International production company Stink Films has added Nicky Barnes as a sr. executive producer in Los Angeles. Barnes has a wealth of experience in the commercial production space, having produced numerous spots in a variety of global markets with major brands and noteworthy directors. She has led production for several award-winning projects, such as: Droga5’s “Life Needs Truth” for the New York Times, Media Arts Lab’s “Snap” for Apple AirPods Pro and Wieden+Kennedy’s “Ankles” for Powerade, among many others.
Barnes’ career began as a runner in a sound studio in London, after which she moved to the production department of London ad agency WCRS. From there, she served as head of production at Fallon, working closely with Rich Flintham and Juan Cabral where they produced a trilogy of award-winning spots for Sony: “Balls,” “Paint,” and “Playdoh.” Other notable projects include the iconic Cadbury’s “Gorilla” and Skoda’s “Cake.” She has also worked at Mother as a sr. producer. Barnes later relocated to the United States to kick off Somesuch US in 2016 as their managing director and executive producer.
Barnes said, “I love producing commercials, it truly is an artform. One of the greatest things about advertising is the rigor that goes into every idea and execution, the value of the process. Once you grasp that, the sky’s the limit.” Speaking of Stink’s founder, Daniel Bergmann, she continues, “Daniel has got an incredible eye for talent and Stink has got an extraordinary roster of directors. I am also thrilled to have the opportunity to jump into longform, developing film and TV content alongside commercial projects.”
Bergmann shared, “we are very impressed how holistically Nicky approaches the process–everything from the way she creatively engages with directors to develop their vision to the thoughtful way she puts together all the elemental pieces needed to make a spot really shine. She has a keen sense of discernment and great taste alongside her deep knowledge of production.”
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More