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Midlands Spotlight
Movie news, reviews, features and more thoughts coming soon...
Screen Northants looking for editor and actors and crew
By midlandsmovies, Nov 14 2019 12:02PM
Screen Northants are on the lookout for an editor for their next film, feature length family comedy Fortune Cookies.
Fortune Cookies will be the 3rd feature film to be produced by social enterprise film company Screen Northants. Screen Northants makes features but does so in a non-profit model, supported by BBC Children in Need, where a professional crew also provide workshops and on set experiences for local young disadvantaged people from Northamptonshire to boost their confidence, skills and local pride through Film.
The viewer will not notice the difference in the end result but it allows Screen Northants to make films in a unique way supporting the next generation of talent and allowing unprecedented access to the Film Industry for young people in an area under-represented by Film.
They are supported by the likes of Panavision and Cooke Optics to make our small budgets go a long way.
To apply please go here for further details:
https://screennorthants.wordpress.com/2019/11/13/were-looking-for-an-editor-for-our-next-feature-film/
And as well as that, they are also looking for actors for the same film Fortune Cookies.
SUSAN LEE – female, 19 – British Born Chinese – 25 days
JENNY LEE – female, 17 – British Born Chinese – 23 days
JOAN LEE – female, 45 – Chinese – 22 days
CYRIL LEE – male, 45 – Chinese – 24 days
MR 'TONY' CHUNG – male, 45 – Chinese – 6 days
Full details here:
https://screennorthants.wordpress.com/2019/10/29/our-next-feature-film-fortune-cookies-casting-lead-roles/
Plus they're still looking for some volunteer crew - any level of experience can apply – They want to recruit some new volunteers interested in Production (organising things!), Art Dept (props, construction or set design), Costume, Make Up, Script Supervisor, Runners, Sparks, Sound people, everything.
https://screennorthants.wordpress.com/2019/11/01/crew-needed-for-our-next-film
Filed under: Northamptonshire, Screen Northants, Northampton, Editor, Fortune Cookies, Actor, Crew
Midlands Spotlight - Pocket Pictures
By midlandsmovies, Aug 12 2018 08:31AM
Midlands Movies Mike Sales checks out Pocket Pictures, a Birmingham based organisation helping filmmakers from across the UK with their projects, showreels, training and more. Read on to find out about this company and their wealth of local experience.
Pocket Pictures is a video, film and content creator and can take the words, pictures, idea or scripts of their clients and turn them into a visual reality. With a history of clients trusting their experience, every project they take on is unique and has its own special requirements.
Owner Mark Todd is a writer, director and filmmaker in his own right and prides himself on the quality of work he creates. "In an exciting time when cameras are everywhere it's important to remember that just because you have a spanner, you may not always be a mechanic".
Being based in the Midlands, Pocket Pictures have worked with a number of local projects as well including the recent Suicide Blonde where they handled the post production. (See our coverage of that film here).
Their small studio in Aston, Birmingham covers a diverse workload ranging from training actors to corporate work. Mark himself is also developing his second feature The Crooked House whilst his first feature, Bad Reception, was shot in Hollywood!
Their current range of courses can help actors develop their skills. Acting 'On Camera' is an intensive course designed to give actors the industry knowledge needed to achieve their best performance in front of the camera. Courses accommodate 6 people and there is plenty of time to ask questions and work on individual needs.
In addition, Essential Voice Coaching for stage or screen is a one day course led by established voice coach Emily Lee who aims to give attendees more confidence in vocal performance using proven professional exercises.
The company's Telsen Studio is a 500 square foot production space in a quiet area of Aston and can even help with creating showreels with interviews, talking heads, green screen and model shoots all in one full package.
With a whole range of support to the filmmakers and cast and crew of the Midlands area, Pocket Pictures offers a great opportunity to help support the local movie community. If you are interested in finding out more then please check out their full details below for further information.
http://www.pocketpicturesltd.com
Pocket Pictures, The Telsen Studio
Unit 313, The Telsen Industrial Centre, Birmingham, B6 4TN
Contact: projects@pocketpicturesltd.com or call 07447 592605
Filed under: Studio, Pocket Pictures, Production Company, Mark Todd, Showreels, Actor, Birmingham, West Midlands, Spotlight Archive
Midlands Review - Art Is Dead
By midlandsmovies, Apr 3 2018 07:54PM
Art Is Dead (2018)
Directed by Luke Oliver
Gatling Gun Productions / Inky Blue Productions
1 hour 27minutes
Written and directed by local Leicestershire filmmaker Luke Oliver, Art Is Dead is an impressive debut feature about the problems of struggling actors in the media age.
Clearly a subject close to his heart, Luke Oliver also stars as the lead Ant who is an unlucky actor working in kitchens just to make ends meet. Each day his dreams get further away, despite the support from his girlfiend, as he witnesses celebrities being paid millions whilst he is offered "exposure" for his hard work.
Art Is Dead opens with Ant himself taking a hostage in a radio station and then flashbacks to see what drove him to this point. As Ant struggles with finding paid work, we are introduced to his friend Matt played by Steve Mace. He's equally disappointed by awful auditions and their trio of failing actors is completed by Richard Mason as Dickie.
Alongside all this we have a fantastic portrayal of vacuous celebrity-types by Oliver Hall as the highly paid and beloved Benjamin Cummabund. His white-smiled soundbites are delivered to great effect via the director's wise choice of splicing in red carpet footage, TV talk shows and paparazzi news segments. These not only give production value to what is obviously a low budget film but help maintain variety and is key on independent features which sometimes often struggle with pacing.
No such qualms here though. In these segments Genevieve Capovilla as the comically-named Franella Toffeefee channels the glossy insincerity of entertainment reporters. And later we get acoustic music performances and dance videos too which were both to the film's benefit and showed great filmmaking confidence and technique. Elsewhere, This Is England's George Newton is terrifying as a foul-mouthed burger van owner and also of note, Tiernan Welch delivers a fun performance as a talk-show host.
As the narrative progresses, the three desperate male friends finally go ahead with their plan to kidnap Cummabund with an aim to provide him with a political speech to read out at an upcoming award ceremony. I'll give it a pass even when it throws some shade towards film awards ;)
At the same time, Matt meets media executive Sheridan. He's played by Darrell Imbert who is superb as a sleazy manager but unfortunately the material he is given to work with in his restaurant scene was marred by a longwinded pace which slowed that part of film to a crawl. Far better though is the sequence between by Mark Peachey's ostentatious and Simon Cowell-esque "Dick Mann" and Dickie. A plan to capture him 'in flagrante' sees plenty of Carry On humour ("Big Dicks don't wait") but Peachey's flashy and tasteless sleazebag was the highlight of the film for me.
Coaxing him to a hotel, Dickie and Mann play out a series of comedy encounters which would have made a great short on its own and had me laughing like a drain with its fine editing and clever scripting.
The film is a bit agenda-heavy and obvious at times with the silliness of characters' names undermining the more serious points it's trying to make but it doesn't shy away from what it wants to say. An over-reliance on swearing had me irritated slightly too when it was clear to me the lines of dialogue were more than fine without them. But the film's comedy will have most audiences laughing past any minor quibbles.
Finally coming to a head at the awards ceremony, I won't spoil the film by providing its final act but suffice to say that a lot of people get their comeuppance and the underdogs feel a sense of satisfaction in their goals.
Art Is Dead is therefore certainly an accomplished film and one of the better features from the region with its assortment of nods to film genres, styles and ingenious sequences. These are hugely complimented by likeable characters, all played by terrific actors. In the end, the film delivers enough laughs from its jokes and wears its heart on its sleeve - proving that film art, if nothing else, is certainly not dead here in the Midlands.
Midlands Movies Mike
Filed under: Midlands Review, Comedy, Midlands Feature Film, Actor, Leicestershire, Art Is Dead, Luke Oliver
Midlands Spotlight - Forget Me Not
By midlandsmovies, Nov 6 2017 02:28PM
Forget Me Not – The inspiration behind a short-film on depression
Screenplay writer, Stacey Duah, gives an insight to Fahima Khatun on what inspired her short-film on depression and her fight on the stigma attached to depression.
Over a period of 12 months, ten film makers and 6 actors/actresses came together, starting May 2016- May 2017, to create a short-film 'Forget Me Not', which was shared on YouTube on 2nd October 2017 and had generated over 600 views in two weeks.
It tells the harrowing story of a teenage girl, Sephora, whose suffering from depression, while her best friend Cain – consumed by a life of his own, doesn't spot the early signs of her depression. Fearful of the stigma attached to mental health, Sephora hides her condition. Isolated and withdrawn from those closest to her, she's left with only a few options: keep on fighting, alone? Seek help or, find another way out?
The screenplay was written, co-produced and starred by Stacey Duah. Her passion from reading and writing her own stories from a young age grew when moving to study in Birmingham, mixed with the connections she made while at the BFI Academy in 2013 she started making independent films continuously working on and developing her craft.
The film was originally a story the 20-year-old had written at school, during her creative writing class, while googling different kinds of flowers. "I stumbled on the Forget Me Not flower and I was instantly intrigued by its significance and its meaning – it's a flower of remembrance. I wrote a story about two star-crossed lovers almost like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet adaptation but in my story, only one of them dies – the girl."
Five years later, after a conversation with her best friend and younger sister, she explored the idea of writing her own screenplay encapsulating depression and mental health, from her own personal experiences and from others she knows.
The screenplay writer who studies at University of Birmingham was facing her own mental health issues while studying. "My first year at university (in Birmingham) was one of the most challenging moments of my entire life. When you go to university you're on your own – especially if it's in a city completely different to where you were born and brought up in prior. I no longer had the distraction of family and friends (while at university) – I sort of came face to face with my "demons" and there weren't really many people to talk to besides my best friend over the phone who studies in the opposite end of the country. Although, I faced many challenges during my first year of university, I also discovered myself.
