Exposure: Deon Taylor to direct Screen Gems’ cop body cam thriller Deadline reports that Traffik director Deon Taylor will helm the body cam cop thriller Exposure, based on Peter A. Dowling’s spec script Screen Gems acquired last year. The film follows a rookie Detroit African-American female cop who accidentally stumbles on some fellow officers who murder a drug dealer, an incident captured by the body cam on her uniform. The cops then spend the night chasing her down in an attempt to destroy the footage. To make things worth, those same crooked cops tip off a criminal gang, blaming her for the dealer’s death. Sean Sorensen will produce alongside Hidden Empire Film Group, Taylor’s own production company with partners Roxanne Avent and Robert F. Smith. Avent will serve as Exposure’s executive producer. Next month, Taylor will begin filming the noir thriller Fatale, starring Hilary Swank. The director recently wrapped … [Read more...] about Exposure: Deon Taylor To Direct Screen Gems’ Cop Body Cam Thriller
Screen gems
The Strange Way Searching Got Its Special On-Screens Look
10 minutes ago Similar to how found footage emerged as a popular new form of storytelling in the last 20 years, Hollywood is starting to develop a cool new way to present a narrative, specifically through on-screen stories. The latest example is Aneesh Chaganty's Searching -- following a father (John Cho) as he uses laptops, smartphones, and other devices to find his missing daughter -- and you might be surprised just goes what into the process. Fortunately, you can learn about it straight from the people who experienced it by clicking play on the video below: Stars John Cho and Debra Messing and writer/director Aneesh Chaganty talked all about the process of making Searching earlier this month during the Los Angeles press day for the film -- and it definitely doesn't sound like a real cakewalk, even for a seasoned performer. This is because the direct interaction between characters was cut off for most of production, as the actors not only typically inhabited sets by themselves, … [Read more...] about The Strange Way Searching Got Its Special On-Screens Look
Berlin Hidden Gem: ‘Profile’ Offers a Fresh Take on Digital Deception
Like so many light-bulb moments, the inspiration for what director Timur Bekmambetov calls "Screenlife" — an innovative cinematic language, in which a film’s action unfolds entirely within the frame of a computer screen — came about by accident.“I was Skyping with my producer partner, and she shared her screen with me but forgot to turn it off,” he tells THR. “So we continued the conversation and suddenly I saw her screen life — she’s talking to me but booking tickets to the cinema, checking in with her friend. I felt like I was literally inside her — seeing every idea she had and every emotion she had.”This initial creative spark eventually led to 2015’s Unfriended, a horror story told almost exclusively on a MacBook, followed by Search — which bowed at this year’s Sundance and was nabbed by Screen Gems — a detective thriller that pulled smartphone screens into the digital mix. One of … [Read more...] about Berlin Hidden Gem: ‘Profile’ Offers a Fresh Take on Digital Deception
Sony’s Steve Bersch on Taking Over Screen Gems and the State of Indie Filmmaking
It’s an impressive stat that comes with a small asterisk: Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions president Steve Bersch, 61, runs the most profitable division within the studio. The caveat is that with just 20 employees, SPWA doesn’t carry the same overhead as, say, Columbia Pictures, given that it is not a releasing entity. Still, during his 10-year stint, SPWA boasts films such as Arrival, the Insidious franchise, Spotlight, Whiplash, Foxcatcher, Don’t Breathe and the upcoming Tom Hanks-starring Greyhound. On Jan. 19, Bersch’s purview expanded even further when he took the reins of Screen Gems following the announcement that Clint Culpepper was exiting after a 28-year run at the genre label. There was little time to celebrate considering that Bersch was busy negotiating a slew of deals on the ground at Sundance, where he acquired worldwide rights to the John Cho internet thriller Search for $5 million, and all international rights to Debra Granik’s … [Read more...] about Sony’s Steve Bersch on Taking Over Screen Gems and the State of Indie Filmmaking
Screen Gems Chief Clint Culpepper Steps Down
Clint Culpepper, the longtime head of Sony’s Screen Gems division, is stepping down.The move comes after the disappointing opening of Screen Gems’ latest low-budget offering, Proud Mary, and caps a string of losses for the arm, which specializes in lower-budgeted thrillers and urban dramas. Steve Bersch, the head of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisition, has been tipped as the person to take over, sources say.Sony had no comment. Pepper had a 28-year run at Screen Gems, an astounding number in modern executive tenures. He will now segue to a producer role in a deal with the studio. More to come. … [Read more...] about Screen Gems Chief Clint Culpepper Steps Down