On May 28 at the DGA Theater in New York, SHOOT will debut its seventh annual New Directors Showcase reel, which will become available on May 29 at www.shootonline.com/go/newdirectorswebreel. The reel reflects the work and inventive talent of 32 helmers–27 individual directors, four directorial duos and a three-person team.
Helping to fashion the 2009 New Directors Showcase lineup were entries from SHOOT’s ’09 New Directors Search, choice work from SHOOT’s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery, our Up-And-Coming Directos features, and feedback from advertising agency creatives and producers.
Here’s a look at this year’s field of talent:
Alex Anderson
ONE at Optimus
Optimus’ “Done” promo
How did you get into directing?I simply started making films. I had worked at an agency, plus I was a rep, so I had insight into both the production and the advertising worlds. A creative director friend liked my choice of subject and the impulsive narrative in one of my little Gummo-style films and hired me to direct a project that wanted to have a similar vibe.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?The promo I shot for Optimus was just released in the spring, and I’ve been prepping a little film about monsters with a clever script from Mike Smith and Greg Hahn of BBDO.
What is the best part of being a director?I love working in this time where human beings are just gorging on content. There is more opportunity to make stuff and gain an audience now than ever. Connect with the audience and succeed. Simple.
Bif (Jules Janaud, Fabrice le Nezet, Francois Roisin)The Mill, London
Dix short film
How did you get into directing?We all met during our studies at the French school, SUPINFOCOM. Fabrice had collaborated on a short film called Dynamo and Jules and Francois completed a separate short called 90 Degrees. As we were all working at The Mill after our studies, we decided to get together to make films as a trio. We created our collective, named it Bif and started production on Raymond, our first joint short film.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?
The last commercial we completed was a spot called “City” for Vodafone in the U.K. We are currently working on a Ford commercial for the U.S. market which is due to finish this month.
What is the best part of being a director?The best part is having the opportunity to develop new types of narration and graphic design for every piece of work we take on.
Sophie CarettaIdentity, New York
Careerbuilder.com spec spot
How did you get into directing?I first studied architecture and photography in Argentina before attending the F.E.M.I.S, a French film school, in the image department. There, I discovered directing through short films and documentaries. Telling stories and giving meaning to what I do has become a vital need that I’ve satisfied. I rely on the randomness of meetings and draw inspiration from everything, from fashion to painting, to photography and the cinema–from life in general. I try to keep in close collaboration with my subconscious, which I consider richer and more free, while holding onto the humor and poetry of everyday life.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?
My most recent project was a spot for a new Davidoff men’s cologne, “Hot Water,” shot in Brazil. The film was for the release of a new fragrance and will not be launched until September 2009 so I cannot give any more details at this time but I think it will be a beautiful film.
What is the best part of being a director?I enjoy sharing in the “collective creation”–using the scripts as a trampoline for my imagination, the free association of the image you create and the product it represents. The challenge is to find the emotion that rings true.
Áine Carey
Ishmael’s “Better In These Times” music video
How did you get into directing?
I have always known I wanted to be a director. I went to NYU for directing. After graduating I had the privilege of being mentored by the legendary acting teacher William Esper. I went on to attend the Masters Program at Rutgers University for Acting and Directing. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?
I have just completed a health care spot that combined my passion for real people casting and authentic life moments with classic film language to create an emotionally moving campaign.
What is the best part of being a director?It’s like being a painter only people are your palette. Everyone from the PA to the account manager plays a significant role in the final product. It is amazing to blend all the converging colors into a harmonic vision.
Gregg CassonClimate Change “Moving Day” PSA
How did you get into directing?I saw Jurassic Park on opening night as a nine year old. To this day, that moment is still the most vivid experience of my life. I was so blown away by the film, I managed to completely skip over the ‘jaw on the floor’ reaction and instinctively went to work on a sequel. Needless to say, my proposed follow up–Triassic Park–was abandoned, but the passion for creating in this medium continued. I discovered short form as an undergraduate and found it a natural fit for my “creative voice.” Directing commercials was the next logical step.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?I just finished a spec for Oakley. For the longest time, I had this idea floating around in my head of a vault-style robbery with a twist. At the same time, I wanted to do an Oakley commercial that moved the brand away from their traditional extreme sports montage work. I couldn’t resolve either project until it dawned on me to bring the two together. The final spot is on my site: greggcasson.com
What is the best part of being a director?The opportunity and encouragement to dream big. There’s nothing more simultaneously frustrating, exciting, nauseating and rewarding than coming up with an idea and tenaciously protecting it until completion. What other job has you working with the most talented people from so many different fields on a daily basis?