Despite the film being set and filmed in London, it was a culmination of her Birmingham experiences that inspired and drove the film.
"Birmingham is one of the greenest cities I have been in, and whenever I felt like things were getting too much I'd take frequent walks in the parks nearby just to vent and clear my head. On one occasion, I was going through serious writers' block for Forget Me Not and decided to take a walk in a nearby park (in Selly Oak). A few strides into the park I came across a patch of flowers – I'm not sure what they're called but they were a bluish-purplish colour and they reminded me of Forget Me Nots and I was instantly filled with all these different ideas of where I could take the story. For that reason, I'd say that Birmingham – particularly my university experience, was definitely my muse."
And the film had a main purpose to lessen the stigma attached to mental health. "The films' purpose was to help tackle mental health amongst young people and try to decrease the stigma, as well as inform my peers about the issue as a whole."
With the help of her producer Tia Philips, production designer Conor Powell and director Riad Ahmed, she finished her script in three months, but it was The Noughts and Crosses trilogy by Malorie Blackman that was the backbone of the portrayal of two protagonists in the film – Sephora and Cain. "Sephora (Stacey Duah) – the main character in Forget Me Not represents the plight of the voiceless in society and for those people who feel as though their voices don't matter or that they're all alone.
Cain (Ishmel Bridgeman) and Jenk (Janel Ince) – I talk of the two collectively because they're sort of a microcosm for society's ignorance and disbelief when it comes to matters regarding mental health, a lot of the time. We live in a fast-pace world and everyone is so busy doing things that we often miss vital signs, especially when it comes to people in need such as our loved ones. I definitely wanted Cain and Jenk to sort of represent and reflect society's absent-mindedness regarding mental health and the stigma surrounding it.
Samantha (Molly Wilsher) – one of the nicer girls on Sephora's doorstep (a later scene in the film), represents hope because there are actually people in society who are advocates for tackling the stigmatization of mental health. Some people do actually care, and I think that Samantha reflects this balance really well."
With it being a small-scale production Duah took on three different roles, having to face challenges with each role. "Writer – essentially if there's no writer then there's no script, and if there's no script then there's really no film. So, I felt a huge lot of responsibility on my shoulders, people were counting on me to sit down and write the script and deliver the story in an authentic way".
"As an actress, well, the acting part for me wasn't too stressful, as I use to act before I got into filmmaking. The most challenging part for me was probably trying to separate my own life and experiences from that of Sephora – the character I was playing. Although Forget Me Not was partly inspired by my own experiences, my goal was to make sure that it wasn't a replica of my life – because it's not my life, it is Sephora's life and her story and she's a character in her own right".
"And finally I'm quite an organised person, so I feel as though producing is something I'm quite good at. I mostly produced in pre-production and post-production (alongside my producer of course) but then I had to stop producing completely, as the director wanted me to focus on getting into character. One of the hardest things was being on set and acting in a scene, seeing something – technical wise and feeling the urge to say something as a "co-producer", but then remembering that I'm now the actor and that I need to trust my producer and the rest of my team to handle the situation".
Currently in her final year of university, the young screenplay writer has more ideas developing but is now co-writing an extended short film/screenplay called "I'm Fine" with Sanchez Roberts. Another film on mental health but from a different angle and will be much longer – with more "fleshed out" characters and room for character development and exploration.
To see more of her upcoming work follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/dramastacee or on Instagram @staceyduah
Fahima Khatun
Twitter: @screen_shock
Filed under: Drama, Stacey Duah, Forget Me Not, Actor, Birmingham, Filmmaker, Spotlight Archive
Midlands Professional - Birmingham actor Andre Pierre
By midlandsmovies, Sep 19 2017 10:07AM
Our Professional series continues as Midlands Movies chats to Andre Pierre – an actor form the region who shares his background and experience in the industry.
Mike finds out more about his past projects as well as his new major 2018 film "15 Minutes of War" directed by Fred Grivois.
Andre Pierre is a professional actor from Birmingham (West Midlands) and is represented by IPM (Imperial Personal Management). With over 7 years of acting experience, including workshops at The Crescent Theatre and Millennium Point, he took his experience to the Birmingham Theatre School before moving into short and feature films, TV and theatre.
"I have a variety of upcoming films coming up including sci-Fi drama "Graycon" directed by Duaine Carma Roberts, superhero TV pilot "Lucid The Dreamwalker", an action thriller feature film "TONY" and an urban drama feature film called "Blitz In The Bitz" which are all premiering in October".
Acting beginnings
"My foundation for acting in general started when I was 13. My first role into films was an educational short film called "My Life My Choice" and it was the first time I auditioned for any kind of film project. At the time I had no clue to how big and how much attention this film was going to receive".
The trailer to the film went viral which was closely followed by a premiere at Star City in Birmingham. Andre Pierre continues, "Being part of this made me realise the power a film can have on people and was the turning point for me to become a professional actor. Since then I've had numerous leading and supporting roles".
Exclusive Shot From Short Film "Last Night In Freedom" Directed By Click Jones Coming Soon
Overcoming Hurdles
"Staying committed regardless of how many no's you receive sounds like a cliché but it's very true in this industry. You have to have thick skin because part of your job is dealing with criticism from your audience, critics, directors, casting directors etc. You are going to judged by everyone and it's something you cannot get past so you have to whole heartedly believe in yourself, believe in your talent and believe in your work ethic to reach the goals you set out for yourself".
Superhero TV Pilot "Lucid The Dreamwalker" Directed By The Johnson Bros Coming Soon
Acting methods
"I always analyse the script and talk with the director first and foremost to make sure what direction they want the character to go in. But I always bring honesty and authenticity to my performances so want to make sure that you see the truth in the characters I'm playing. This needs to be related to the story so you are invested in them along their journey. I always try to see how my character moves and talks, how does he react in various situations etc so a lot of research in one or another. I always want my characters to be relatable, interesting and as grounded as possible to give the best performances".
Challenges faced by actors on local films
"There are so many challenges it varies but it could be from noise being too loud on the location, actors dropping out at the last minute and filming days going on longer than expected. I would say, for actors, just prepare yourself for anything on an independent or short film because it's all training grounds for the bigger platforms and it only helps you to get better at your craft when you go through these experiences".
Andre Pierre Playing James From Feature Film "TONY" Directed By Jack Veasey
Acting experiences
"I think my best acting experience was filming in Morocco for the feature film "15 Minutes Of War" (15 Minutes De Guerre). It has been my first role filming abroad but also my first big role on a film on this scale with so much action, working with a Hollywood actress and rising movie stars as well as a critically acclaimed director. It's been like nothing I've ever done before. I was developing the character, learning the language and filming the first week in Casablanca before shooting the rest of the film in Marrakech in the desert which was challenging within itself but also a pure joy I will never forget. The worst experience was not being fully prepared for an audition when I was starting out. It was so horrible [laughs] but it was also a learning curve for me to always to be ready and give yourself enough time to prepare for auditions in the future. I made sure that never happened again".
Advice for beginners
"The best advice I can pass on is to try and get some form of training whether it's in drama or theatre school, performing arts courses or acting workshops. This training gives you the foundation and tools to become the best performer possible. Using Star Now or Mandy (Casting Call Pro) are good for getting started to find some form of work as well. Another alternative route is to find friends that are making films and get involved - or even just create your own films".
Best advice from others
"I was told to 'risk everything' and what I take from that is you have to risk looking like an idiot at times to bring out the best performance. There's been many times where either the director or I had to push myself even further to bring out my full potential and sometimes you might think that's not normal or you might be self conscious. That is the very thing what pushes it from good to great so I would always say push past your comfort zone. Now, when I'm usually fearful of something I haven't done before, it only encourages me to do better and discover new skills about myself I thought I didn't have".
A Shot From Short Film "The Glove Game: Beginning" Directed By Josh Bliss
"The future is looking very bright for next year and beyond. I'll be in a lot more feature films and TV shows. My work is already opening up more opportunities than I ever imagined so I will be in fewer short films than before. The journey has been full of many surprises and I feel very blessed and thankful to be in this position right now".
"I would say that you have to believe in yourself first and foremost and love the craft because this journey won't be easy. It's not going to happen overnight so enjoy the process, enjoy the journey and learn as much as you can from other creatives. Don't wait on that big opportunity to come to you work towards it now whether it's being part of theatre or short and independent films but get yourself out there and make your career happen!".
Check out more from Andre Pierre on his Spotlight page here: https://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/0811-3493-3372
A Shot From Horror Short Film "Bless You" Directed By Daryl Grizzle
Filed under: Midlands, Andre Pierre, Actor, Birmingham, Professional, West Midlands
The Graduate seduces its audience with fine performances
By midlandsmovies, Jun 1 2017 08:52AM
The Graduate (2017)
The Curve Theatre in Leicester
Adapted by Terry Johnson, this new stage production of the famous 1963 novel (and the infamous 1967 film) comes to Leicester's Curve theatre on the movie's 50th anniversary.
Charles Webb's novel is used as the basis alongside the adapted screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry which is all the more amazing knowing it's been organised by special arrangement with Studio Canal.
Catherine McCormack (Braveheart, The Land Girls, 28 Weeks Later) is the play's iconic cougar Mrs. Robinson (made famous by Anne Bancroft in the movie) and she is supported by Jack Monaghan as Benjamin as he fills the shoes of Dustin Hoffman's film incarnation.
Immediately the talented director Lucy Bailey plays up the dark humour with hilarious lines delivered in quick succession warming the audience to the protagonists. Chuckles turned into belly laughs later on as the cast showed an amazing comedic talent especially including a brief but memorable role by Tom Hodgkins as Benjamin's father Mr Braddock.
