In “The Next Big Thing,” pop singer and budding actor Justin Timberlake finds himself surrounded by danger and intrigue in this web video that looks and feels like a Hollywood action flick.  One other thing surrounding Timberlake—along with the long legs of actress Dania Ramirez—is a hot little Audi a1 sports car.  In the film, Timberlake puts the car through its paces as he and Ramirez try and outrun a bunch of machine-gun toting bad guys.  The film is part of a larger series of webisodes that have been produced for the Audi web site (www.audi.com/a1) and shot by Tempomedia in Germany, working in association with the Swedish production company Acne. The director was Hendrik Sundgren, and the agency was Heimat in Berlin.  The video also features a performance by the rock group Torpedo, which provides the action-oriented score for the film.  DP on the project was Crille Forsberg, represented by United Agents. It was produced by Vera Portz of Tempomedia.

Losito International Films in Italy has just posted a new demo video to its site that’s worth checking out.  It shows off a provocative and flashy bit of slow-motion fashion and beauty work that they produced titled “Underwater Love,” which is part of the production company’s ongoing work in the fashion category.  Employing special gear and their expertise in tabletop food, beverage and product photography, the demo is part of a larger collection of work that Losito has done for a wide range of brands and agencies. 

Grinder Films of Cape Town is out with a new spot for Nestle’s Cremora non-dairy coffee creamer titled "Mugs" from Publicis in Johannesburg that shows what happens when coffee and Cremora get together.  Using some comic visual effects and CGI animation, the spot shows coffee cups with satisfied, smiling faces once the steaming brew inside them has been mellowed with Cremora. And if you don’t get concept just from the visuals, you cantoss in the catchy soundtrack and you can’t mistake the point: it’s a version of The Turtles classic 1967s hit “Happy Together,” with new lyrics.  Credits on the job go to Director Robert Payton of Grinder Films. The spot was produced for Grinder by David Rowley. Agency credits go to Clyde Rainsbury, Kady Winetzki and Hazel Van Jaarsveld.  The spot was edited by Angela Whitehouse from Glass House, with additional post production at Refinery Post. Music was by RobRoy Music.

The Tribeca Film Festival wrapped up with the premiere of "Freakonomics," the highly anticipated documentary adaptation of the best-seller by economist Steven Levitt and his co-author, Stephen J. Dubner. The film is comprised of segments by noted documentary filmmakers Morgan Spurlock, Eugene Jarecki, Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, Alex Gibney and Seth Gordon. Composers Peter Nashel and Pete Miser of New York’s Duotone scored Jarecki's segment, which focuses on crime in America in the 90's and what caused it to drop. "The conventional wisdom was that tougher police tactics, more police, an improving economy, a decrease in the drug trade, and changes in the gun laws and criminal sentencing were the factors behind the drop," says Nashel. "Levitt offers another and far more controversial theory: that the legalization of abortion in 1973 had the direct effect of fewer real criminals on the streets to commit crime. Musically, we created contrasts between the hard-bitten reality of urban crime and the 'gee-whiz' theories that Levitt posits. " Focusing on a small ensemble of piano, marimba, veriphone, strings and bells, Nashel and Miser created what amounts to a "who-would-have-thunk-it" feeling in the music that complements the author's unassuming voice and explosive ideas.  Nashel is currently composing music for the FOX pilot "Ridealong" and for the new AMC series "Rubicon."

A new campaign, Music Matters, is bringing people together from across the industry for the first time to highlight the value of music and to educate consumers on how to identify legitimate music services. Allowing the music to speak for itself, the campaign has commissioned a series of short animated films about inspirational artists who have dedicated their lives to music and contributed to our cultural landscape. The films, including the stories of artists such as Blind Willie Johnson, The Jam, John Martyn, Nick Cave, Sigur Ros, Kate Bush and the Fron Choir, will be carried on supporting artist and organization websites, with further films scheduled for roll out later in the year. Aardman Animations got involved with the project after being approached by Will Anderson (A&R/Visual A&R Manager). Three directors from the animation studio were delighted to make short films for their favorite musicians. Felix Massie directed and animated the Sigur Ros short and Sarah Cox and Emma Lazenby collaborated on the Nick Cave animation. The Music Matters campaign website, www.whymusicmatters.org/, will host all of the films as well as advice on how to identify legitimate music sites. The campaign is being led by Niamh Byrne (Universal Music/formerly with the managers of the artists Blur and Gorillaz.). “For many people music is the single most important cultural element of their daily lives,” said Byrne, “but as it becomes more available it can become invisible, disposable. Cutting through the debate about technology, transmission and consumption, we want to remind everyone why music matters.”