Ishay Karni EckhausVolvo S60’s “Cafe”
McCann Erickson Israel, Tel Aviv
How did you get into directing?Born March 7, 1973, Tel Aviv, Israel. Studied motion picture photography and directing at The Open University of Israel. 1984 I began working as an on-set camera assistant trainee. Since then, I worked on hundreds of local and global productions as one of Israel’s leading first camera assistants. Early 1995 I began working on a project which opened my path into the world of directing for both stage and television. From 1997 I became a Master Teacher for actors. In 2008, after several years of experience in performing arts and cinematography, I turned to directing commercials as the primary focus of my career path.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?Negev Ceramics Nouveau Imagine Product: floor tiles with pattern chosen by the customer–an internationally patented development. Describes situation in which the hero, an office-building cleaner who’s obsessed with cleanliness and order struggles with the lobby floor, trying to remove what he thinks is a stain. He doesn’t realize that it’s part of a huge picture printed on the floor.
What is the best part of being a director?Being able to have an impact on viewers, by creating a simple storyline that makes them identify with the hero — in different, interesting situations. I believe that the most important thing a director should remember is to make things precise, smart and never to let go of a dream.
Fx & MatNexus Productions, London
Royal Bank of Canada’s “Mr. Long Legs”
BBDO Toronto
How did you get into directing?We started at 10 making terrible horror movies and finding we were that bad but happy to do so–made us want to do that as a job! Then we studied and met at school and directed our first “official” animated short film, en tus brazos, and thanks to its success we could start directing other projects!
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?
We are actually working on a top secret project for the Olympics… oops it’s not a secret anymore…
What is the best part of being a director?
You can turn into films, images that are in your head! That’s really exciting.
Kim GehrigAcademy Films, London
Amnesty International’s You Are Powerful
Mother, London
How did you get into directing?Directing was something I thought about doing for a long time before I worked up the courage to actually do it. Through college (Central St Martins) I tinkered with filmmaking, but then focused more on art-direction, landing a job at Mother. While at Mother I worked with different directors and started to imagine myself in their shoes. I was always thinking how I would direct the spot if I were shooting. Then when I was working as a creative on a spot with the lovely Dougal Wilson, I talked to him about some music video ideas I had. He was so enthusiastic about them and really prompted me to start directing. From here I made my first music video, and fell in love with directing and filmmaking.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?The Lastminute.com Mexican thumb wave which was a one off TV event where you could channel hop from ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 to see 3x60second spots as one complete piece. It was a total adventure of a job that took us to four countries in a week. It was part documentary, part set up, part luck!
What is the best part of being a director?The genuine, to the core, satisfaction when you make a really good piece of work.
Robin HaysRadke Film Group, Toronto
adidas’ “Sneakerhead” spec spot
How did you get into directing?
I decided to give directing a go after producing for my friends. I realized that if I was putting together projects for them, I could do it for myself. Turns out I love it. Think I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?Honda’s “Full Speed Fly!”
What is the best part of being a director?Taking ideas and turning them into something tangible that can be shared. Creating/collaborating/imagining and meeting new friends to play with.
Hoffman Brothers (Matt and Mark)harvest, Santa Monica
Bud Light’s “Man Treats” spec spot
How did you get into directing?Matt: Our Dad brought home a video camera one day and we started making home movies.
Mark: That’s true.
Matt: Mark would get behind the camera and tell me what to do.
Mark: Also true.
Matt: One time I had chicken pox real bad and my brother exploited my miserable condition to make a movie about a dangerous disease outbreak.
Mark: I don’t remember that.
Matt: Things pretty much haven’t changed.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?Matt: We are currently forming a Dog Nation for “Mighty Dog” dog food. It’s kind of like the Obama campaign meets….
Mark: Homeward Bound.
Matt: Yes, exactly. Well done, brother.
Mark: Thank you.
What is the best part of being a director?Matt: I’d say the fact that we get to work together as brothers and as a duo.
Mark: Sure.
Matt: We can play to each other’s strengths, almost like operating on two sides of the same brain.
Mark: My side is a larger, and looks like a jumbo tractor.