The stage design from Mike Britton was fantastic as we moved from home settings and hotels to elevators and wedding chapels. Large projected back-lit screens have the feel of 1960's Super-8 film but this also allowed the production to utilise these in dream-like sequences to penetrate into the mind of Benjamin. This ingenious use of adaptation from the novel got the audience far more emotionally involved and broke up the scenes into understandable narrative chunks.
The music was sparse and came in the form of a few acoustic tracks but the lack of the iconic Simon and Garfunkel tunes was disappointing but understandable given the copyright issues no doubt. However, these sounds of silence were overcome by an engaging atmosphere created by the actors themselves and the background noise effects.
The lighting especially was first rate as it created a space on the stage for the drama and comedy to play out. Finally, the crew should be applauded again for the simple, yet effective, use of curtains. As well as a symbol of privacy and hidden secrets, the half-drawn fabrics created rooms and windows as well as a hazy visions of the society Benjamin fights against.
With the stage illusions complete, the funny gags continued and we see Monaghan's Benjamin create his own worst world with his infamous liaisons with Mrs Robinson before his self destructive nature homes in on her daughter – a delightful Emma Curtis as put-upon Elaine.
Some adult nudity and arguments are handled with sensitivity and the actors have such great chemistry you are certainly with them every step of the way. Emotions eventually climax as the disillusioned souls come together and the illicit relationships are laid bare. Richard Clothier's natural talent should also be singled out as the confident, then broken, Mr. Robinson as he plays a husband shattered by the forbidden revelations.
Catherine McCormack's drunken antics were a joy to watch throughout whilst she infused the role with an eroticism that any male would desire and Monaghan equally steps up his talent to match. His performance is one of great depth as he has to give Benjamin both tender and pathetic qualities yet does so with ease.
With so many parts working together there was an audible silence at the play's conclusion, the likes of which I had never witnessed in a theatre and whilst it riffs on the film, the ending relies far more on the novel.
The Graduate is such a quality production that to pick minor faults would do such a high class show a disservice. With audience engagement at a high and with charming performances and the remarkable technical qualities so well executed this is one affair you won't ever want to end.
Catch The Graduate at Curve Leicester from 1st to 10th June 2017.
This production has an age guidance of 14+ and contains some nudity.
Tickets can be purchased from the Official Ticket Office at 0116 242 3595 with discounts for under 16s, over 60s, under 18s school groups, members and more.
Filed under: The Graduate, Actor, Theatre, The Curve, Actress, Play
From local to Los Angeles - Interview with Tony Gibbons
By midlandsmovies, May 4 2017 11:20AM
Tony Gibbons is an established actor hailing from our very own region with a string of prominent roles in Midlands films and beyond. With award-winning Checking In and the forthcoming House of Screaming Death already in the bag, Tony is now developing his career in America. In this new interview, Midlands Movies Mike speaks to the actor about his influences, method and forthcoming projects.
Midlands Movies: Hi Tony. How are things in the Midlands for you right now?
Tony Gibbons: Great thanks Mike!
MM: I know you've been out in Los Angeles recently so are you from the region at all?
TG: Yes...I'm born and bred in Wolverhampton! But now spend a lot of my time in Los Angeles working on projects there.
MM: That must have been quite the change from Wolverhampton?! Which do you prefer, Hollywood or The Midlands?
TG: You could say that! I actually love both. Obviously Wolves is my home but I lived and worked in Manchester and London, too, before making the move to LA...and I've started to make a home out in the sunshine, too.
MM: And what about the work? How does working in Hollywood compare to working in the Midlands?
TG: Right now most of my work is in the US, and I feel really lucky to be working on bigger and bigger projects and getting to work alongside amazing acting talent and film makers, but I love working back home to work when I can, too. We have so much talent in the Midlands! I think some of the best film makers in Europe are from the Midlands. I've been fortunate to work with Dave Hastings on 'Checking In' and 'The House of Screaming Death', and that whole team is a credit to our area and the industry, and I think Liam Banks is one of the most exciting young film makers out there today – and I got to work with him, too, on 'The Copy-Writer'! I'm hoping to work with them both again soon.
MM: Do you (or the projects you choose) specialise in any genres?
TG: I love working on all types of projects and never planned to work in just one genre, but if you look at my recent credits it certainly looks like I specialise in horror and sci-fi! I did the US TV show 'My Haunted House', then 'House of Screaming Death' with the wonderful Dave Hastings back here in the Midlands, and 'Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter', a sci-fi action epic that's about to be released in the US, and another US feature I just booked the lead in is very sci-fi, too!
MM: Any particular faves though?
TG: I have to say I have been enjoying the action/horror/sci-fi stuff – it's a lot of fun to shoot! - but I also enjoy working in other genres, and love anything with true to life characters and emotion, like 'Checking In', which was very much a character driven drama.
MM: Spreading yourself across a wide range of projects – and geographical locations – you must have come up against different challenges. What has been the most difficult one you have overcome?
TG: Actually, for me it was probably "coming out" as an actor. I was a sports kid, and wanted to be a footballer most of my life, and then went to University to do a Law degree. So when I told my parents – half way through my degree – that "I think I want to take acting classes", it was definitely a shock! I had never shown any interest in drama at school, but I felt this pull towards acting that I couldn't really explain. Once I started training, and working, I never looked back, so I'd say to young actors to follow their hearts and put the work in. Oh, and be patient!
MM: How do you like to work with directors? Any good (or bad) experiences?
TG: I must have been very lucky because most of my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. I've heard some horror stories from other sets, but I've never had a problem with a director. When I was starting out I used to always want more direction. Like, they wouldn't give me any so I didn't know if what I was doing was good or not, but now I love working with those types of directors. If they've cast you, it's because they like what you do, so it becomes much more collaborative, letting you do your thing as an actor and bring your own contributions to the table. That's what I've experienced on all my most successful projects, like 'Checking In', 'The Cup of Wrath', and 'Rogue Warrior'. There's probably good reason why these directors are award winning!
MM: Out of your many, many, film and stage projects, what has been your greatest success?
TG: Playing Macbeth on stage, early in my career is something I don't think will ever stop being a highlight for me. It was a wonderful experience and something that has stayed with me throughout my career. Over the past couple of years I have been so lucky have worked on projects that have had massive success. Winning Best British Film at the London Film Awards with (the Midlands made) 'Checking In' was incredible, and being invited to attend the Cannes Film Festival with 'The Cup of Wrath' is the sort of thing every actor dreams about. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do something I love as a career, and honestly, every project I work on feels like the next achievement.
MM: And besides acting, what else have you been up to?
TG: I'm actually really excited because I was recently asked by a couple of industry publications to write 'expert advice' columns. My first article was just published on Backstage, and I'm going to be writing some more, both for Backstage and a couple of other trade outlets. I'm also really excited to be part of the Birmingham Film Festival. I'm working with them as a judge, and get to watch lots of great movies in doing so!
MM: And looking over the horizon, what's in Tony's future plans?
TG: Work, work, work! I just recently booked an amazing role in a movie that I'll be shooting this Summer in the US, which I can't wait to start work on. I have a few other US projects lined up after that, too, but also hope to pop back home some time to work on something else in the Midlands!
MM: That sounds perfect to me and the region and its talent would more than welcome you back with open arms. All the best for the future.
TG: Thanks, it's been great.
Check out further information on Tony and his latest projects by clicking and following on the links below:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2971362
http://www.allstarsactors.tv/listing/tony-gibbons/
https://twitter.com/tonygibbons5?lang=en
Filed under: Interview, Midlands, West Midlands, Wolverhampton, Actor
Midlands Feature - Interview with BFG Childchewer actor Jonathan Holmes
By midlandsmovies, Aug 9 2016 12:03PM
Mike Sales speaks to Midlands born actor Jonathan Holmes who has found fame with a wealth of voiceover work for TV and cinema before being recently cast as a giant in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Roald Dahl's 'BFG'.
Mike asks the actor about his work to date and how he came to be in such a large Hollywood blockbuster…
Jonathan Holmes grew up in an all boy's school in the Midlands where he jokes he initially got involved in acting and doing plays as the only way to meet girls. However, since these humble forays into theatre, Jonathan has had a bumpy but never dull journey in his film career so far.
"I spent the first 18 years of my life in and around Shrewsbury. It will always feel like home. I've no film experiences from the region, but lots of happy theatrical memories. And growing up in deepest darkest Shropshire, actually going to the cinema wasn't as easy as it might have been, but I do remember loving (Spielberg's) Close Encounters. Favourite moment? When Richard Dreyfus tries to wave the UFO past".
Being Shropshire born and bred suggest Jonathan's home-grown accent was the perfect match for the quirky Britishness encapsulated in this new CGI world Spielberg created for the film. Yet his casting was somewhat a lucky coincidence for the now Vancouver-based thespian who was originally asked to coach a girl who was up for the part of the film's protagonist Sophie.
I ask if any roles have come that way to him before.
"In some sense - most of them! There are a whole series of decisions that have to be made before you are cast in any role over which you have no control. So it always feels like a bit of a lottery".
With extensive CGI in lots of modern literary adaptations (Alice in Wonderland) which portray wild and vivid locations and characters, Jonathan explains that during his the recording of his role as 'Childchewer', the inhibiting green-screen process in fact gave him more freedom than most expect.
"We shot using performance capture technology. It takes a little getting used to, but it allows scenes to be shot in the entirety, capturing everything from all conceivable angles simultaneously. So it can actually be liberating. It's as close to theatre in the film world that I've ever encountered".
