Director Michael Shapiro–whose work spans such clients as Nike, Jeep, AT&T, Starbucks, Energizer, JCPenney, Bank of America and most recently GAP and Goodyear–has joined CoMPANY, the production house headed by executive producers Robin Benson and Richard Goldstein. Shapiro complements a directorial roster that includes Josh Franer, Larry Frey, Brendan Heath, Stewart Maclennan, David McNally, Alex Ogus, Harry Patramanis, Jeff Thomas, Harald Zwart and the Coen brothers.
Shapiro has also diversified his filmmaking exploits beyond spots, having directed the comedy short Jihad as well as episodes of such primetime series as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Soldier of Fortune. Jihad features a conundrum facing two would-be terrorists when one of them finds himself an instant millionaire via a recently purchased lotto ticket. Jihad went on to garner Best Narrative Short–Special Jury Mention at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival.
Prior to joining CoMPANY, Shapiro was with Bully Pictures. His previous roosts include Space Program, GO Film and Cucoloris. Shapiro’s alluded to recent spots for GAP and Goodyear underscore a penchant for capturing people in humorous, very human moments. “Vignettes need direction, sequences that head a particular way,” said Shapiro. “My spot for GAP, ‘Get Dressed,’ started as vignettes showing kids getting dressed. I extended the story, showing the everyday challenge parents have just getting their kids up and ready to face a full, stressful day.” Shapiro concluded the spot with the children coming together for a class picture. In the just wrapped spot for Goodyear titled, “No More Flats,” Shapiro creates a teaser for the company’s soon-to-be-released flat-proof tire technology, showing the escapades drivers will soon miss. “First, there’s recognition that you have a flat tire,” said Shapiro. “Then comes the adventure.” In the spot, we see drivers pulling over to the side of the road, accessing their spare tires, rediscovering how a jack works, changing tires as cars ominously whiz by, heaving the old tire back into the trunk and finally, getting back into the cars, hands dirty with no towel to be found.
Shapiro is a graduate of both Wharton School of Business and the Graduate Film Program at the University of Michigan. “I went to business school, then to see things differently I attended film school,” related Shapiro. He started his storytelling career directing off-Broadway theater.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More