Click 3X has hired a new Editor as well as a new Creative Director. Editor Jeremy Baumann joins the creative digital shop Click 3X as a full time editor.  Previously at the New York office of Red Car, Baumann served as assistant editor on commercial campaigns, music videos, web content and long and short-form projects, and has worked on campaigns for brands such as Puma, Pillsbury, Tide, Urban Outfitters and Visa. Baumann moved to New York from Texas in 2006, and holds an associate degree of applied science in video production from the Art Institute of Dallas.  In other studio news, Creative Director Ders Hallgren will lead Click 3X Entertainment, the studio's broadcast design division. Hallgren will head a team that includes EP Connor Swegle, Managing Director David Edelstein, Art Director Steve Weinzierl and Senior Writer/Producer Rob Meyers in providing branding strategy, design, and identity to complement Click's animation, design, and visual effects teams. Hallgren has worked with Click 3X previously, creating trailers for Ken Burns' "Jazz" documentary. He has also worked on commercial projects, image campaigns and packaging for CBS, ABC and HBO.  Prior to joining Click 3X Entertainment, Hallgren spent two years as Design Director at Spontaneous, as well as two years as Creative Director at Headlight. Prior to that he spent several years as a freelance Art Director/Director with New York-based design firms. He began his career 15 years ago at Pittard Sullivan before moving on to Lee Hunt/Razorfish.

Nick Sasso has joined Outside Edit+Design as Senior Flame Artist. Sasso joins Outside from Manic, where his client roster included Maybelline, L'Oreal, Chase, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Bank of America, alli, Act, Tums, Seroquel XR, Chantix, Smuckers, Bacardi, Absolut Vodka, to name a few.  He also served as Creative Director and Lead Flame Artist on Absolut's successful 2008 viral spot featuring Kanye West.   More recently, he directed, edited and did VFX work on a series of five viral spots for Rockstar's PSP game, Beaterator by Timbaland.  Sasso joins the Outside roster which includes Steve Evans, Jeff Ferruzzo, Scott Gaillard, Scott Gibney, Steve Reglis and  Jerome Wilson to name a few.

Production studio Stardust was tapped by ad agency Team Detroit to launch the new Ford 2011 Mustang with a cinematic spot for TV and cinema. Stardust's Jake Banks directed the live-action commercial, titled "PG." The spot highlights the 2011 Mustang's speed, bold lines and fuel efficiency through seductive camera work, motion graphics and an authentic aesthetic. Set to the track "Light of The Morning" by Band of Skulls, the spot follows the 2011 Mustang through the urban jungle. Shots of the car captured in motion, from rooftops and as a reflection in a Chinese restaurant window, are interchanged with views of the city environment. CG type accented by gleaming light effects reinforces the Mustang's "31 MPG" and its "Primal" and "Untamed" qualities. Close-up shots of the car's interior show the Mustang's customization options. Reflections off skyscraper facades, flashes from the Mustang's grill and hubcaps, and the blinding sun as the car exits a tunnel give the commercial a lazy Sunday feel. Agency credits go to Ron Schlessinger, Arty Tan, Eric McClellan, Bob Rashid, Toby Barlow and Adam Hull. Stardust credits go to EP Paul Abatemarco, Producer Alex More, Designers Neil Tsai, Gretchen Nash, Bill Bak and Ling Feng. Max Malkin was DP. Frank Effron edited for Cut + Run/LA.  Sound Desing was by 740 Sound Design with Scott Ganary as EP and  Andrew Tracy and Eddie Kim as Sound Designers.

Brand New School (BNS) has completed their latest project, a gorgeous animated and live action online spot and an interactive installation for premium faucet brand Brizo, featuring its new SmartTouch faucet.  Produced under the creative direction of agency Young & Laramore as part of its Brizo "License to Dream" campaign, contributions from BNS include a :30 online videdo pre-roll ad entitled "Touch," along with a thematically-related interactive touch installation at McCormick Place in Chicago for Brizo's exhibit at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. Featuring the music track "Little Bird" from Goldfrapp, BNS artists  began with the idea of using elements of a dish the talent was preparing for her dinner guests. Adding illustrations of birds, flowers and a mermaid, they recombined the pieces to form the narrative. The virtual kitchen environment was created in post, to gain more control over the camera movements and the timing.  Finishing footage of watercolors were composited over the elements to create the transitions and washes that give the illustrations that touch of realism. The commercial recently debuted on culinary and cultural sites Bravo and Epicurious, and in other digital media channels. Agency credits go to Carolyn Hadlock, Trevor Williams, Uriaha Foust and Scott King. BNS credits go to Creative Director Jonathan Notaro, EP Danny Rosenbloom, Art Director Mario Sader and Designer Ricardo Villavicencio.