Jonathan adds that is was a joy working with actor Martin Freeman who he describes as one of the "funniest and most astute students of the art of acting" he's ever met and Jonathan has seen previous success as a voice actor in Marvel's "Hulk Vs" cartoon.
In 2007 the actor worked with Peter Greenaway on 'Nightwatching' which he describes as "terrifying" for a different reason than the motion capture concerns. "Peter shoots incredibly beautiful and massively long takes. If you mess up - resetting a shot can take an age. So you don't mess up! But an amazing experience".
Back to the magical world of Dahl and the BFG, I ask the five-foot-eight Jonathan if he were as tall as the character he plays, what mischief he would get up to.
"I would try out for the NBA. Or possibly be England goalkeeper and bring the glory days back to English football!"
England football glory may be a bigger fairy tale than anything Dahl has written but Jonathan says that his 10 year old daughter loves the author's books. "Matilda is a big hit in our house," he says before adding that the appeal of Dahl's books is that "he can be funny, wicked, tender, intimate and extreme in the space of one paragraph".
And which one of Dahl's books would he personally like to see adapted (or re-adapted) for the big screen? "Hmmm...I think an anti-hipster version of The Twits would be fun".
Now based in Vancouver, Jonathan finds the 'Hollywood of Canada' a great place for a working actor. "I've lived in Vancouver for about 15 years, so the majority of my film and TV work has been here. You'd be amazed the amount of work that is shot here, so it doesn't take too long to spot soon familiar landmarks".
Sadly, Jonathan has also had to overcome unfortunate personal circumstances during his career including dealing with a diagnosis of cancer a few years ago.
"It was very challenging. And around the same time, my step mother sued myself and my 5 year old over my father's will. It was a truly rough time. But you can only appreciate the highs if you embrace the lows. As an actor, life experience can't help but inform performance, and I've had my fair share over the last few years".
Jonathan is definitely now on the turn-around with his successful role in the BFG and his experiences on that set enriching his outlook on life. And there's no rest either. Straight from that film he jumps into a new animation series and a video game with the hard-working actor on the rise in a multitude of disciplines.
He also hopes to back in the UK for some theatre also one thing is for sure, Jonathan will be beaming over the fantastic reviews of his and his co-stars performances in one of the most well-received family films of the Summer. Which is surely Jonathan's biggest and friendliest success of all.
BFG is in cinemas now.
Photo of Jonathan courtesy of Kristine Cofsky
Filed under: Interview, Feature Archive, Actor, Spielberg, BFG, Roald Dahl, Steven Spielberg


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Tagged in: shoulder injury
Seattle Seahawks' Jamal Adams says there's 'no question' that he'll play in playoff game
January 7, 2021 phnseo Comments Disabled
The biggest question facing the Seattle Seahawks this week actually isn't a question to Jamal Adams: The All-Pro strong safety on Wednesday stated unequivocally that he'll be on the field for Saturday's wild-card game versus the Los Angeles Rams.
"No question in my mind. I'm playing, man," Adams said. "Look, as long as these legs are moving, man, as long as my faith is with the man upstairs, which is very strong, I'm going to be out there."
Adams said there was never a doubt in his mind that he would play despite the left shoulder injury he suffered in the fourth quarter Sunday that sidelined him for the end of Seattle's victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Coach Pete Carroll said after the game the initial word was that Adams would be able to play this weekend, though he stopped short at the time of declaring as much. Carroll has been more noncommittal in his most recent comments, saying Adams' availability wouldn't be known until game day.
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Adams didn't practice Tuesday, and he was listed as a limited participant Wednesday.
"I'm OK," Adams said. "I'm looking forward to it. I'm not going to be limited to anything. I'm full-go. I'm full energy. I'm me. I'm going out there to continue to make plays and continue to continue help the team win. That's what I'm about."
Despite missing four matches with a groin injury, Adams led the Seahawks this season with 9.5 sacks, an NFL record for a defensive back. He was named to his third straight Pro Bowl.
Asked if he'll have to wear a supportive harness on his left shoulder, Adams said he'll be playing with "something." He's been playing through an injury to his right shoulder since Week 10 and has two broken fingers on his left hand.
He called it "just another challenge" to play with two injured shoulders.
"I'm a savage, bro," Adams said. "I'm a warrior, man. It doesn't matter. Whatever it takes. It's not about me. It's always going to be bigger than me. It's about this team. It's about my brothers. It's about my family back home, my why. So again, I'm excited for this opportunity. It doesn't matter what obstacle is thrown my way. I always figure it out and that's all that matters, man. So I'm looking forward to the matchup."
Adams briefly returned Sunday after injuring his shoulder on a blitz but concluded the game on the sideline with a dejected look on his face. Carroll said the team had to take Adams' helmet away.
"All the stuff that I've been through the past year — and again, I don't like to ever make it about me because it's never about me — but yeah, I went through a lot of ups and downs, a lot of adversity due to injury," Adams said.
"Obviously, he had to take my helmet away. And when he took my helmet away, it hurt me a little bit because I wanted to be out there and finish no matter what. "But at the end of the day, it's about this team. It's never going to be about me. I can't wait to get out there. I will figure it out and that's just who I am as a person."
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49ers all pro Los Angeles Rams NFL Pete Carroll Safety san francisco Seattle Seahawks shoulder injury wild card game
NFL, Sports
New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees held back in practice for second straight day
November 6, 2020 phnseo Comments Disabled
Although Drew Brees downplayed the significance of his shoulder injury Wednesday, he remained limited in Thursday's practice.
The New Orleans Saints quarterback was working off to the side with no pads during the early portion of practice that was open to the media and was formally listed as a limited participant.
It is rare for Brees to be limited in practice this late in the week and unclear if that will affect his status for Sunday night's critical NFC South showdown at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It is also unclear who would replace Brees in the starting lineup if necessary, with former Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill both potential aspirants.
Friday's practice should shed more light on Brees' status.
Brees appeared on the Saints' injury report as limited in Wednesday's practice, but he downplayed that by pointing out that he is always limited on Wednesdays. Brees, 41, hasn't thrown during Wednesday practices for the past several years to give him more rest and recovery after games.
However, the shoulder injury appears to be a new ailment since Brees was spotted wearing Kinesio tape on his right throwing shoulder during New Orleans' 26-23 overtime win at Chicago in Week 8.
Asked about the tape Wednesday, Brees laughed and said, "I'm 41 years old. I've got a lot of stuff going on. But I just keep ticking."
Brees leads the NFL with a completion percentage of 73.1%. Since Week 3, he has the third-highest passer rating (111.2), behind only Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
On the plus side for New Orleans, running back Alvin Kamara returned to practice Thursday after being limited by a foot injury that he described as minor on Wednesday.
Wide receiver Michael Thomas (ankle/hamstring) continued to practice Thursday as he appears close to returning to the lineup for the first time since Week 1. And wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders stated he is definitely playing after being activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list this week.
Kamara was listed as a full participant in practice, while Thomas was a limited participant.
drew brees held back limited New Orleans Saints nfc NFL quarterback report shoulder injury
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Former The Young and the Restless star Tonya Lee Williams (ex-Olivia Barber) will unfortunately not be taking part in the soap opera's tribute to the late Kristoff St. John (ex-Neil Winters), but Christel Khalil (Lily Winters) "will be back."
Many fans of The Young and the Restless were disappointed to find Tonya Lee Williams' (ex-Olivia Barber) name missing from the list of actors returning for the on-air tribute to the late Kristoff St. John. After all, Olivia is an important part of the Winters family, being both Drucilla Winters' (Victoria Rowell) sister and Malcolm Winters' (Shemar Moore) ex-wife.
Viewers took to Twitter to express their surprise in what seemed like an oversight, but Angelica McDaniel, Executive Vice President, Daytime Programs and Syndicated Program Development, CBS Entertainment and CBS Television Distribution, cleared up Williams' absence on Twitter.
In response to a fan's query, the exec stated, "We really wanted Tonya too, but she's overseas working on a project and couldn't participate."
We really wanted Tonya too, but she's overseas working on a project and couldn't participate.
� Angelica Rosas McDaniel (@AngelicaMcD) March 20, 2019
In addition to the disappointing news however, McDaniel also shared some good news: viewers can look forward to Christel Khalil (Lily Winters) returning to the screen for St. John's tribute.
"Lily will be back!" she tweeted in response to another fan's question about Williams and Khalil's status for the special episodes.
Lily will be back! Unfortunately, Tonya is out of the country working on a project and wasn't able to join.
RELATED: Justin Hartley weighs in on Y&R's Adam Newman recast rumors
Y&R's tribute storyline to Kristoff St. John is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 23, and will run until Monday, April 29, which is also the date the show plans to air an unscripted tribute in which actors share special memories of the late star. Shemar Moore, Victoria Rowell, and Mishael Morgan (Hilary Curtis Hamilton) are all scheduled to return for the tribute event.
As for what fans can expect when the tribute storyline begins airing next month, McDaniel shares: "This story perfectly illustrates who Kristoff was -- warm, dynamic, friendly and open."
This story perfectly illustrates who Kristoff was -- warm, dynamic, friendly and open.
What do you think about Williams being unable to return to Y&R for St. John's tribute? How do you feel about Khalil taking part in the tribute? What do you hope the writers have penned for the special tribute storyline? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.
Post a Comment Share on Facebook Tweet this Submit Feedback
's Y&R FrontPage.


On Thursday of last week, Kaspersky announced their discovery of a new piece of Mac malware, which they are calling Ventir. I have held off writing anything about this until I could get some independent confirmation, as I tend to be skeptical of Kaspersky these days. (See Misinformation about "acoustical infections" and Kaspersky reveals "The Mask".) However, I have tested my own copy of the malware at this point, and found that Kaspersky's analysis seems to be fairly accurate in this case.
