With this week’s wrap-up coverage of SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase event at the DGA Theatre in New York, appropriately we also have in this issue several notable ad agency artisans chiming in on the importance of uncovering new directorial talent. At the event itself, panelist Peter Nicholson, chief creative officer of Deutsch New York, noted that the industry’s leading creative agencies are always on the lookout for new filmmakers offering fresh and different perspectives.
And in both this week’s Chat Room with Tom Cronin, newly named VP/lead executive producer on Gatorade at Element 79, Chicago, and our Agency Producers Series story, the importance of proactively seeking the right director is emphasized, with a clear affinity for discovering new filmmakers.
In his new role at Element 79, Cronin said one of his prime responsibilities is “to expose all of us, myself included, to people who might be a little more specific to Gatorade, to expand our resources to tap into because scheduling can be so difficult for the right directors.”
Asked what he meant by “more specific,” Cronin said he was referring to directors who have an understanding of the spirit of sports. He stressed that the right lighting and camera angles aren’t enough.
“I think there are a number of European directors we should be looking at–not at the exclusion of American directors who we use primarily–to open up additional options for us,” said Cronin. “–There’s a lesser known group of directors in Europe who are in tune with that [the essence of the athlete] and we need to bring them into the mix for consideration.”
Profiled in our Agency Producers Series, Laurie Malaga, director of production at la comunidad, joined that Miami agency two-and-a-half years ago despite not speaking Spanish and never having worked before in Hispanic advertising. But it was her other experience that made her a proper fit for the creatively progressive la comunidad. She had been executive producer of music videos at the former Propaganda Films for seven years, working with and helping to nurture talent that went on to stardom, such as directors Dante Ariola, Michel Gondry, Stephane Sednaoui and Jonathan Glazer.
“I didn’t know the go-to Hispanic directors when I came here [to la comunidad],” recalled Malaga. “I was a general market person. It came down to us trying to figure out who the best director was for a particular project and in some cases that meant us going outside the traditional community of Hispanic [ad] directors.”
This translated into breakthrough work for then relatively unknown directors like Aaron Ruehl (on Latin teen music network Mundoz and Virgin Mobile) and the Perlorian Brothers (Virgin Mobile).
Similarly Larry Byrne, director of broadcast/production at Ogilvy & Mather, Chicago, noted that it was gratifying to discover director Lars Knorrn for Dove’s Pro-Age campaign.
“We have a crazy bunch of evangelists around here,” said Byrne. “You have to be true to Dove. These real women are exposing themselves physically and emotionally [in this campaign].We respect who they are and finding the right director for that [work] is really important.”
Nominees Unveiled For Cinema Audio Society’s 61st Annual Awards
The Cinema Audio Society has unveiled its nominees in seven categories for the 61st Annual CAS Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing 2024.
The 61st CAS Awards will be held on Saturday, February 22, at the Beverly Hilton.
Nominated in the live action motion picture category were the audio teams behind A Complete Unknown, Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune: Part Two, Gladiator II and Wicked.
Animated motion picture nominees were the sound ensembles behind Inside Out 2, Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, The Wild Robot and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
As previously announced, multi-award-winning sound mixer Tod A. Maitland CAS (A Complete Unknown, West Side Story, Joker), will be honored with the CAS Career Achievement Award. In addition, visionary filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two, Blade Runner 2049, Arrival) will receive the Cinema Audio Society’s Filmmaker Award.
The CAS Award nominees highlight the outstanding contributions of sound mixers, recognizing excellence in the specialized craft of sound mixing for both film and television. Each year, accomplished CAS members—who possess extensive expertise in the art and science of sound—carefully review hundreds of projects to ensure the nominees truly reflect excellence in sound mixing in Motion Picture and Television entertainment.
“2024 was a year of remarkable achievements in the sound community, with exceptional talent on display across every category,” said CAS president Peter Kurland. “The innovation and artistry of these sound mixers continue to elevate the craft, and the upcoming awards will be a celebration of the outstanding contributions made this year. Congratulations to... Read More