TWC Films has announced the addition of Mel Gragido (that's him on the right) as Executive Producer, and has added six new directors to the roster. Directors Jonas Arnby, Hans Moland, and Johan Skog were previously repped by The Joneses, where Gragido served as EP. Arni Thor Jonsson, Ken Lambert and Terry Rietta also join the fold. The new directors join Brian Baderman, Trevor Cornish, David Jellison, Alex Ogus, Suthon Petchsuwan and Selby on the TWC Films roster. The company is presided over by Partner/Managing Director/EP Mark Thomas, Partner/Producer Ralph Winter, Partner/Director Phil Cooke, and Executive Producer Jeff Snyder.  Of Gragido, Thomas said, "Mel and I have known each other for quite a while. We'd tossed around the idea of doing something together, but this time everything made sense. TWC Films has many facets, and we're a progressive company. Yet Mel and I agree that at its core, the company is about master storytellers, and he brings with him a group of talented directors that reflect the same ideology."  Add Gragido, "Mark and his partners have built a company based on a co-mingling of creative forces.  They represent the full spectrum of media, from commercials to films and television. I've been looking for interesting and innovative ways to expand what we do in the ad medium, and TWC is in a great position to pursue that."

Art Meets Commerce, a new media advertising/marketing company servicing the theatrical industry, recently commissioned the filmmakers at production company Shilo to produce a broadcast spot for the Broadway musical "FELA!" as part of their integrated campaign. Producers for the hit show include Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Ruth and Stephen Hendel, and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson; it is directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Bill T. Jones. "FELA!" tells the true story of Fela Kuti, the legendary Nigerian musician whose stirring Afrobeat rhythms ignited a generation. Having opened at New York's Eugene O'Neill Theatre last November, the production recently announced that FELA! will also be presented at the National Theatre in London in November, 2011. "What began here in New York now has people hyped all across America and Europe," says Andre Stringer, Shilo's Co-Founder and Creative Director, who directed this spot.  "The show itself is a postmodern interpretation of the artist and his time, so in keeping with that theme, our film continues the ideology of experimentation." Agency credits go to Jim Glaub, Chip Meyrelles and Brad Coffman. Shilo credits go to EP Tracy Chandler, HP Julie Shevach, CGI Artist Tamir Sapir and Compositor and Editor Andre Stringer. Additional production credits go to DP Max Goldman, Compositors Joel Voelker and Paul Todaro, Producer Jeremy Yaches, Editors Nathan Caswell and Josh Bodnar and audio post/sound designer Gavin Little of Echolab.

John Komnenich of STORY has directed a new campaign for Kellogg’s Special K in which women reveal what “victory” in weight loss means to them. Created by Leo Burnett, Chicago, the six spots are unusual both for their lack of product imagery and for their use of real women, rather than models, as examples of the kind of dieting success that ordinary consumers can actually achieve. In each spot, a woman is revealed on a stylized, white set (accented with subtle touches of the brand’s signature red), and talks about her “victory.” For one, it’s training for a marathon. For another, it’s not having to use her arms to disguise her stomach. All of the victories involve simple, personal goals. The only reference to the product comes at the end as a voiceover urges viewers to “take the Special K Challenge.” “It’s honest, simple and clean,” notes Komnenich. “The decision not to show the product stimulates curiosity and makes you want to learn more about the Special K Challenge.” Any takers? See “Bayle,” “Giannone,” “Penters,” “Rickard,” “Simmons” and “Woolover” here.

Hungry Man's newest Australian director, Tim Bullock, has completed a spot for Continental Cup-a-Soup via DDB Sydney. “Soup Cart” opens on a typical cubicle-filled office space.  The soup cart lady hands out cups of soup, as if it were mail, to each of the employees. Each cup has personalized names on them to reflect the outstanding physical features of each. Goggles goes to the lady with the very think glasses,  Goliath goes to the tiny little man in the next cube, the bald guy gets the Mayor of Shine Town cup and then there's the big-eared guy named named, um, just plain old Rob. (You were expecting something else?) Agency credits go to Matthew Knapp, Mark Harricks, John Downing and Victoria Bennett. Production credits go to DP Germain McMicking, Editor Adam Wills and Producer Jonathan Samway of Aussie production company Prodigy.

