On May 25, SHOOT unveiled its fourth annual New Directors Showcase reel. The 25 helmers–including three two-person teams–selected for the Showcase come from diverse backgrounds. However, the bond they share is great style, vision and commitment–whether it be reflected in comedy, visuals or storytelling. Helping fashion the Showcase lineup were entries from SHOOT‘s ongoing “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery, assorted submissions, and feedback from agency creatives and producers. Here’s a look at this year’s field:
Zack & J.C.
No affiliation
Mountain Dew’s “Foley” (spec)
How did you get into directing?
When Zack was 10 years old, he went into the woods with a video camera to recreate the film First Blood. Having a tough time casting POWs in the Pocono Mountains, Zack acted out all the roles on his own. Zack revisited the good ol’ days when he shot and directed his multi award-winning short film The Clearing in the same woods 15 years later. J.C.’s call to action came in a darkened theater during “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” He knew from that moment on that he was either going to be an archaelogist or a filmmaker. Having trouble securing a plane ticket to Cairo, he decided to turn his lens on the streets of New York. The result was “Model Chaser,” a Hamptons Film Festival winner, and official selection of festivals around the globe. Our worlds collided in the graduate film program at NYU and we’ve been collaborating ever since.
Why do you want to direct commercials?
Some of the best creative work happens in the short-form realm. You can tackle a joke head on and do things that are off-kilter and forward thinking. As a directing team, we also know and appreciate the value of good collaboration, and how it can propel work to the next level. Commercials take advantage of this collaboration more so than any art form and we’re very excited to work with insightful agency creatives and clients.
What is your most recent spot project?
With just a few spec spots under our belts, we were given our first
national campaign by the founder of GenSpec Vitamins. He trusted us to carry out his agency’s creative ideas, and to fuel the launch of his new product. We also wrote and directed a branded entertainment short film for Aquafina through Tribal DDB.
Do you have plans to work in other areas–e.g., shorts, films, features or TV? Have you ever done any of that in the past?
We’re excited to parlay our success in the short film world into branded entertainment. We also have a feature script in development, and have toyed with the idea of making a flip book of “War and Peace.”
What do you think is the best part about being a director?
Working with actors.
What’s the worst part?
We’ll never get to live out our childhood dream of becoming actuaries.
