Top Spot of the Week: Tok&Stok's "Village"May 24, 2013 -- Mariana Youssef of Fulano Filmes directed this long-form ad for client Tok&Stok and agency DDB Brasil which takes us back in time to the 1700s in a small village nestled in the wilderness. Young men get ready to go on an "initiation trip" into the woods to become grown men. They carry with them tools passed down from their grandfathers and fathers.

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Filming Incentive For CommercialsThe Martin Agency Partners With Virginia Film Office On Initiative To Attract Spot Production; 2 Pizza Hut Ads Already Shot Under New Program
By Robert Goldrich
RICHMOND, VA., May 24, 2013 -- The Martin Agency and the Virginia Film Office announced that they have entered into a partnership, now in its fifth month, designed to bring more commercial production from national advertisers into the Commonwealth of Virginia. Per the arrangement, The Martin Agency gains designated access to $2 million of tax credits under Virginia's filming incentives program for an 18-month period which began back on January 1.

New iPad Ad: Nissan's "Self Healing Paint"May 24, 2013 -- Nissan created what's billed as being a first in the automotive category--a technology called the Self Healing Paint. It basically makes your car scratch proof. It's a special feature only available on very select models targeted at the affluent, tech seeker. Just wait and see what happens when you try to turn to the next page of the publication on your tablet.

The Best Work You May Never See: Deep RiverRock's "Cafe"May 24, 2013 -- Lena Beug--who's repped in the U.S. and U.K. by Moxie Pictures--directed this campaign produced by Red Rage Films, Dublin, for the Irish market out of agency McCann, Dublin. In the spot "Cafe," a man is confused as he tries to order a dish--but to no avail. Turns out he's not properly hydrated, which means his brain's not at 100 percent. The waitress figures out what he wants to order.

35 Directors Fill 31 Slots In SHOOT 2013 New Directors ShowcaseHelmers include one from the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, one with Tribeca debut
NEW YORK, May 24, 2013 -- SHOOT's 11th annual New Directors Showcase--which was celebrated with an evening screening, panel discussion and reception on Thursday, May 23, at the DGA Theatre in New York--offers a total of 35 up-and-coming helmers filling 31 slots (27 individual directors and four duos). The field is far ranging from freelance directors to a helmer whose feature debut played at the recent Tribeca Film Festival, and another who was one of eight selected for the 2012 American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women. The SHOOT 2013 11th Annual New Directors Showcase Reel features the following directors...

Yahoo Seeks Youth Demograpic In $1.1 Billion Deal For TumblrBy Michael Liedtke, Technology Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) , May 20, 2013 -- Yahoo is buying online blogging forum Tumblr for $1.1 billion as CEO Marissa Mayer tries to rejuvenate an Internet icon that had fallen behind the times. The deal announced Monday represents Mayer's boldest move yet since she left Google 10 months ago to lead Yahoo's latest comeback attempt.

SHOOT News Briefs for the Week of May 20, 2013Breaking Tidbits from the World of Filmmaking, Commercialmaking, Television and Entertainment Production Updated Throughout the Week
May 20, 2013 -- Banned Iranian director Rasoulof coming to Cannes; ND ad agency sues creators of Cartoon Network show; Deborah Turness named president of NBC's news division; Seth McFarlane not returning as 2014 Oscar host; Martin Scorsese to present Mel Brooks with AFI Lifetime Achievement Award; Director Takashi Miike unveils "Shield of Straw" at Cannes Festival; Expectations high for next Xbox; CP+B hires Andy Grant as associate creative director; Native American tale with international pedigree emerges at Cannes.

Director Kathi Prosser Joins Moxie PicturesNEW YORK, May 20, 2013 -- Moxie Pictures has signed director Kathi Prosser for U.S. representation.  She comes over from The Sweet Shop, where she has collaborated regularly with numerous top agencies including BBDO, JWT, Arnold, Saatchi & Saatchi and Y&R. Her body of work ranges from opulent fashion campaigns to provocative PSAs.

Method Studios Adds Trio of Animation ArtistsErik-Jan de Boer, James Jacobs, Keith Roberts join VFX house
LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2013 -- Method Studios, a Deluxe Entertainment Services Group company, has added three animation artists to its creative team--Erik-Jan de Boer and James Jacobs who join Method's Vancouver office as animation supervisor and creature supervisor, respectively; and animation supervisor Keith Roberts who will work out of the Los Angeles studio.

