Alan Poon
Alan Poon
Tomorrow Will Be Better
DP: Alan Poon
Editor: Alex Pope
Converse “Spin The Bottle” (spec spot; later part of Conversegallery.com)
Production: Scorched Films
DP: Alan Poon
Affiliation: Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles
How did you get into directing? My mom said I needed to find a job.
Why do you want to direct commercials? Making a commercial is a fast yet highly crafted process. If all the right elements come together, a successful piece that touches a mass audience can be very gratifying.
What’s your most recent spot project? I recently had the opportunity to direct a spot for the Tribeca Film Festival with Ogilvy & Mather, New York.
Do you have plans to work in other areas–e.g. shorts films or features or TV? Have you ever done any of that in the past? I have made some experimental shorts in the past and I hope to work on a couple more in the next year. I think the balance is important.
What do you think is the best part about being a director? The best part is that everyone has to listen to you.
What’s the worst part? The worst part is that everyone is listening to you.
Who is (are) your mentor(s)? Michel Gondry and Jonathan Glazer have made some very inspiring work. Noam Murro and Biscuit Filmworks have been wonderful support.
Not counting your own work, what’s your favorite recent ad? Why? Hewlett Packard “N is for Nanotechnology”. The piece approaches a complicated subject with great enthusiasm and clarity. I think all the stuff from the HP “Everything Is Possible” campaign is terrific.
“Overnight Success” Has Been More Than A Decade In The Making For Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson
Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson, two of the stars of Netflix's whodunit "The Perfect Couple," have news for you if you want to call them breakouts: They've been working in this business for more than a decade.
Fahy made her TV debut in 2009 in an episode of "Gossip Girl." Hewson's first big film role was in 2011's "This Must Be the Place." They do concede, however, that it's recent TV roles — "The White Lotus" for Fahy and "Bad Sisters" for Hewson — that have led to new frontiers of opportunity.
Susanne Bier, who directed "The Perfect Couple," says both Fahy and Hewson are "going to be big stars."
"They certainly have proper, profound star quality, Both of them in very different ways," Bier says. "Both are incredibly creative, incredibly smart, and also have a impressive insight as to who they are. You can be a great actor or actress and not necessarily really know who you are yourself. And they do."
Hewson, 33, whose dad is U2 front man Bono, may have grown up in a famous family but she's now in demand in her own right. She will next be seen in a second season of "Bad Sisters, " out in November. She's in Noah Baumbach's next film, alongside Adam Sandler, George Clooney and Riley Keough. She's also been cast in Steven Spielberg's next production and is set to star opposite Murray Bartlett in a racing series for Hulu.
Fahy, 34, is in production on a limited series with Julianne Moore and Milly Alcock called "Sirens," written by Molly Smith Metzler ("Maid") for Netflix. She also has two films in the can with Josh O'Connor ("The Crown," "Challengers") and Brandon Sklenar ("It Ends With Us").
The two actors spoke candidly about this phase of their careers. This interview has been condensed for clarity and... Read More