Carnage, a production company specializing in advertising and digital content for car brands, has been launched. Backed by Rogue Films and a private equity partner, Carnage is a creative collective including noted directors, producers and key members of the BBC’s original Top Gear team.
The new shop is run by Ben Hampshire, the former managing director of The Mill LA, with commercials director Sam Brown who serves as executive creative director. Directors alongside Brown are Phil Churchward, the series director of Top Gear, Mark Jenkinson, Ehsan B, Richard De Aragues (TT3D: Closer to the Edge), and a range of other directors attached specifically to do car work through Carnage.
The group also includes cinematographers, production designers, stunt coordinators, location managers, precision drivers, and production managers–all united by their professional expertise with car brands, and a genuine love of cars.
Carnage will produce commercials, online content, film and television, digital, experiential, and behind the scenes films. The team will work alongside partner agencies as well as create content directly for clients.
Hampshire said, “After seven years growing The Mill in LA, the opportunity to build a brand from scratch was what lured me back across the pond. I’m a huge petrol head and very excited to be leading this totally unique proposition.”
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More