Washington Square Films has a new TV series running on the US cable network WE tv called “Sunset Daze.”  No, it’s not “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” meets the Shady Acres Rest Home from that classic Pepsi spot, it’s about a group of energetic seniors living it up at an adult retirement community in Arizona.  The show got a great review in The New York Times.  (For more on “Sunset Daze,” click here.) In addition, comedy director Tom Schiller completed a commercial campaign for Georgia Power and Alabama Power featuring famed NBA star Julius Erving. The spot, "Autograph," shows Dr. J in various situations signing innumerable autographs on increasingly stranger objects, such as a plastic dinosaur and a doll ripped from the hands of a little girl by her father, culminating with a mailman who removes his hat revealing a shiny bald head ready for an autograph.  For a change of pace, Erving asks the public for their autographs on their electricity bills to donate to Project Share and the Salvation Army.  Schiller directed this campaign for BBDO/Atlanta.

Picture Park directors have been having a busy spring (unless you’re in the Southern hemisphere, in which case they’ve had a busy fall.)  Director Marc Colucci just had his new documentary released.  Titled “Lemonade,” the short short film features cinematography by Peter Nelson and tells the story of a series of recently unemployed advertising people and the inspiring journeys that their pink slips have launched. Well received by the media and blogosphere alike, “Lemonade” has taken its inspiring message to the road and is now on an international tour. You can check out the trailer for the film here, or view it in its entirety on Hulu.com here.  Director John Huet was in Vancouver where he had been lending his lens to the IOC, shooting the Winter Olympics.  In addition, he’s been busy shooting for Taylormade and Eastern Bank, and directed a new web campaign for GMC. Jonathan Bekemeier has been working with the New Alliance Bank, shooting entirely with a pair of Canon 7D digital SLRs.  He took advantage of the camera’s full HD, narrow depth of field and filmic look to produce a series of spots entitled “I Do,” “Can Do,” and “Hair Do.” Director Bill Cuccinello sunk his teeth into the 99 Restaurant’s new campaign entitled “Cravings Personified,” as well as keeping Just for Men current with a new spot featuring stunts galore.  Comedy veteran Charles Wittenmeier brought his visual gags to Verizon for their new spot, “State Trooper,” while longtime still photographer (and relative newcomer to Picture Park’s commercial director roster) Tibor Nemeth, has been busy directing spots for MedExpress and the Las Vegas of the South, Pigeon Forge down in Tennessee.

Peepshow Post Productions, London and New York, has welcomed Editor Dean Gonzalez (on the right), formerly of Final Cut, to its roster.  Gonzalez has spent more than a decade in commercial editing, splitting his time between Chicago and Los Angeles. He has worked with such directors as Scott Rhea, Tom Dey and Charles Mehling, who helmed spots for David Yurman, BCBG and Stride Gum. Along with commercial editing, Gonzalez brings long form and music video expertise to Peepshow. During his four years at Sunset Editorial, Gonzalez edited music videos for Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Ne-Yo, Nas, Chris Cornell, Dierks Bentley, Stereophonics and Kid Rock. He also worked with director Joaquin Phoenix on videos for Silversun Pickup and Albert Hammond, Jr. (a member of The Strokes), as well as with director John Roecker on his Green Day documentary, "Heart Like a Hand Grenade," based on the band's "American Idiot" tour. Gonzalez is currently working on a documentary feature called, “The History of Canadian Humor (If It's Not Too Much Trouble”), produced by The Sibs and directed by Rob Cohen, who has written for such shows as Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, and Mr. Show. The feature stars hilarious Canadian actor/comedians like Mike Myers, Dan Ackroyd, Michael J. Fox, Will Arnett, and Martin Short.

Pogo Pictures’ Director Angel Traverso teamed with Atlanta-based agency Ames Scullin O'Haire to shoot two :30 spots for grocery chain Food Lion. Shot on location in Atlanta, the spots depict shoppers stocking up their kitchens with Food Lion's latest specially tagged items. Shot on the RED camera and finished in HD, the spots reinforce Food Lion's commitment to low prices for over fifty years. See “Kitchen” and “Easter” here.  In other Pogo news, the production company has moved its Atlanta headquarters to a new location in downtown Decatur. They can be found at 114 E Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, GA 30030. 

Got new work? If so, we’d love to share it with our global audience in the advertising and production community. Agencies, production companies, post houses, animation studios, editorial companies, VFX houses—just about anyone in the industry—can upload new work for consideration in SourceEcreative’s Just Breaking section. Prominently featured on our home page, it's one of our most heavily-trafficked features. Remember, TV spots, virals and web videos uploaded for Just Breaking should be fresh-scrubbed and picked at the peak of flavor, having just broken within the past 2 weeks. Go to our ADD SPOTS button on our home page, select the “Just Breaking” option on the pull-down menu and follow the instructions and specs listed. Full agency, production and post credits are appreciated—we want to make sure everyone who played a role in the work gets a nod.