Friday 30 September 2011

GIZMO'S BAROMETER




Whaduuuuuup. I'm Gizmo, you're reading the Home Corp blog,
and this is my legendary barometer!
(click on the headlines for links)


WOOF!

A peaceful stand worth knowing about
Get involved.

Some people are calling scandal because her lips 
are augmented & she has a past as a young recording artist. 
We say it's all about the excellent music.

Shoe-loving ladies of London will be
very happy about this one.

GRRR!

Fiiiinally unveiled on Tuesday 4th October.
The wait was definitely too long,
but hopefully worth it.

Just... unnerving.

New album 'Metals' took 4 & 1/2 years to make,
and is frankly disappointing :(

HEADLINES


Canadian-born rap-popper Drake's new single Headlines is today's Music Vid Crush. Filmed in his hometown of Toronto, the promo is directed by Lamar Taylor & Hyghly Alleyne and we rather quite like it.

The track comes from his upcoming album Take Care, out on 24th October. Warning: the bitty quick-cuts edit may cause headaches.

IT'S THE 90s !


Let's take little stroll down memory lane on this sunny Friday afternoon in London. Remember the 90s?

Thursday 29 September 2011

POPULAR POP ART


With Milan Fashion Week currently hard under way, check out Australian graphic artist Craig Redman's apt pop art-inspired portraits of leading Italian fashion figures. 

Riccardo Tisci, Miuccia Prada, Valentino, Anna Piaggi and many more are present. Have a butchers at his website for more (such as portraits of Kanye West, above).

THE MILLION DOLLAR PIANO


Fans of Elton rejoice, the bitch is back. The British singer opened his new Las Vegas show at Caesars Palace last night, marking the beginning of a new 3-year residency at the infamous US theatre.


John sang hit after hit to a packed audience, before joking with the crowd: "It's great to be back at Caesars Palace, in the 2 and a half years since I was last here, myself and Celine Dion - who also played here - both stopped to have children. Miracles happen, I tell you." Get your tickets for the show here.

HOME-GROWN: MICHAEL PEARCE


Exciting news! There's a brand new addition to the HOME.corp family. Please join us in welcoming the very talented Michael Pearce to our team. 

Born is Jersey, Michael graduated with a BA in Film Directing from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth. He later attended the National Film and Television School, where his graduation film, Madrugada, won Top Prize at the Jersey International Film Festival, as well as the Royal Television Society Award for Best Short Film.

In 2011, his tense & compelling short Rite was funded by the UK Film Council and went on to be nominated for a BAFTA for Best Short, as well as winning Best Film at the Rushes Soho Film Festival. Screen International recently named him a "star of tomorrow", and we couldn't be happier to have him on board. Check out some excerpts from Rite:

Wednesday 28 September 2011

HITS ME LIKE A ROCK


Music Vid Crush of the Day comes courtesy of once-popular, still-fairly-awesome CSS and their brand new single Hits Me Like A Rock.

The track features the stylings of Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and is off their very lovely new album La Liberacion (pictured above). Enjoy:

LOST BEETHOVEN WORK BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE


Well, this is a nifty old bit of paper to come across: a Beethoven masterpiece that was thought to be lost in its full and original form is to be played for the first time in over 200 years, after it was reconstructed from the composer's original sketches.

The slow movement of Beethoven's String Quartet in G, Opus 18 Number 2 was composed in 1799, but was discarded straight after it was written. A German music scholar who goes by the name of Sieghard Brandenburg unearthed detailed sketches made by the legendary composer as part of a research project back in 1977.

30 years later, Barry Cooper, a music professor at the University of Manchester, has put the original sketches together so that the movement can be heard for the first time since Beethoven's day. Let's have an educated listen.

POLANSKI PICKS UP AWARD... 2 YEARS AFTER WINNING IT


Controversial film director Roman Polanski was finally able to collect his lifetime achievement award from the Zurich film festival last night, a whole two years after he was arrested over child sex charges on his way to accept the prize back in 2009.

Polanski was unexpectedly detained on an American warrant when he landed at Zurich airport in September 09, on his way to the film festival. He was jailed and then placed under house arrest for more than 6 months, while the Swiss authorities decided whether to send him back to the US.

Tuesday 27 September 2011

HOME-GROWN: DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK


Congrats to our very own super-talent Bruce Hunt, who worked as the 2nd unit director on Troy Nixey's new horror film, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which stars Guy Pearce & Katie Holmes. Let's have a look at the trailer below:


Written by none other than the incredible Guillermo del Toro, the film is out in UK cinemas next week on the 7th of October. Definitely one not to miss!

FROST/NIXON


Sir David Frost's confrontational exchange with disgraced US president Richard Nixon has just been named the greatest broadcast interview ever in a RadioTimes.com poll.

The televised showdown between the two men, which inspired a hit play and Oscar-nominated Hollywood film written by Peter Morgan, was originally filmed in 1977; three years after Nixon resigned in the face of the Watergate scandal.


