A new trailer was recently released online for Doug Pray’s Art & Copy, which is definitely one of the best docs we’ve seen so far this year (you can read Jay’s Hot Docs review here). The movie is getting a small theatrical release through Arthouse Films on August 21st; for a full list of upcoming screenings, visit the film’s official website.
Synopsis: ART & COPY is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time — people who’ve profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising’s “creative revolution” of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in ART & COPY were responsible for “Just Do It,” “I Love NY,” “Where’s the Beef?,” “Got Milk,” “Think Different,” and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.
Sorry to say I saw Art & Copy at a festival a few months ago and it made me want to yell at the screen (and I rarely have that reaction). It was beautifully shot and they had great access to interesting people but there was so little context and it was so biased it was infuriating.
Maybe if you’re American and work in advertising you’d have enjoyed the mutual admiration society, but for an ‘outsider’ it was painful. There were so many interesting stories to tell within the film and in my opinion they were told poorly.
I saw lots of amazing, entertaining, inspiring docs at that festival and this was by far the worst.
i agree somewhat with the comment above. it’s a beautifully shot film and some interesting people are profiled, but i was definitely left wanting more from the film.
Dear Film Maker,
My name is Roma Saini and I am a talent scout for a new media production company called Stream Media Group. You can find us at http://www.urstreams.com. As a talent scout, I am responsible for finding new emerging talent and I wanted to inquire whether you’d be interested in submitting some of your work as part of a content distribution deal on our site; I definitely think it would fit perfectly with what we are trying to create. For example, we’re creating a stream on FILM FESTIVAL at the moment- (http://www.urstreams.com/film-festival) and we feel you could contribute some equally brilliant content. Urstreams is about giving all users a chance to showcase their skills and talents, as well as viewing quality content, for absolutely free.
Basically, whenever you contribute content to the site, you will be entitled to 50% of the advertising revenue generated from each view your work gets. Its your work so we think you should be entitled to the profits! From October, the site will officially be launched and premium advertising space would also become available. Any work that you have submitted will be entitled to 50% of the advertising revenue. Essentially, the more views your content gets, the higher its value and the more revenue it will generate.
The nature of our standard package would be a non-exclusive distribution deal; you would retain the right to publish your work anywhere else, and you can remove it from the site as and when you wish. Any content you provide would be incorporated into the stream community, placed into premium spaces to maximise views. And from October when the site launches, we are expecting to reach close to 1 million views for content streamed on these premium ad spaces. Most importantly, we are looking to build up a community of people like yourself and so your work could potentially reach hundreds or thousands of new and existing creatives. If you would like to discuss any other conditions not outlined here, we are willing to listen so please get back to me. Also, if you want to submit content but don’t want to put it up yourself, you can send it over and we’ll ensure it is distributed on the site.
We’re also running a few competitions at the moment which you might be interested in. If you’re interested, please get back to me as soon as possible and I could provide you with some further details. We really feel that you could make a brilliant contribution to a community of like-minded people!
I hope to hear from you soon,
Kindest Regards,
Urstreams.com