June 12, 2018: How the Ocean's 8 Director Recreated the Met Gala, Beauty and Fashion Brands Will Have a Major Presence at Cannes Lions, Tonys Ratings Uptick Defies Award-Show Trend

1. HOW THE OCEAN'S 8 DIRECTOR RECREATED THE MET GALA: Ocean’s 8 director Gary Ross recently discussed how he recreated the Met Gala for the film, which made $41.5 million to open at the top of the box office this past weekend. Slate: “The centerpiece of the movie is the annual Met Gala, the star-studded fundraiser that benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. As Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) and her crew conspire to steal Cartier’s most valuable jewel off the neck of a vacuous actress (Anne Hathaway), the action takes place against the backdrop of the museum’s unmistakable Temple of Dendur, while the characters rub elbows with the likes of Serena Williams, Heidi Klum, and Kim Kardashian. The many famous faces and elaborate costume exhibition in the movie might trick you into believing that Ross somehow filmed the heist during the real Met Gala. But, in the spirit of the movie’s own heist, the soiree is actually a very convincing fake, staged specifically for Ocean’s 8 with assistance from Vogue and the Met Museum. Slate spoke to Ross about how the faux gala came together, including what he had to do to wrangle all those celebrity cameos.” ... Ross added: “Me and my production designer, Alex DiGerlando, really had to go over how all the pieces, soundstage and practical, in different locations, were going to fit together to become one place. The kitchen where Cate Blanchett and Mindy Kaling are working was a practical restaurant kitchen in Manhattan. The areas around the bathroom where they create the blind spot were a set on a soundstage out in Bethpage, as was the costume exhibit we created, where there’s water underneath and they steal the jewels at the end. All the stuff in the Temple of Dendur is practical at the Met, as is all the kind of stuff with casing the Met and the scene where Sandy [Bullock] plants the faux Banksy, a slight revision of Washington crossing the Delaware.” https://slate.me/2JwFpTy

2. BEAUTY AND FASHION BRANDS WILL HAVE A MAJOR PRESENCE AT CANNES LIONS: This year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which takes place June 18-22, will host more fashion and beauty brands than ever before. Digiday: "Speakers from brands including L’Oréal, Tommy Hilfiger, Rebecca Minkoff, Glossier, Covergirl, Diesel, Levi’s and more will be hosting and participating in discussions around modern branding, innovation in marketing and how technology influences creativity in their fields during this year’s festival. With this influx, there will be more fashion and beauty brands represented at Cannes Lions than ever before: 13 will be featured during the event this year, up from five last year, according to Jose Papa, Cannes Lions’ managing director. Media publications covering these industries are joining the action, too: editors from British Vogue, Allure and Cosmopolitan are also getting time on the Cannes stage. 'Creativity manifests in many forms outside of advertising campaigns, so we need to recognize everything that’s happening under that wider umbrella,' said Papa. 'When we talk about fashion and beauty, they are at the heart of everything that’s happening in the digital transformation of creativity, around brand building and the experience economy. We wanted to include both startups and traditional brands that are going through a transition.' The topics of digital transition, modern branding, technology as it influences creativity, and brands’ roles in modern culture will be addressed by fashion and beauty brand leaders throughout the festival’s programming. Tommy Hilfiger’s chief brand officer Avery Baker will discuss how to be a 'fearless' brand, while Glossier president Henry Davis will map out the path ahead for future brands with WGSN. Rebecca Minkoff will share how to build a modern brand." https://bit.ly/2MhqcDw

3. TONYS RATINGS UPTICK DEFIES AWARD-SHOW TREND: The Tony Awards on Sunday drew 6.3 million viewers on CBS, which was a four-percent increase from 6 million in 2017. The New York Times: “The numbers are still down from the ‘Hamilton’-fueled 2016 Tonys, which drew a 15-year high of 8.7 million viewers. Still, at this moment it’s notable when live-event ratings go up at all. Nearly across the board, for the last few years, award-show numbers have been plummeting. The Oscars had its lowest ratings ever this year, and viewership for the Grammys plunged 24 percent. Even sporting events ranging from the Super Bowl to the Winter Olympics saw viewership declines. The Tonys benefit from having a much smaller viewership than those shows, so there are fewer people to lose. The Oscars still drew 26.5 million viewers, and even the Emmys, which have seen back-to-back years of ratings lows, have an audience of more than 11 million. Television executives have been divided over what has caused the live-event ratings declines. Some have said the numbers are cyclical, but others argue that hourslong ceremonies stuffed with commercial breaks are becoming too taxing for viewers in the streaming era. Still others say that the encroaching role of politics in such broadcasts—including regular denunciations of President Trump, such as Robert De Niro’s profane comments at the Tonys—has taken its toll, as well.” https://nyti.ms/2HG56ew

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  Vinny’s Pizza Bar, which serves Neapolitan- and New York-style pizza, has opened in the West Loop. The new restaurant, which features eclectic decor and neon signs, hosts private events for as many as 120 guests.

LAS VEGAS:  This year's InfoComm drew 43,000 registered users, 10 percent more than the last time InfoComm was held in Las Vegas in 2016.

LOS ANGELES:  Adobe Max's Creativity Conference will take place October 15-17 in Los Angeles.

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Little Lighthouse Foundation’s 10th annual Hearts & Stars Gala Weekend will take place March 21-23, 2019. 

NEW YORK:  Lincoln Center has announced additional artists for the lineup of Out of Doors 2018, which runs July 24-August 12 in Damrosch Park. Newly announced artists include Jonathan Wilson and Lucy Dacus on July 29, and Super Soul Banned and Peter Wolf on August 3. Lincoln Center also announced the lineup for the fifth edition of AmericanaFest NYC, which takes place August 11-12. The lineup includes Mavis Staples, Margo Price, and Joe Henry. 

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

TORONTO:  Mariposa Cruises has partnered with Pride Toronto to host the first-ever Pride On the Water Sip & Sail Cruise, which will take place Jun 18. The event will be held on the Showboat and will offer specialty cocktails and food from chef Andrew Capone. 

Nadege Patisserie has opened an ice cream shop at its flagship store in Queen West. The shop offers 16 ice cream and sorbet flavors inspired by chef Nadege Nourian’s cakes and desserts. 

YOUR NEWS: What are you doing? Tell us: [email protected]. 

JOB BOARD: Post a job or find a job: http://jobs.bizbash.com

With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Ian Zelaya, and Kristine Liao in New York.

BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.

Feed the Sheet: [email protected]

Subscribe: www.bizbash.com/bizbashdaily

Advertise with BizBash: [email protected]