Kaspersky does not say how the malware gets installed, other than to call it a "trojan." The sample I have is just a Unix executable file, which may have been part of an application or installer package, or which may have been intended to be used in targeted attacks with physical access to the Mac being targeted. Either way, executing this file in the Terminal infects the system.
The Kaspersky report points to a difference in behavior depending on whether "root" access is available (ie, whether or not the user has provided and admin password to the malicious app). If this were part of a malicious app or installer, the user would have been asked for an admin password, and if the user refused to enter that password, the malware would simply install itself in a different way. If it were part of an attack requiring physical access, it would work whether the attacker knew the admin password or not.
When executed with "sudo" in the Terminal, which gives it root access, the dropper creates a folder named ".local" in the /Library folder, and installs a number of files inside it. (Because the ".local" folder's name begins with a period, it is hidden from the user.) It also installs a file named "com.updated.launchagent.plist" in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder, which keeps the "updated" executable file running at all times.
If root access is not available, it installs the ".local" folder in the user's Library folder (~/Library) instead, without the kext.tar and Keymap.plist files. In this case, the com.updated.launchagent.plist file is created in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents folder.
Apple has not yet blocked Ventir with XProtect, but I provided them with the malicious executable file this morning, so hopefully they will update it shortly. Although an XProtect update will protect against Ventir in trojan form, it's important to understand that if this is being used by an attacker with physical access to the computer, the attacker could bypass XProtect.
If you find that file in either of those folders, you're infected with Ventir.
Since it's not yet known how the malware is installed, I could end up erasing my HD on a weekly basis. Plus, since I'm running snow leopard (which I'm at home with and am too stubborn to give up) Apple won't include me in whatever fix they come up with. Screwed?
You don't need to erase your hard drive unless you're infected with this malware. If you don't have the files described in this article, you're not infected, so there'd be no point in erasing the hard drive. On the other hand, if you're getting infected with malware on a weekly basis, you probably need to give some serious thought to what you're downloading!
I wasn't being literal. I was kind of talking in the subjunctive. My point was if you don't know where something is coming from and the only people who can fix it, won't, then erasing your hard drive is a poor if necessary substitute. By the way, thanks for your excellent site.
I really don't understand your comment. I'm not talking about a need to erase your hard drive just because you don't know where something has come from. If you get infected with backdoor malware, regardless of the system you are running, then you MUST erase the hard drive. Period. The reason is that the hackers behind the malware may have done any number of undetectable things to your system, so it must be considered compromised.
You're right, you don't understand what I'm getting at. I won't bother you again.
Apple has continued to update XProtect for Snow Leopard users even though they have not been providing any additional Security Updates to OS X, so unless they decide to stop with this one, you should be covered as soon as they are able to deploy the next update.
Did not know this. Are you aware of any other possible Apple updates other than XProtect that might still be available for this version? Thanks for the info.
Nothing that would not be listed in your Software Update.
Eset had signatures for OSX/Ventir.A on Sept. 16, 2014, is this the same trojan?
It's disappointing how does Apple's XProtect team are working. There are not much malware for OS X and it's not hard to response to it right after it's being discovered. Ventir was known since beginning of september, but XProtect is going to be updated only when you sent samples to Apple in the middle of october.
Not sure where you got an early September date. Kaspersky didn't publish their findings until Oct 16 and the first upload to VirusTotal appears to have been Oct 17.
Apple XProtect normally deal with detecting the initial installer. It cannot scan your hard drive for something that has already been installed, so it's essential that the method of installation be discovered, so that they can properly deal with it.
Having the dropper executable isn't quite the same as knowing how that dropper gets executed on the user's system. This may be the executable file from an application package, in which case the application in question would be a trojan. However, it may also be something delivered in a different manner, such as with physical access to the machine, through some kind of remote access or through some unknown vulnerability.
If it's the executable part of an app, I would hope that Apple would be able to block it in XProtect without actually having the entire app. However, time will tell. Their product security team has the dropper and complete instructions on what happens when you run it, so the ball is in their court now.
I see that Thomas thinks it's the dropper, but at the moment I'm not convinced. Several scanners, including ClamAV identify it as a keystroke logger that makes use of an open source software package freely available from GitHub, called LogKext. ClamAV added the definition on Feb 11, 2014 based on a previous VirusTotal sample. It appears that it is now a component of Ventir.
Thanks for the update. I'm clean!
I find it a bit weird that Intego doesn't mention Ventir at all. As it's not in their interest to ignore a new Mac malware, I tend to be a little skeptical about the reality of this threat. Thanks for your work anyway, Thomas!
I can assure you, the threat exists. The question still unanswered is how it's getting on people's computers.
Regardless of how it's getting installed, though, it's still something that anti-virus software and XProtect should be detecting. I just checked with an old copy of VirusBarrier Express, and it didn't identify any of the Ventir files as malware. Although VirusBarrier Express has been discontinued, Intego said that they will continue providing updates to the malware signatures… so, either they've stopped doing that now, or they aren't detecting Ventir at all.
I doubt any of Intego's products detect Ventir. I can't see any reason why they wouldn't advertise it on their blog. But they may have one… or simply consider it a non-threat, right or wrong.
Detecting malware does not take much time (in general), but performing detailed analysis, that is required for publishing news on AV blogs, could take pretty long time. So you should not make decissions about does it detect malware or not basing on their news blog.
Intego claims that VirusBarrier detects it as OSX/Ventir as well as previous definitions for older components OSX/logKext.E and OSX/logKext.D.
Right, Al, but it wasn't the case at the time of my writing.
Is it confirmed that Ventir is actually a trojan, or is it a virus as well? In other words, can it only be spread by physical access (i.e. downloading executables and remote/physical access), or can it be spread like a virus (i.e. it will infect you regardless of physical accessibility)?
Thanks for the information about Ventir. I greatly appreciate your site.
It's definitely not a virus. It cannot spread on its own.
I got an Xprotect definition update today (3:45 a.m. PST); can't tell what it updated. Is it Ventir defintions? Anyone know?
But updating Xprotect to 'annihilate' a since October, 10 ongoing serious malware threat? What company am I dealing with? Computers for the rest of us, or a fashion institute? Really I am loosing faith im my favourite computerbrand.
> 'annihilate' a since October, 10 ongoing serious malware threat?
Is it? I still haven't seen any signs of an infected user. All we really have is the Kaspersky report repeated by other A-V software vendors. I have no doubt that it exists somewhere, but why has it not shown up anywhere other than in malware channels as a sample?
And yes, Apple Security has been busy lately with bash, Poodle and now yet another Flash Player issue but I'm still confident that if they considered this to be at the same threat level they would have dealt with it already.
My Safari has been taken over by "policewebadult.com" I cannot get past it when I use Safari except to bypass and leave the app. Is there any Apple program that will remove it? If not, how do I restore Safari. I'm not that cyber trained.
You don't have to wipe your hard drive clean. Call Apple support and they will walk you through the removal in 5 minutes for free. I just did it.
Apple's support techs are not security experts. It's unlikely that most of them actually know how to remove the installed Ventir components. Further, as the article already says, because Ventir includes a backdoor, that opens the possibility that other malicious things were installed on your system at some point following infection.
It is, of course, your choice what to do… but my advice, as already stated, is to wipe the hard drive clean.
Ventir does not infect iOS devices, so I'm not sure what you mean when you say it's on your "iPad plist files." Ventir also doesn't install stuff in the root directory. So I'm not at all sure what you're talking about.
I've been reading your wonderful site after my computer wouldn't close Safari yesterday without my installing a new flash player upgrade with no option to refuse. I googled the name (sorry I'm a pensioner and not computer literate) it was mac something.com and it brought me to your site as you talked someone else through getting back control without clicking on the malware. I've worked through all your malware checks since and was clean until this one and I've found the following in my Library through "Finder" Library/LaunchAgents.
should I be worried. Sorry to be a pain but without people like you willing to help thick newbies I would never want to use my Apple MacBook Pro again.
PS sorry I should have said that I actually used my phone to google the exact name of the file which locked my Computer.
Thank you so much for answering… I really was worried… you have put my mind at rest. I shall be a lot more careful what I click on in future.
Here's a question. Is there a reason I don't have either of those folders in my user library? i.e. I have /Library/LaunchDaemons/ and /Library/LaunchAgents/ but not ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ or ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/. I have OS X 10.9.5 if that helps.
Those folders do not exist by default.


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Two Sheds micropub opens in Crookes
on 8th October 2018 at 11:05 am
A first for the student area, Crookes is now home to Two Sheds – a micropub and bottle shop specialising in locally brewed ale.
The pub, which has taken over the premises from the owners of the Iberico Cafe, has several keg and cask lines to offer, as well as a range of options in the pub's fridge.
Speaking to the Sheffield Star, owner Arthur Jackson said: "The name, Two Sheds, is apt because we aren't just a micropub, it's an off-licence too. It's both a beerhouse and a bottle shop. It's meant to be a bit scruffy, like a shed, with a wooden floor, and desks, stools and chairs that came from an old school. I'd describe the place as a coffee house vibe with beer – that's what we are aiming for.
"We bought the venue from the previous tenants with the specific aim of setting up a micropub. We'd been on the lookout for a suitable location for three years before we got this venue. It's the middle of Crookes high street, so you can't miss it."
More info can be found at facebook.com/twoshedspub
Images from The Sign Artist and the Two Sheds Pub Facebook page.
