick Park and Joachim Back...

Oscars Go Big & Small With 'Avatar,' 'Hurt Locker'By David Germain, AP Movie Writer
HOLLYWOOD (AP), February 02, 2010 -- "Avatar" is a dreamy space fantasy that has made more money than any movie in history. "The Hurt Locker" is a ground-level dose of war-on-terror reality and one of the lowest-grossing best-picture contenders ever.  With a leading nine Oscar nominations each and ex-spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow as directors, the films are a study in extremes...

Director Jessica Sanders Joins Epoch FilmsNEW YORK, February 02, 2010 -- Epoch Films has brought director Jessica Sanders aboard its roster. The filmmaker's credits include After Innocence, a documentary that scored the Special Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, and the documentary short SING!, which earned an Oscar nomination in '02. Among her recent endeavors is a short helping to kick off Sony's "Make.Believe" campaign for agency 180LA.

'Avatar,' 'The Hurt Locker' Lead Oscar Noms, Includes Best Director Contenders Bigelow, CameronComplete List of 82nd Annual Academy Award Nominations; Nominee Reactions
By David Germain, Movie Writer
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. (AP), February 02, 2010 -- The science-fiction sensation "Avatar" and the war-on-terror thriller "The Hurt Locker" lead the Academy Awards with nine nominations each, including best picture and director for James Cameron and ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. Complete list of 82nd Annual Academy Award nominations. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information.

Drama 'Winter's Bone,' Documentary 'Restrepo' Earn Top Honors At The Sundance Film FestivalBy David Germain, Movie Writer
PARK CITY, UTAH (AP), January 31, 2010 -- The Ozark Mountains drama "Winter's Bone" and the war-on-terror documentary "Restrepo" won top honors Saturday (1/30) among U.S. movies at the Sundance Film Festival. Debra Granik directed "Winter's Bone" while "Restrepo" was helmed by Sebastian Junger.

DGA Awards: Historic Win For Kathryn Bigelow; Third Time's A Charm For MJZ's Tom KuntzBy Robert Goldrich
LOS ANGELES, January 31, 2010 -- Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film. She earned the honor Saturday evening (1/30) at the DGA Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on the strength of The Hurt Locker. Meanwhile in the commercials category, Tom Kuntz of MJZ received the DGA Award as best spot director of 2009. This mark the first DGA win for Kuntz who has been nominated three times for the honor in his career.

Chat Room Interview: Kathryn BigelowLeading Director Provides Perspective In The Midst Of Award Season
By Robert Goldrich
January 15, 2010 -- It's been a whirlwind stretch on the awards show and publicity circuit for director Kathryn Bigelow as her acclaimed feature, The Hurt Locker, has gained major momentum in film industry competition. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the New York Film Critics Circle recently honored The Hurt Locker with awards for best picture, with Bigelow earning best director distinction from both organizations as well.
     SHOOT caught up with Bigelow who reflected on the success of The Hurt Locker, how she wound up directing the movie, and her upcoming filmmaking endeavors.

All Together, 2009's Top Spot Is...Top Vote Getter Is Also SHOOT's Choice, Sounding A Chord of Optimism For 2010
By A SHOOT Staff Report
LOS ANGELES, December 18, 2009 -- There's a dash of sentimentality in our choice for the Top Spot of 2009, culled from a field of SHOOT Top Spots of the Week from throughout the year. As it turns out, though, our sentiment coincides with many of our readers who in an online poll voted decisively in favor of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) animation :60 titled "All Together Now," directed by the duo Fx & Mat of Nexus Productions, London, for Cole & Weber United, Seattle.