Month: April 2016

Steve McQueen is perhaps one of the most vital directors of the last decade – his three greatest successes coming in the form of Hunger, Shame, and, most recently, 12 Years a Slave. His films are melancholic, beautifully crafted pieces of art, laced with pathos and urgent political implication – mostly in Hunger (with its examination of the Irish Hunger Strikes) and 12 Years A Slave (the 2012 Best Picture Winner at the Oscars). The odder of the three is probably Shame – more of a desensitised character study of a sex addict in New York.

All films are united by McQueen’s penchant for beautifully crafted camera work, check out examples from Shame or Hunger to see why. He brings that same craft to his Burberry advert, each shot placed with perfection, framing his subjects within the confines of their hotel rooms, before slipping into handheld for the more sensuous naked shots.

All this considered, something seems almost vacuous and transient about the 3 minute video. The protagonist couple are trapped by their apartment surroundings – doorways, corridors, mirrors confining them. They only finding escape when naked together. The two are surrounded by materialism – bowties, lipsticks, mirrors, and, fundamentally, clothes. The liberation comes in the form of primal nakedness – clothing almost acting instead as an apology for having to conform to social norms.

Given his need for more intrinsic truths in cinema, this was a strange choice for McQueen. Any film he produces is undoubtedly fantastic, but this feels like a strange choice for such a director. His versatility is nevertheless astounding – especially the use of shorter lens for the outdoor shots, before bringing things tight and claustrophobic indoors. It’s both recognisably McQueen, yet always open to innovation and creative flexibility. Check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd5Yuq_qt28

Runner up for the week: Clemence Poesy provides the latest for the VS Magazine

LoopMe held their first Publisher event on Tuesday morning, focusing on the Holy Trinity of Mobile – Video, Data and AI.

The event saw a fantastic range of speakers from a range of backgrounds giving their expert opinions on the best practices for mobile advertising, focusing on video and data. Topics touched upon included 360 video, vertical video and virtual reality, among others.

Rhys Denny, Senior Director BD at LoopMe, gave the opening presentation discussing the highlights and challenges of the mobile publishing industry. He was followed by Dilip Shukla (co-founder of Samba Networks) and Chetan Damani (Managing Director at TVGuide.co.uk).

The IAB’s Jon Mew hosted a fireside chat with Lauren Dick, head of mobile at Mail Online. With 77% of the Mail’s traffic coming from mobile sources, Lauren delved into the strategies and plans for the Mail going forward and how they are adjusting to their new audiences.

We rounded off the morning with a panel featuring our guest speakers and Stephen Upstone, CEO of LoopMe, exploring key topics such as adblocking in even more detail. What was clear was that while key challenges remain, the mobile advertising industry is still innovating and adapting – ready to evolve with exciting new features for audiences and publishers.

You can find the presentations given on the day here.
Also, don’t miss our event video featuring interviews with some of our panelists.

Watch this space for more events from LoopMe!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq9uaRShC2E&feature=youtu.be