Food & DrinkNewsPubs
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Johnny Marr on The Smiths, his solo work and everything in between


text:
In Darien Wal-Mart shooting, $3 million bail set for Downers Grove man
By Clifford Ward
Chicago Tribune |
Bradley I. Morris has been arrested in connection with a shooting Dec. 3, 2015, at a Wal-Mart in Darien. (WGN-TV, Darien Police Department)
Bail was set at $3 million Monday morning for a Downers Grove man accused of shooting another man inside a Wal-Mart store in Darien last week.
DuPage prosecutors asked for and received a $3 million bail for Bradley I. Morris, who according to police turns 20 on Tuesday. Morris appeared in DuPage County bond court, where Judge Richard Russo agreed with the bail amount requested by prosecutors.
Morris is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon.
Local authorities and U.S. marshals took Morris into custody Saturday, prosecutors said, as he was attempting to leave Chicago for Florida on a bus.
He is charged with shooting the victim in the shoulder area inside the Wal-Mart, one of four shots Morris allegedly fired in the incident late Thursday afternoon in the 2100 block of 75th Street. The victim's wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.
Authorities say that the men got into an argument that became physical, that Morris pulled out a pistol and shot the victim and then fled. Prosecutors did not say what sparked the dispute or whether the men knew each other.
Morris' next court date was set for Jan. 4.
A witness who works at a Subway restaurant inside the Wal-Mart said Friday that an altercation involving a group of five to nine people preceded the shooting.
The witness said he saw one person pull out a pistol. Then the group moved outside of his view. He heard loud sounds and knew they were gunshots.
The suspect fled before police arrived. Police cleared and searched the store. No other victims were located, officials said. Several other stores in the mall were put on lockdown, according to shoppers.
Kimberly Fornek of Pioneer Press and freelancer Joseph Ruzich contributed.
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The nearly impossible balance for working mothers during pandemic
As we stop self-isolation, maybe we should lower our societal expectations of women. Now's the time to rethink our lives with new norms for care work.
Fournier-Tombs, Eleonore
Excerpted from the article
A manager in the health sector in Montreal, Myriam has been juggling work with two young children, who have been out of school for over two months. "I was in my first trimester of pregnancy, which compounded everything", she says. "We were initially in our apartment, and it was very stressful, so we had to leave our house and go live with my mom so that she could help us." (Pseudonyms are being used in this article to allow women interviewed to speak freely.)
Her mother, meanwhile, runs a financial consulting firm, but took time off to help her daughter. Now, she continues to watch her grandchildren two days a week, while managing her own professional duties.
"Thankfully I have a very supportive workplace," she said. "But I have to be very strategic on what I work on, and it's much more difficult for me to plan ahead. All of our work is COVID-19-related right now, and there are some really important projects that I could be contributing to, but I have very little time."
As the pandemic unfolds, it is bringing to light the systemic inequalities of women in work. The impact of the increased workload is being felt, not only at the individual level but also at the national level, where women – and mothers of young children in particular – have been stepping in to fill the void left by school and daycare closures. As a critical part of the work force starts to burn out, addressing this problem also means acknowledging how much pressure working mothers were under before the crisis.
"I don't know what I am going to do" says Alice, a project manager in a global law firm. She is just returning from a maternity leave as social distancing measures are being relaxed, which means that her husband will have to return to the office in a few weeks.
"We live in quite a traditional town," she adds. "Even if he wanted to stay home, he would still be pressured to go into the office – people would not understand."
Helen Lewis reported in The Atlantic that working mothers are disproportionally affected in the pandemic because of the increased requirement for care work. Our society is structured in a way that this type of work, whether inside the home or in schools, hospitals and long-term care facilities, is still performed mostly by women.
In Canada, while frontline care workers are mostly female, hospital leadership is still overwhelmingly male. Women make up over 90 percent of nurses and elderly care workers, but only 42 percent of physicians (those numbers are rising). At the Canadian Medical Association, only 23 percent of the board is female. Furthermore, statistics from 2014 (the most recent numbers available) indicate that over 97 percent of early childhood educators and 80 percent of elementary school teachers in Canada are female.
Although this has changed over the last few decades, women have also been the primary provider of childcare inside the home. In 2019, Forbes reported that women were eight times more likely than their male partner to take time off work to care for sick children or manage their children's schedules.
Before the crisis, household duties in Canada were already divided along gender lines, where women spent at least 28 hours per week on unpaid work, 50 percent more than the average time spent by men. Mothers were also more likely to take the lead on child-related tasks, such as meal preparation, bedtime and playing. With daycare, schools and extracurricular activities closed, children require at least 40 hours more of childcare from their parents – the equivalent of a full-time job. If this additional childcare is shared equally, this means 48 hours a week for working mothers and 37 hours a week for working fathers – in addition to their jobs.
One argument for asking women to be more flexible in times of crisis is that, if women tend to make less than their husbands, their salary is the one that can more easily be sacrificed. However, when a woman is the higher earner, the narrative does not necessarily change.
An example is Lisa, who works in urban planning for the city of Toronto. She has just returned from maternity leave, and is struggling to get her career back on track. Planning around her husband's schedule, she works for three hours in the early morning, then two hours again after their son has gone to bed at around 9:00 PM.
Because of her new schedule, she has had to take a step back in a number of areas. "In a different circumstance, I would be hounding my boss, asking for work," she says. "They have asked for volunteers for a number of assignments, including for people to be redeployed to healthcare and help with administration in the crisis, but I just can't take on any extra projects right now."
Myriam, also the higher earner, adds: "I am so powerless right now to seize these opportunities to show my worth."
There are 4 million mothers of young children in Canada, 75 percent of which were in the workforce before the COVID-19 crisis. As Monique Jérôme-Forget, former Quebec Minister of Finance, noted in a recent interview: "Women are finding this crisis extremely difficult, but this only amplifies what is already happening, which is that mothers are carrying the greater load with childcare and eventually decide that, because it is too much, they won't take that promotion. This is an occasion for everyone to take stock of the amount of household duties that are still performed by women."
As we move out of self-isolation, our country will start settling into a new reality arguably destabilized by the pandemic. We will want to consider not only what we are really asking working mothers to do – which is balance work and childcare in nearly impossible circumstances – but also what society would look like if we changed the norms for care work.
women's labour force participation
gender inequity


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Highly recommended; if I had to describe the show briefly: They love straight-faced absurdities, and you can't anticipate where they're going with a joke.
The 16 Mega-Ton set is all their programs (actually 16 disks). It used to cost over $200, but I got it on sale for $67.
Your mother was a hamster... now, where'd you find it for $67!?!
And I work all day.
"This parrot has ceased to be!"
"I'm sorry, sir, I'm afraid that walk isn't silly enough for the Ministry of Silly Walks."
"Know what I mean? Eh? Nudge Nudge"
Hmmm... I might have to splurge. I adore Monty Python.
"I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay.
and hang around in bars!"
This is the ministery of silly walks and pythonesque refute!
go boil your bottoms you sons of silly persons.
"It's just a bunny rabbit"
"I'd just like to say I abhor the implication that the Royal Navy is a haven for cannibalism. It is well known that it is now the RAF who suffer the most casualties in that area. Signed: Captain B.J. Smithers-In-A-White-Wine-Sauce."
I've been a fan of the TV show since before The Holy Grail hit the big screen in the mid 1970s.
Cardinal Fang...bring out--the Comfy Chair!
you can't have babies! You don't have a womb. Where's the fetus going to gestate? You going to keep it in a box?
A nice one now, and not too much..."
I still laugh like a maniac during this movie and we quote it line by line each time.
On second thought, let's not go to Camelot (AW during this thread).
Me? Saw the first television show while a young fellow living in a bed sit in Clapham South-the larch-nudge nudge know what I mean? Nods as good as a wink to a blind man-say no more say no more!!!!
"*gasp* Not the Comfy Chair!"
We used to have Python parties in high school where we'd watch the TV show and recite along with it. Eric Idle's tourism rant was one of the funniest things I ever heard.
He's not the messiah. he's a very naughy boy!
Did he say blessed are the cheesemakers?!
I wave my private parts at your aunties, you heaving lot of second-hand electric donkey bottom biters.
"There's a penguin on the telly!"
As a writer, I do think the Novel Writing sketch was particularly brilliant.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to give up humor.
There's a sheep in the wainscoting.
Spam spam spam spam. Lovely Spam. Wonderful Spam.
This thread is dangerous to my sanity.
Ooh... Amazon.co.uk has the 16 Ton Megaset (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Monty-Pythons-Ton-Megaset/dp/B0009XRZ92/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/203-3922783-2652737?ie=UTF8&qid=1184359204&sr=8-40) for £37.18, although it's Region 1 only, unfortunately. Amazon.com has it (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Pythons-Flying-Circus-Megaset/dp/B0009XRZ92/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3478670-1207247?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1184359589&sr=8-1)for $64.99. The individual series are available for between £9.99 and £15.99 on Play.com in Region 2 format.
Well, I'm a long-time member of the Royal Society for Putting things on Top of Other Things. If you visited my house, you'd surely know this.
I'm confused - but regardless of the typo - if you're desperate, there ARE ways to play Region 2 dvd's for those of us in the US and Canada's Region 1.
If it's not a typo, then someone's due for a slappin' with a trout!
My DVD player plays both NTSC and PAL, and is region free. It costs me $59.
But what about the Pirahna Brothers?
"Doug and Dinsdale Pirahna were born on probation on Kipling Row."
I've been buying 'Best Of' DVDs for my son. If he saved his allowance, he could buy the whole shebang, but he's not very adept at saving.
I have a published script of Holy Grail, and it's fun trying to read it along with the movie.
"You've got two empty 'alves of coconuts an' yer bangin' 'em together!"
damn - I have to go dig that DVD out from behind the tv (where my two year old thinks it's hysterical to shove the dvds), and watch it.
"Perhaps if we built a large wooden badger...?"