Other notable interviews in the top 20 included Dennis Potter's final interview with Melvyn Bragg and Martin Bashir's infamous Panorama programme with Princess Diana.

HOME-GROWN: PELUCA FILMS


Dearest Homies, do check out our new production partners in South America, the wonderful Peluca Films!

Giving HOME.corp access to an immeasurable wealth of international facilities and opportunities, Peluca Films has been operating as a Service Production Company for over 10 years, starting in Argentina and now also in Uruguay and South Africa. Find out more about them on our website here.

Monday 19 September 2011

OUT OF OFFICE AUTOREPLY


Dearest readers, our lovely blog is on holiday for a week. We will be back to delight you with more of our favouritest things and latest goings-on on Tuesday 27th September. 

NONFICTION: OSCAR RUMBLINGS FOR JESSICA YU


Our very own Jessica Yu (via Nonfiction) is getting some very exciting Oscar buzz for her documentary Last Call at the Oasis.

The doc deals with the vital role water plays in our lives, exposes the defects in the current system and shows communities already struggling with its ill-effects, as well as individuals championing revolutionary solutions.

Have a look at the trailer below, click here for info on the film, and here for a fantastic review via indieWIRE.

HOME.CORP DOES LFW


The HOME.corp team were given front row seats for Friday evening's Ashley Isham show at Il Bottaccio, as part of London Fashion Week.

Isham's Spring/Summer 2012 collection was a glamourous affair, full of laser-cut leather accessories and billowing gowns in shimmering nudes, matte metallics and rich raspberry - which you can glimpse at courtesy of our expert photography skills above (sorry).


We even provided a short film for the event's sponsor, cutting edge design label BABYMODO (above), who took over the venue's Media Room, where their gorgeous collection is on display throughout fashion week.

The film, created in partnership with Territory, was projected as a backdrop to the collection, mimicking its swirling watercolour prints and gorgeous palette of blues & purples


Huge thanks to Portia and her team at POP PR for all their help!

Friday 16 September 2011

THE BLACK ATLANTIC


Today's music vid crush comes from Dutch acoustic pop band The Black Atlantic, and their brand new single Walked On Wood. Directors Tracy Maurice & Matt Moroz have created an intimate & subtly nostalgic world for the song's promo, and we absolutely love it. Pre-order the band's new EP here.

O2 THINK BIG: STAND AGAINST VIOLENCE


Rave review (below) from David Reviews for our very own Tomas Leach's new film for O2's Think Big initiative.


Check out the film below if you haven't already seen it, and find out more about Stand Against Violence here.

JEDI KITTENS STRIKE BACK

It's Friday. It's almost the weekend. It's Jedi Kittens Strike Back. 

Thursday 15 September 2011

MTV RE:DEFINE


MTV celebrated its 30th birthday recently (remember?). Coincidentally, it's also been 30 years since the discovery of the AIDS virus. Having worked at the forefront of popular culture for so long, and being so actively involved with their Staying Alive campaign, it was only fitting that the music channel should mark the event with a creative bang.


MTV RE:DEFINE is an exhibition of 30 powerful artworks (pictured above & below) by 30 world-renowned artists, which will be up for auction on 24th September at the Goss-Michael Foundation in Dallas (bids will also be accepted online). 


100% of the proceeds will go to Staying Alive, which encourages and empowers incredible young people around the world who are devoted to raising HIV/AIDS awareness & prevention. Click here for more info.

LIGHTNING PEOPLE


Christopher Bollen's debut novel, Lightning People, portrays a group of 30-somethings wandering around New York City in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

With the help of filmmakers Jauretsi & Crystal, Bollen's assembled a stellar cast to voice the below extract, which gives a haunting insight into this ambitious book. Listen out for Kirsten Dunst, Rufus Wainwright, Chloe Sevigny, Nate Lowman, Leelee Sobieski & many others.

YSL A/W11


We're rather fond of a fashion film here at HOME.work, and sometimes it's the simplest ones that work the best. Cue this little number from Yves Saint Laurent, shot by Inez and Vinoodh and starring (who else?) Raquel Zimmerman in the brand's Autumn/Winter 2011 collection, soundtracked by lcd soundsystem.

Wednesday 14 September 2011

BOOK SWAP


The Guardian are launching their nationwide Book Swap event this weekend, by setting 15,000 titles free all over the country. Fiction, design, children's, science and many other genres of books donated by publishers and authors will be left at train stations, in parks, coffee shops, galleries and museums for unsuspecting members of the public to find.


A bookplate sticker will come free with The Guardian and The Observer this weekend (though you can also get one here). If you want to take part, simply stick it inside the front of a book, leave a message for the finder, and upload details of where you've left it here (or on Twitter, using the #guardianbookswap hashtag). Keep your eyes peeled!

BODY AND SOUL


In what turned out to be her last ever recorded performance, on what would have been her 28th birthday, here is Amy Winehouse covering the 1930s jazz classic Body and Soul with Tony Bennett.