Steven Soderbergh Discusses Decision To Step Away From FilmmakingHis "Behind the Candelabra" debuts at Cannes
By Jake Coyle, Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK (AP), May 20, 2013 -- Steven Soderbergh has said that "Behind the Candelabra"--— a $23 million HBO movie starring Michael Douglas as the flamboyant pianist and Matt Damon as his lover, Scott Thorson, airing Sunday in the U.S. — will be his last film, at least for now. The 50 year-old's career in film — 26 protean features including "Out of Sight," ''Traffic" and the "Ocean's" franchise — will effectively conclude in Cannes, the same place it was internationally launched.

Reset Signs Director Joseph Kosinski For Spots, Branded ContentSANTA MONICA, CALIF., May 20, 2013 -- Joseph Kosinski, director of commercials, films and TV, has joined Reset for worldwide representation in advertising. He thus reunites with long-time colleagues, executive producer/managing director Dave Morrison and filmmaker David Fincher--the three were previously together at Anonymous Content.

The Coen Brothers Return To CannesFolk revival "Inside Llewyn Davis" serenades Festival
By Jake Coyle, Entertainment Writer
CANNES, FRANCE (AP), May 19, 2013 -- The Coen brothers' resurrection of the pre-Dylan folk scene in Greenwich Village serenaded Cannes with its period music and melancholy tale of a self-destructive, feline-toting musician. "Inside Llewyn Davis" was met rapturously at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered Sunday night.

Upfronts More Of a Sketchy Proposition; Calendar, Plans ChangeOld rules don't mean much to broadcasters
By David Bauder, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP), May 19, 2013 -- The most striking thing about the broadcast TV networks announcing their new fall schedules this past week was how little that actually meant. Television schedules seem more like sketches these days. Even the networks admit their prime-time plans for September will be different by January, even more so a few months later.

Darren Aronofsky, Ted Robbins, Sandy Haddad Launch Spot Production House CHROMISTALOS ANGELES, May 19, 2013 -- Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky has partnered with a pair of spot industry veterans, executive producers Ted Robbins and Sandy Haddad, to open commercial production house CHROMISTA. The company has already embarked on projects with Ogilvy and DDB.

Weinstein Company Showcases Grace Kelly, Nelson Mandela, J.D. Salinger FilmsHarvey Weinstein previews releases primed for award contender status
By Jake Coyle, Entertainment Writer
CANNES, FRANCE (AP), May 17, 2013 -- The Weinstein Company's fall slate of awards contenders will feature a glamorous Grace Kelly, a brawny Nelson Mandela and a mysterious J.D. Salinger. Harvey Weinstein previewed some of his company's most anticipated upcoming releases at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday. He's made a habit of such previews, doing the same in 2012 for the Oscar-winning films "Django Unchained" and "Silver Linings Playbook."

Facebook Looks To Become An Ad ColossusAssessments from Coke, P&G, American Apparel
By Barbara Ortutay, Technology Writer
NEW YORK (AP), May 17, 2013 -- Facebook is looking to convince big brand-name consumer companies that ads on a social network are as important — and as effective — as television spots. The company has rolled out tools to help advertisers target their messages more precisely than they can in print or on TV. Companies can single out 18- to 24-year-old male Facebook users who are likely to buy a car in the next six months. They can target 30-year-old women who are researching Caribbean getaways.

AICP Show, AICP Next Awards Shortlists Released; Honorees To Be Announced During AICP WeekNEW YORK, April 26, 2013 -- Matt Miller, president and CEO of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), has announced the 2013 AICP Show & AICP Next Awards Shortlists. The winners of the AICP Show and AICP Next Awards will be revealed during AICP Week, a celebration of advertising in the motion image.

SXSW Preview: Directorial DebutsKevin and Michael Goetz, Fede Alvarez, Tim Wheeler to premiere their films at festival
By Robert Goldrich
AUSTIN, TEX., February 22, 2013 -- "We started out making a very small movie which we wound up shooting in 14 days," related Kevin Goetz. That "small movie," Scenic Route, marks the feature directorial debut of the Goetz brothers--Kevin and Michael--who are best known for their commercialmaking exploits over the past dozen years.