"Then thou lobbest the Holy Hand Grenade at thine enemy, blowing him to tiny bits ... in his infinite mercy."
Did anyone besides me see Erik the Viking? It was a lesser-known Monty Python movie, terribly funny - I can even forgive the fact that it stars Tim Robbins as Erik.
Erik the Viking was NOT a Monty Python movie. It was however written and directed by Terry Jones (who also portrayed the king) and co-starred John Cleese.
That's like saying Yellowbeard was a Python movie just because Graham, John and Eric were in it. It wasn't.
But yes, it was funny (mostly).
Ever see The Adventures of Baron Munchausen?
And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three.
Comma abuse is from the script as well.
"Uh, cake for me, too, please."
<the Church Police Arrives> What's all this, then, Amen!
"That's what it says... Aughhhhhh"
"But nobody woud write 'Aughhhhh?', they'd just say it."
"No, no, more back of the throat "Aughhhhh..."
loose translation - my mind's a little fuzzy.
"There's another dead bishop on the landing, vicar sargeant!"
"The one in the braces, he done it."
"It's a fair cop, but society's to blame."
"Agreed, we'll be chargin' them too."
That sketch always had me in stitches.
"Is this your donor card?"
Boy howdy, I'm just rolling from the reading of all these quotes!
Later when I owned my pub we used to have Python fests. We'd use the plastic ashtrays as coconuts during Holy Grail.
"I need a license for my pet fish Eric, HE'S AN HALIBUT.
Here is my license for my pet cat Eric."
"Sir, this is a dog license with the word 'dog' scratched out and 'CAT' written in..."
Terry Jones wrote and directed That film.
Twelve Monkeys (1995) (inspired by Chris Marker's La Jetée).
"If we took the bones out they wouldn't be crunchy now would they?"
and of course "If you see Llamas where people are swimming you shout--Look out there are Llamas!!!"
He's not the Messiah! He's just a naughty boy!
Notice how they do not so much fly, as plummet.
I just had the luck to buy The Life Of Brian; a real classic of comedy!


After much speculation, Simon Cowell has finally announced the big news that most EDM fans and upcoming artists have been waiting to hear. Pretty much like his prior creation 'X-Factor' and the ever famous 'American Idol',for which he has been a rather popular judge, this event which goes by the name 'ULTIMATE DJ' and promises to be one of the most entertaining music competition events.
Simon Cowell has more often than usual shown his interest in Electronic Dance Music and strongly believes that the show will showcase the incredible talent that electronic music has to offer. As some of the most promising DJs battle it out, a lot is at stake, for the winner gets a Sony Music Recording contract and a headlining spot at the Ultra Music Festival.
The event is taking place in association with Yahoo's new slate of original programming and live voting will reportedly happen on Tumblr, another platform owned by Yahoo.
At present, it's hard to say which format of DJingwill be featured on the show or who might even be the judges. But one thing is for sure, this will surely have the EDM craving fans hooked on to their TVs.
We made an announcement today for a show with Yahoo. The Ultimate DJ. We have partnered with Ultra.


Last month, Supercell released their most anticipated mobile game, Brawl Stars, to the world. Living up to its buzz, the game already grossed $5.1 million AND gained more than 9.5 million iOS and Android installs in its opening week. As of today, it has racked up over $63 million, generated 180 million views, and boasted 3455 videos on YouTube.
We did a data analysis on the game's performance on YouTube in the first 30 days since launch (December 12), and compared it to how Supercell's Clash Royale performed in the same time frame — as it was once the top grossing mobile game in the world. We then did a similar analysis of Brawl Stars and 4 top mobile games (Clash of Clans, Granny, Pokemon Go, and Arena of Valor). After that, we compared the performance of this mobile hit to 3 other battle royale games (Fortnite, PUBG, and Rules of Survival).
As a result, our findings suggest that Brawl Stars does have the potential to become the next number 1 mobile game on YouTube.
The data is brought to you by Matchmade, the intelligent influencer marketing platform. Every few minutes, we analyze all gaming-related channels and videos on YouTube and Twitch. That's over 3.8 million channels, 371 million videos on YouTube, 15 million streams on Twitch, and 26 000 games.
Data disclaimer: The data we provide is based on the latest video view count and number of videos that could have accumulated at any given point.
We began our data dive by comparing the performance of Brawl Stars on YouTube in its first 30 days to how Clash Royale performed in the similar time frame. According to the Matchmade platform, Clash Royale reached 394 million views and 2949 videos in its first 30 days. As for Brawl Stars, it hit 172 million views and 3227 videos.
However, although the graphs indicate that Clash Royale's viewership is significantly higher than Brawl Stars', they also show there are more videos related to Brawl Stars on YouTube than Clash Royale. We speculate that this was due to the number of content creators that have already dedicated their channels to Brawl Stars before the game's official global release (Supercell released the beta version back in June 2017).
Niantic's Pokemon Go is in fourth with 35.7 million views and 254 videos on YouTube, and is followed by Tencent' Arena of Valor with 17.1 million views and 103 videos.
Since this mobile hit has a battle royale mode, we continued our data dive by comparing its performance to 3 other popular battle royale games on YouTube 30 days since launch. Our findings suggest, despite being big on mobile, Brawl Stars only comes in third when compared to other battle royale games.
More importantly, the data available indicates that PUBG has 4 times more views than Brawl Stars, and Fortnite (after its battle royale launch) has 2.8 times more viewership than the title on YouTube.
The games industry and players have been waiting for Brawl Stars since its announcement in this YouTube livestream in June 2017. The hype for the game has been around, and content has been available on YouTube well in advance of their launch — upping the numbers we see today.
The previous game Supercell launched was Clash Royale on March 2nd 2016 (global release). Ever since, mobile gamers have eagerly been looking forward to the studio's next title. Supercell is known for launching high-quality games that are super successful. No wonder influencers are keen to hop on the "next big thing" in hopes of growing their own subscriber base.
Lack of mobile games. Viewership of mobile games on YouTube has generally been on a steady decline (except for PUBG mobile). It's no surprise content-creators are hungry for more great mobile games that people want to watch.
What do you think? Let us know by tweeting or emailing us at hello@matchmade.tv to join the discussion, or even sign up to our biweekly newsletter to stay up-to-date.


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Christian Finnegan
NYC comedy club The Creek & Cave shuts down permanently due to COVID
"The Creek has been my home for 14 years," wrote owner Rebecca Trent. "More importantly, it's been a home to so much creativity and laughter and ideas. Together, we helped shape the New York comedy scene and comedy as a whole for almost a decade and a half."
What's going on Sunday?
Tonight's NYC-area shows include Deerhoof, Trey Anastasio Band, Will Haven, Tribeca Film Festival, Melissa Villasenor, WFMU Record Fair, Moving Targets, and more.
EastVille Comedy Club moves to Brooklyn (Janeane Garofalo, Todd Barry & more play opening week)
After 10 years at E. 4th Street in the East Village, EastVille Comedy Club has moved further East...to Brooklyn. The new location, which the club says is Brooklyn's only full-time comedy club, is right by Barclays Center.
The Stand comedy club is moving, had a marathon lineup for farewell show
The Stand's big farewell show featured a marathon edition of their regular Frantic show featuring Janeane Garofalo, Judah Friedlander, Roy Wood Jr, Nikki Glaser, Mark Normand, Sean Patton, Christian Finnegan, Matteo Lane, Ari Shaffir, and tons more. The new location will open soon in Union Square.
comedy roundup: Wyatt Cenac, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, Greg Davies, more
Plus: Mike Birbiglia, Chris Gethard, Michelle Wolf, Todd Barry, Adam Pally, Matteo Lane, Emily Flake, Shane Torres, Krystyna Hutchinson, Chris Gersbeck, John Roberts, Amanda Duarte, Catherine Cohen, and lots more laughs.
Arielle Gordon
comedy roundup: Garry Shandling doc, Mike Birbiglia, Roy Wood Jr, more
Plus: "Cocks for Glocks," Dave Hill, Michelle Buteau, Michelle Wolf, Anthony Atamanuik, Josh Gondleman, and lots more laughs.
Upcoming comedy & benefits @ Bell House (Rosanne Cash, Paul Scheer, Gene Ween, rescheduled Todd Barry, John Hodgman & more)
I am going to spare you my usual editorializing and get right to the meat of the situation here. Basically, there is an absolute shit-ton of comedy and benefit type shows coming to the Bell House...
Jeff Bergstrom
826NYC Dueling Bingo, 'Tell Your Friends!' at Bell House, Kristen Schaal, Uptown Showdown & more NYC comedy news
Eugene Mirman at The Bell House, Sept. 2011 (more by David Andrako) I mentioned some upcoming comedy-type events yesterday, but here are a few more shows of note that I forgot to mention...
that dog. playing 2 Brooklyn shows (win tix); Kristen Schaal & many more playing the Bell House (tonight)
As reported previously, '90s alt-rockers that dog. are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 24, the band's first NYC show in 15 years with Fred Armisen opening...
Ted Leo hosting Hot Tub (with John Hodgman)
"I can tell by the bellows of my neighbors that sports are over & the New Jersey Acromegolics beat my 6-State Patriots." - John Hodgman Ted Leo leaving Beerland - 1/28/2012 (by Tim Trentham) After a recent trip to Texas in honor of Esme Barrera (picture from the Beerland benfits above), and more recently a weekend of "curling (the "sport"), Nightbirds & Kim Phuc at the Acheron, seal watching boat trip in NY harbor, and Puppy Bowl repeats," Ted Leo is heading out to Gowanus to host tonight's edition of Hot Tub at Littlefield with guests John Hodgman, Christian Finnegan, Jamie Lee, Harrison Greenbaum, and Brandon Wardell (2/6)...


