Many of the commercials honored at the AICP Show earlier this week were covered as Top Spots, features and/or news stories in SHOOT during the past year. While this largely high-profile fare—such as Nike’s "Freestyle" and BMW of North America’s Web-based shorts—received richly deserved recognition, it’s the lesser-known commercials that offer SHOOT a special form of gratification, because many of them were first covered in our "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery.
For example, the three Spec Spot category honorees in the AICP Show were all part of the SHOOT gallery: "PetAdvice. com" for My PetAdvice.com, directed by Boris Damast of bicoastal Celsius Films (SHOOT, 8/17/01, p. 11); Mapquest’s "Tazer with Button," helmed by Alexander von David of Blind Spot Media, Santa Monica, for Colby Effler (now Colby & Partners), Santa Monica (SHOOT, 7/27/01, p. 11); and Post Cereal’s "Cat’s in the Cradle," directed by Daniel Kaufman of Elsewhere Films, Los Angeles, and conceived by a team from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco (SHOOT, 4/26, p. 17).
Additionally, an AICP Show honoree in the Public Service Announcement category made "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery: the Humane Society of Charlotte’s "Puppy Love," directed by Peter Darley Miller of Santa Monica-based Stiefel+Company for BooneOakley, Charlotte, N.C. (SHOOT, 3/1, p. 11).
One of the Low-Budget category honorees—K103FM’s "Power of Music"—was included in "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery (SHOOT, 4/6/01, p. 15). The :30 was directed by Todd Korgan of Limbo Films, Portland, Ore., for ad agency Nerve, Portland.
A spot for audiences in Japan, Pocari sports drinks’ "Tennis," was an honoree in the Cinematography category. The :30—which earlier earned "The Best Work You May Never See" distinction (SHOOT, 5/25/01, p. 13)—was directed by Joel Peissig via Level 7 Productions, Hollywood, for Tokyo agency Asatsu DK. (Peissig subsequently joined bicoastal RSA USA and recently shifted over to Los Angeles-based spot shop Squeak Pictures—see separate story, p. 1). The "Tennis" DPs were Claudio Miranda, who’s represented by Dattner and Associates, Los Angeles, and underwater specialist Pete Romano, who’s handled by The Mirisch Agency, Los Angeles.
And Lucky magazine’s "Cheryl ‘n Me," a :90 directed by Baker Smith of Santa Monica-based Harvest for San Francisco-based agency Black Rocket, was honored in the Advertising Excellence/Single Commercial category. (At the time, Smith was with his former roost, Tate & Partners, Santa Monica.) "Cheryl ‘n Me" appeared in "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery more than a year ago (SHOOT, 3/16/01, p. 11).
When these spots first made the SHOOT gallery, the likelihood was that they wouldn’t gain widespread exposure, or much additional recognition, for that matter, given their status as spec or local or foreign or PSA fare. To see this work go on to be honored by the prestigious AICP Show and become part of what has come to be known as "America’s Reel" is particularly satisfying to SHOOT. We’re glad to have been proven wrong: These spots—designated as being "The Best Work You May Never See"—will, indeed, be seen by industry audiences throughout the U.S., and worldwide, when America’s Reel goes on its road tour for screenings at domestic and international museums and cultural institutions. The AICP Show-honored commercials also become part of the permanent collection in the archives of the Department of Film and Video at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
