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news and events
Calling All Members From Amy Minyard BAFTA Events and Membership Officer
Celebrating TV Commercials
BAFTA is delighted to be work- ing with the Advertising Producer’s Association to present this year’s APA show. The Advertising Producers Association’s members are the UK production companies who make commer- cials for film and television.
The APA
Show, a cele-
bration of the
television commercials, takes place at BAFTA on October 10 and 11.
The aim of the commercial is to stimulate sales for the product or services it is advertising, but TV commercials have come to rep- resent much more than that. They are part of our collective experi- ence, with the power to evoke memories of a particular time or place, as shown by the 100 Greatest Television Commercials on Channel 4.
TV is the most powerful form of advertising, a claim now support- ed by extensive research (as the Abbot Mead Vickers Sainsbury’s session demonstrates).
In terms of film making, ideas and techniques from commer- cials are used in pop promos, features and television, and vice- versa. That cross-over between commercials and other types of film-making is a theme of the APA Show at BAFTA.
From Hovis to Hannibal is a unique compendium of TV com- mercials made by directors who have made feature films from Sir
Alan Parker and Hugh Hudson to Tarsem and Shane Meadows (11am, October 11).
The cross-over theme is further explored in Producing Commercials and Features (5pm, October 11). What are the differ- ences and similarities? Does having made commercials give a produc- er a head-start in making films?
These issues will be explored by Lizie Gower and Nick Morris, the joint MD’s of the commercials production company Academy. Jonathan Glazer, the director who created the Guinness surfers com- mercial, is an Academy director. Following the success of Sexy Beast, he is now completing his second feature, Birth (starring Nicole Kidman and Lauren Bacall). Lizie and Nick are produc- ing the film, their first feature, and will talk about the experience.
In addition, Lisa Bryer, the MD of commercials production com- pany Cowboy, who made the acclaimed feature, Goodbye Charlie Bright, will share her thoughts on issues including distri- bution. We will also hear from Glynis Murray, the MD of Tomboy, who produced Waking Ned, one of the most successful independ- ent features of recent years.
The other theme of the show is the fantastic quality of the British TV commercials. British commercials consistently dominate international competitions and the service of British creatives and directors and producers are in great demand. You can see why from our show- case of this year’s best 50 com- mercials made by British advertisers and production companies - the APA 50 (2pm, October 11).
The APA 50 was selected by a panel of advertising industry lumi- naries and BAFTA’s representative Simon Relph.
Following its showing at BAFTA, the APA 50 will be seen around the world as a showcase for UK commercials and the expertise that creates them.
The show provides the oppor- tunity to have a closer look at that expertise with Danny Kleinman’s talk about his direct- ing career (7pm, October 10).
Danny has won countless awards, for commercials such as John West Salmon, XBox, and John Smith’s commercials featur-
ing Peter Kay. Even the best com- mercials directors tend to be pigeon-holed in terms of direct- ing style, but Danny is on every agency shortlist, whatever type of commercial they want made. His talk will be an opportunity to understand why.
Abbott Mead Vickers are Britain’s number one advertising agency in terms of billings and creative awards. Their clients include Guiness, BT and, the sub- ject of their presentation at BAFTA (3.30pm, October 11), Sainsbury’s.
Their Sainsbury’s campaign has won awards for creativity and, through the IPA Effectiveness Awards, established its business impact. The Jamie Oliver TV commercials were the central part of a campaign which saw Sainsbury’s enjoy six months of market-share gains and generate income of £27.25 for every £1 spent on advertising.
Judith Frame, Sainsbury’s client services director will explain how Abbott Mead Vickers came up with the campaign, the strate- gy behind the commercials and why they work.
The Devils You Don’t Know.... Yet (12.30pm, October 11) is James Studholme’s view of 10 new commercials directors with the talent to succeed. There are so many good directors in London competing for commercials work, it begs the question of whether we need 10 new directors.
James is renowned as a dis- coverer and developer of new talent, as he has demonstrated as MD at Blink, with the likes of Paul Gay, Ivan Zacariahas and Blue Source. This is his personal take on who we should be look- ing out for in the next year or two.
Straight 8 (8.30pm, October 10) has already created a real buzz in the advertising industry. Straight 8 is the brainchild of Ed Sayers and Ben Gregor, directors at commercials production com- pany Godman.
It is a Super-8 competition in which entrants are given one 3 minute Super-8 film. They shoot it but cannot edit it (except in camera) or even see it until the competition night, when all the entrants films are played.
The best of Straight 8 has showcased some fantastically
creative film-making such as a 3 minute version of West Side Story, through to complete disasters like failing to record anything on the film at all!
The APA Straight 8 at BAFTA focuses on agency creatives. Agency creatives come up with the great ideas and scripts that become commercials but hand them over to a production com- pany and their director to make.
Straight 8 have devised a competition for the show with the usual Straight 8 rules - one 3 minute Super-8 film, no editing exclusively for advertising agen- cies.
It promises to be a massive clash of talent among British advertising agencies and their top creatives, with the winner being able to nominate a charity for their prize money to go to.
We look forward to seeing BAFTA members, as well as the advertising community, at the APA Show.
INTERACTION ‘03:
A Transatlantic Producers’ Forum
In an effort to stimulate
transAtlantic dialogue among
interactive television producers, the American Film Institute, BBC Training and Development and BAFTA are teaming up to launch the first-ever INTERACTION ‘03: A Transatlantic Producers’ Forum” on September 18 at the Academy.
The goal of INTERACTION ‘03 is to encourage interactive televi- sion producers from both sides of the Atlantic to exchange insights into the achievements and chal- lenges of creating in this relatively new medium.
Producers from public service and commercial television in the UK and North America have been invited to lead discussions about regional variations and how the same format plays in different markets, what are the public broadcasting remits in the US and UK and what community and user participation opportunities arise out of these remits, and what does ‘community’ mean in iTV.
After a morning of discussions and case studies, lunch will be followed by breakout groups dis- cussing a vision for the future development of iTV.
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