By Robert Goldrich

Welcome to SHOOT’s fall edition Directors Series featuring helmers who have broken new ground on assorted fronts, a look at promising new directorial talent, and conversations with noteworthy cinematographers about their work spanning short and long-form fare.
    In our lineup of directors, we have a filmmaker whose theatrical movies are a considerable number of years apart, with commercials being his primary pursuit during the interim periods. However, it’s been well worth the wait as reflected in the high caliber of Bennett Miller’s spot endeavors and the recently debuted Moneyball starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
    Miller’s commercialmaking roost is Smuggler as is that of director Ringan Ledwidge who discusses Puma’s “After Hours Athlete” which scored the Film Craft Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. (Ledwidge is handled stateside by Smuggler and in the U.K. by Rattling Stick.)
    Then there’s RSA Films’ Adrian Moat, an accomplished commercials director on both sides of the Atlantic, who diversified meaningfully for the first time into long form, helming Gettysburg for the History channel which last month won four Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Nonfiction Special.
    Phil Morrison of Epoch Films recently wrapped an episode of the new HBO comedic drama Enlightened starring Laura Dern. The gig marked his return to series television while his commercialmaking career continues to enjoy positive momentum with such credits as the ongoing Allstate “Mayhem” commercials, three of which earlier this year earned best of show distinction as the lone honoree in the AICP Show category of Advertising Excellence/Campaign.
    Meanwhile Chris Milk of @radical.media redefined the music video genre with two interactive clips which were both honored this year at the AICP’s Next Awards.
    Then there’s Mark Romanek of Anonymous Content, a director renowned for his videos but who hasn’t done one in six years. Romanek continues to amaze with his diverse mix of work, from dancing hamsters taming robotic warriors for Kia to a real people H&R Block campaign set in the town of Greenback, Tennessee–not to mention the sobering feature Never Let Me Go.
    Also sobering and poignant is the Cancer Research U.K. PSA from director Joanna Bailey of Bare Films, London, whose roots are in documentary filmmaking.
    And deeply moving poignancy can be found in the three animated shorts directed by the Rauch Brothers, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
    Additionally, the roster of Up-and-Coming Directors in our feature story coverage includes one helmer who’s still in film school but has already signed with a high-profile production house, another who’s broken new web ground for the network that brought us Mad Men, a drama and comedy TV series director who’s extended his reach into commercials on a major scale, a collective that’s gained its first national representation, a rising food/tabletop talent whose exploits encompass commercials and a weekly culinary TV series, and a pair of brothers who have made the transition from still photography to spotmaking in Canada.
    Plus in our Cinematographers & Cameras Series, we meet three DPs whose work includes a feature already billed as a 2012 Oscar contender, the 2011 ASC Award winner for Best Cinematography in a Miniseries, and a cameraman whose cinematography scored both AICP Show and Cannes Gold Lion distinction this year.
    So read on and enjoy. As always, we very much welcome your feedback.

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