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Philly homegrown star Christmas gives this week's 'Wings Tip of the Week' tomorrow
Thursday, 20th January 2011
Categories Boy's/Men's, Pro
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/20/11
The second release of the Philadelphia Wings "Tip of the Week" video will be delivered Friday by a player whose Philly roots run deep.
John Christmas has long been considered one of the greatest players ever to come out of Philadelphia. Now, in his fifth season as a member of the Wings, he has enjoyed success at all levels as a player, coach and a leader in the lacrosse world.
John Christmas
Christmas first built his legacy at Lower Merion High (322 career points) where he was a three-time All-American, the first in state history. He led the Aces to their last state title, in 1999. He then starred at the University of Virginia where he was a two-time USILA All-American (95 career goals) and helped lead the Cavaliers to the 2003 NCAA Division I Championship.
Christmas was selected by the Philadelphia Wings in the fifth round (49th overall) of the 2005 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft. He has become one of the most popular players on the team – perhaps mostly because of his work in the inner-city.
In 2009, Christmas and Eric Gregg founded the LEAPS lacrosse program, a non-profit created to build lacrosse programs in the inner-city of Philadelphia and beyond. He decided to take off a year of playing NLL lacrosse to get the project started off right.
In the two years of operation, LEAPS has teamed with several other organizations to build a strong infrastructure of lacrosse in the city through youth clinics and camps, professional development and training in the Philadelphia public schools, and help in development of the first high school league for boys and girls.
Christmas also has played six years in Major League Lacrosse with the Boston Cannons and Chesapeake Bayhawks. Last year he was a volunteer assistant coach at Penn and he also has served as a volunteer coach at Lower Merion and continues to coach with the nationally-ranked Duke's Lacrosse Club.
Christmas currently owns and runs 141Lacrosse, a lacrosse training business. He also is co-owner of Triple H lacrosse, which provides specialized lacrosse instruction.
Look for tomorrow's Wings "Tip of the Week" by John Christmas. The first tip was delivered by the Wings Bill McGlone. All of the Tip of the Week videos can be accessed by clicking here.
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 20th, 2011 at 6:19 pm and is filed under Boy's/Men's, Pro. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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In recent years, technology has dramatically changed how people consume sport, be it watching, attending or participating. Advances in mobile, wearables, analytics, broadcasting, materials and equipment, smart venues and fan engagement technologies, to name but a few, all mean that sports technology is now big business.
The sports analytics sector alone is forecast to grow from $125 million in 2014 to $4.7 billion by 2021. And attendances at sports technology conferences such as SEAT and the MIT Sports Analytics conferences are growing exponentially year on year. In the US, Venture Capitalists have spent over $1 billion on sports-related deals over the past year. And governments are seeing the value by establishing sports technology hubs in countries such as Ireland and Australia.
Sports technology start ups are proving to be very attractive to investors which is testament to the value of sports. Companies such as Seat Geek, (ticket search engine), Catapult (wearable sensors for athletes) and VenueNext (stadium app) are all recent high profile beneficiaries of funding from strategic investors. AngelList lists 386 fantasy sports start ups that have attracted over 43,000 investors!
In 2015 we have started to see the big sporting organisations get in on the act. Manchester United and the Los Angeles Dodgers have established technology labs and accelerator programmes. Dublin's Croke Park has seen the value of the stadium as a potential digital petri dish for those start ups developing in-stadium technology.
LA Dodgers Launch Accelerator Programme
LA Dodgers partnered with ad agency R/GA to launch the Dodgers Accelerator which targets startups developing products for services "at the crossroads of sports, technology and entertainment". Deliberately broad, the programme seeks companies developing solutions in training, ticketing, CRM, 2nd screen, smart stadium, apps, virtual reality, fantasy and gaming.
It's opening day at the Dodgers Accelerator! #sportstech A photo posted by LA Dodgers Accelerator (@dodgersaccel) on Aug 24, 2015 at 8:43am PDT
10 companies were selected for the first programme, including Appetize, a POS mobile ordering platform, Doorstat which helps businesses analyse foot traffic and demographics, FieldLevel, a private social network for sports recruiting and ProDay, an app that lets anyone work out with a professional athlete.
The programme taps into the LA Dodgers sports expertise as well as that of its high profile ownership group to provide access and exposure to the wider sports industry. R/GA brings its strategic marketing, branding, design, and technology-focused methodology as well as its agency services. The programme provides up to $120,000 in funding for each start-up with optional co-workspace facilities provided in LA.
Our founders in very good company on day one. Thank you @magicjohnson for stopping by to welcome our startups to the Dodgers family!
A photo posted by LA Dodgers Accelerator (@dodgersaccel) on Aug 25, 2015 at 7:40am PDT
On why the Dodgers partnered with R/GA to create the Dodgers Accelerator, Dodgers CEO, Stan Kasten, said;
We saw an opportunity to go beyond the business of playing baseball – our brand extends throughout the business world". And therein lies the key. Larger organisations no longer see themselves operating purely within the sports industry. To grow they need to broaden their horizons and identify new growth and innovation opportunities.
This is visionary stuff from the Dodgers. And its not all altruism as this is business.
In exchange for a 6% equity stake, participating companies will receive $20,000 (and all of the benefits of the programme). The accelerator may also invest $100,000 in convertible notes.
And because the Dodgers would be part-owners in any company that strikes gold, the owners could secure additional millions to invest in its team and facilities.
The PR value for this programme has been enormous. It has also had the impact of transforming the Dodgers brand to that of innovator, a term more synonymous with teams further north in San Francisco and Sacramento.
Croke Park expects 150 tech companies to trial ideas
In September Croke Park, a stadium in Dublin, Ireland, announced it would make it self available to trial a whole range of new technologies. The Smart Stadium project is a collaboration between Dublin City University, Arizona State University, the GAA and Intel.
Up to 150 companies are expected to trial sports technology ideas at the stadium. Current projects are focused on pitch quality monitoring and stadium microclimate, athlete performance and predicting traffic.
When we think sports technology we often default to mobile apps that offer features such as tickets and in seat ordering. The Croke Park project seeks to go significantly broader than that by looking at opportunities across the stadium's entire operation.
The goals of the the stadium are less financial and more innovation focused as well as playing its part in a broader plan to make Dublin the world's first 'internet of things' city.
Croke Park Smart Stadium Forum Interviews
Prof. Noel O'Connor, DCU's Director of IT and Digital Society Research & Enterprise Hub said;
The next 5-10 years will see exponential growth in the burgeoning IoT sector and we have an opportunity to lead Ireland's test bed facility with Croke Park and Intel in order to bridge the research to market gap. Ireland is rich in high potential startups and SMEs that can both get value and bring value to the Smart Stadium concept which will draw on multi-disciplinary expertise in Irish universities to focus on problem-solving on a national scale,
I recommend reading #SmartCrokePark: Inside Dublin's IoT Stadium to get a better feel for some of the projects that are already underway.
Manchester United launches United Xperience lab
In September, Manchester United announced a global partnership with Indian IT services company HCL Technologies. HCL has come on board as United's "Digital Transformation Partner".
As a first step, HCL will create a state-of-the-art United Xperience Lab to be housed at Old Trafford stadium. The purpose of the lab according to Manchester United is to;
explore revolutionary ways in which the club uses technology to create a unified fan experience for supporters; and in the process set a new engagement benchmark in the world of sport.
The lab will focus on three areas; fan experience engine, managed content and analytics, with the aim of elevating the overall fan experience through delivering content in new and exciting ways
I recommend reading a recent Forbes article Why Manchester United Selected HCL As Its Digital Partner to get a better handle on the drivers behind the partnership.
Through the partnership HCL is seeking to develop its own replicable template for other organisations who want to create similar co-innovation units.
Anant Gupta, CEO, HCL sums up the future of business best from HCL's perspective in the Forbes article.
The enterprise of the 21st Century will possess five defining characteristics: 1. Experience-centric; 2. Outcome-based; 3. Agile and lean; 4. Service-oriented; 5. Ecosystem-driven. Manchester United will become the first sports enterprise to deliver all five, not just transforming the franchise itself but creating a new 21st Century model for all forward looking organisations in the world.
Innovation is hot at the moment in the sports business world. Larger organisations are adding VP and Director of Innovation roles. Progressive ones are thinking outside of their core business and this partnership definitely reflects that shift.
The Benefits for Sports Organisations
As a venue or rights-holder, the experience of the LA Dodgers, Croke Park and Manchester United give us five key insights;
New revenue opportunities and increased valuations
The experience of the Dodgers shows us that they are looking at each start up entering the accelerator program as new business opportunities, taking an equity stake and mentoring role in technology that may help reshape their business, but more importantly may be utilised by the sports and entertainment industry.
Manchester United have brought in board new capability while at the same time securing a major commercial partnership.
Fan Engagement
Although not exclusively fan focused, all three feature clear opportunities to improve the fan experience either at the venue or digitally from any part of the world.
Brand transformation through innovation
All three case studies demonstrate the benefits of having a defined innovation strategy and the positive impact that this can have on the organisations brand.
Simply google all three projects listed above. The online and offline media coverage has been enormous. As I said earlier, innovation is hot right now, and those organisations who embrace it will create significant earned media opportunities.
Wider community role
The Croke Park project is just part of a plan to enable Dublin to become the first true Internet of Things city. Furthermore the stadium is playing the role of good corporate citizen in opening its door to start ups to trial new sports technology.
Partnerships with companies with sports technology expertise
HCL are bringing replicable templates to the Manchester United experience and expertise that an organisation even the size of Manchester United simply would not have in-house.
Do you know of other good examples of sporting organisations embracing start up mentality and fostering innovation?