The session was recorded in March at Abbey Road studios for Bennett's new album, Duets II, which is available here. It's hard to watch this without feeling sad all over again at the loss of such a unique woman.

HOME-GROWN: HOWARD GREENHALGH FOR CASTROL


Congrats to our very own Howard Greenhalgh on his fantastic new spot for Castrol Power1. The ambitious ad sees a wild cheetah racing against a Castrol-fuelled motorcycle on a high-tech race track. Awesome stuff.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS A REVOLUTION


We have a new video crush. And the same goes for the song. Check out endlessly talented Australian electronic outfit Cut Copy's promo for latest single Blink and You'll Miss a Revolution, directed by Emile Sornin and produced by Jules de Chateleux at Division. Get Cut Copy's new album Zonoscope here.

24 HOURS OF REALITY


This is happening tomorrow, people, and it's important. First, have a look at this video from Al Gore's The Climate Reality Project:


Starting tomorrow (14 September 2011), a worldwide, 24-hour broadcasting event will shed light on the reality of our planet's current climate crisis. A new multimedia presentation created by Al Gore will be delivered once per hour for 24 hours, representing every time zone around the globe.


Each hour, people living with the reality of climate change will connect the dots between recent extreme weather events - floods, storms, droughts - and the manmade pollution that is changing our climate. From the event's official press release: "We will offer a round-the-clock, round-the-globe snapshot of the climate crisis in real time"

Head HERE to find out more about the project, to find out how to spread the word, and how to take action.

50 WORDS FOR SNOW


Her last album of re-worked past hits left us a bit underwhelmed (more on that here), so news of brand new material from the one & only Kate Bush is most, most welcome.

50 Words for Snow is the name of the new album (pictured above), it's out on 21 November, and it will feature, as the title suggests, seven new tracks set against a backdrop of falling snow. That's not a lot of songs, but we're reassured that the album is still over 65 minutes long. Cannae wait. 

Monday 12 September 2011

VIEWS FROM THE SHARD


Well, this is pretty special. Click HERE for a detailed look at the panoramic night-time view from London's The Shard. Make sure you go full-screen, and use your mouse or keyboard to pan around, as well as zoom in & out.


The shot was captured by photographer Will Pearson from The Shard's 35th floor, whilst the building was still under construction. Head to his site for more panoramic gems.

HOME.CORP DOES APA


Last Thursday, our lovely team attended the 10th annual Advertising Producers Association show, which was held at the spectacular V&A in London. We ran around, had a few drinks, did a bit of networking and posed for our lives in the photo booth. That's how we roll.

I AM THE SUIT


Hats off to French Connection for their latest ad. We love everything about it. The art direction, the off-beat gangsta vibe, and of course the clothes. Let's watch it together one more time:

Friday 9 September 2011

HOME-GROWN: TOMAS LEACH FOR O2'S THINK BIG


We are proud to present our very own Tomas Leach's touching new film for O2's Think Big initiative. Think Big is O2's social action programme, which is designed to back young people who make a difference in their community. Click here for more info on their amazing work, and on how to get involved.

Tomas' spot, which is released across UK cinemas today, focuses on Adam Fouracre and his deeply personal involvement with Stand Against Violence. Check out the film below, and click here to stay updated with Adam's progress. 

CHATBOT


Here's one for the techno geeks - artificial intelligence robots have held a conversation with one another for the first time with surprising and surreal results... 

Two graduate PhD students from Cornell University gave voices and 2D avatars to a pair of online chatbots, named Alan and Sruthi. Here's what happened when they left the robots to converse.


"I am not a robot, I am a unicorn" is our new favourite thing to say, by the way (get the T-shirt). And if you're entirely confused by what you've just seen, head here for more info.

NAKED


Japan-born & London-based photographer Mari Sarai's latest exhibition and book focus on femininity and sensuality. More specifically, she has shot the likes Janice Dickinson, Daisy Lowe, Alice Dellal and Alek Wek in their own homes & wearing very little.

The shots are beautifully executed, and it's hard not to find similarities with the great Helmut Newton's depiction of strong, empowered women. More info here.




Thursday 8 September 2011

CEREMONIALS


Music fans, here's your first look at Florence and the Machine's cover artwork for new album, Ceremonials. The LP is the follow-up to 2009's hugely successful Lungs, and is out on October 31st. Have a listen at lead single Shake It Out below. Lovely stuff.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

GET THE LONDON LOOK


Well this is just bizarre, buuuut Kate Moss is in it, so we'll write about it anyway (our soft-spot for her is out of control).

Make-up brand Rimmel London are celebrating 10 years of miss Moss as their brand ambassador with this frankly unhinged 4-minute film, which sees her frolicking around in a bed filled with teenagers (?), then setting off the sprinklers on them (??), then off to join The Vaccines for a bit of faux-guitar antics, followed by an impromptue naked photo shoot, and finally flying off in a helicopter (as you do). Thoroughly entertaining.


The decade-long collaboration is also celebrated with the release of a new collection of lippies (pictured below) created by KM herself. More on those here.