Yael Staav
Yael Staav
ALS Society of Canada “Running” and “Hugging”
Agency: BBDO Toronto
Production: Reginald Pike, Toronto
DP: Tico Poulakakis
Editorial: Relish, Toronto
Editor: Alison Gordon
Affiliation: Reginald Pike, Toronto
How did you get into directing? A lot of luck and good timing, really. Worked with experimental film and photography processes in school until I started to crave working with people. That desire led to documentary photography, which led to music videos, which then led to commercials.
Why do you want to direct commercials? Love the idea of telling a story in thirty seconds. It’s an interesting medium that requires you to consider every single element in the frame in order to communicate as much as you can in as quick a read as you can. I also love the collaborative nature of the medium.
What’s your most recent spot project? I just got back from Vancouver where I shot two spots–one for Astro Yogurt and another for Kellogg’s.
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? Made a few shorts in school and one since I started in commercials. I am definitely intrigued by the world of features and plan on following my curiosity soon, but right now I’m happy with the opportunities that commercials are providing me with. I still get a chance to express myself in longer format with music videos.
What do you think is the best part about being a director? Working all night on a treatment and getting the job.
What’s the worst part? Working all night on a treatment and not getting the job
Not counting your own work, what’s your favorite recent ad? Why? Love the new Fanta ad The Perlorian Brothers [of Reginald Pike] just shot. It’s utterly surprising!
Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More