Matt: Please excuse my brother, he hasn’t had his nap yet.
Mark: I hate the word nap.
Paul Iannacchino, Jr.Creative Bubble, New York
Head Apparel’s “Speed” viral (produced by Czar, Hamburg)
A&S, Berlin
How did you get into directing?
I got my start in commercials as part of the in-house agency for the NFL. However, I think like anyone in this business, when I reminisce about my childhood, it goes hand in hand with whatever I was watching on TV or snuck into at the movies when my parents dropped me off under the guise of seeing Footloose. So the first time I stepped onto a set sealed the deal (much to the chagrin of that director I’m sure).
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?
I’m sure the reason my name is on this list is a direct result of my most recent work, a viral for HEAD that features Novak Djokovic in the mother of all instant replays. I think it’s fair to say that I’ll be the “nipple tassel” guy for some time to come. Top o’ the world Ma!
What is the best part of being a director?I’m going to paraphrase from something I read Jake Scott quoted as saying (hopefully in SHOOT)…I doubt I could come up with anything better. What other job let’s you travel the world, meet interesting people and sit on a dolly and look important? I may choose to do that wearing nipple tassels, but hey? That’s just how I roll.
Jesse Jacobs
Skittles’ “Mindbender” spec spot
How did you get into directing?When I first learned to draw, I asked my dad, “How do I get my hand to do what is in my mind?” I always loved characters and stories that existed in a bent reality, and at some point I realized these ideas couldn’t be shot with a camera alone. Creatively, I built a foundation in theater, improvisation, visual effects, animation and design, then started in TV commercial post in Chicago, where I created spots and shorts that finally led to directing work. Since moving to L.A., I’ve been a spot director, first with Ka-Chew! and later, with Anonymous Content.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?
Some of my recent spots showcase my abilities for creating live action with a visual twist. Skittles was a blast. We went into the shoot meticulously prepared for an efficient production to allow improvisation that would later fit together seamlessly with the visual effects. I also directed and animated a UPS whiteboard commercial featuring a woman whose dry erase marker drawings come to life.
What is the best part of being a director?I love bringing an idea into reality and playing in the moment at each phase of the process. I’m drawn to concepts that emerge from the unconscious. It’s great fun figuring out how to bring a dream to life and to create an atmosphere where characters and stories unfold spontaneously. Nick JasenovecNonfiction Unlimited, bicoastal What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?My most recent project is Paper Heart, a feature film that mixes documentary and loosely scripted narrative elements. It’s about Charlyne Yi, a girl who doesn’t believe in love, searching for answers and advice by making a documentary about the subject. Soon after filming begins, she meets Michael Cera and the cameras capture their relationship as it unfolds. What is the best part of being a director?Getting to work with so many talented, creative people. How did you get into directing?My first job in Hollywood was as a grip on Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. I was so lucky to be a part of that production and to see Quentin’s passion for filmmaking up close. I went on to become a producer and was nominated for Academy Awards for a couple of my films–Lost in Translation and In the Bedroom. I knew, however, that I wanted to be able to write and direct my own stories and my first feature, HBO’s Taking Chance, provided the perfect vehicle for me to express myself as a filmmaker. What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?Taking Chance premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and on HBO in February. I co-wrote the script with Lt. Col. Mike Stroble based on his journal about being an escort for a fallen soldier, Chance Phelps, and directed. It’s a moving story about America. I tried to tell it visually, with little dialogue. I couldn’t have done this without my amazing cast, including the brilliant Kevin Bacon. What is the best part of being a director? How did you get into directing?Have you ever been to Tempe, AZ? Not a whole lot to do there, even for a kid. You can only pull the tail off a lizard so many times before you start to consider a life of crime. So instead of ripping off the local gas and sip, I started telling stories. Stories were always a big part of my family gatherings, so putting it on tape seemed like the natural progression to it all. Either way it entertained me and it entertained them, so I figured why stop? What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?Just finished a McDonald’s campaign for BBDO Moscow in Ukraine. I’ve been working steadily with Russian agencies for a few years now. Before that I shot a St. Louis Cardinals campaign. I love the contrast. Currently, I’m finishing up the sixth episode of a webseries I co-created and sold to Fremantle Media called LA I.C.E. It’s about US immigration officers who hunt down Canadians. YouTube it. What is the best part of being a director?The people I meet. I have met so many interesting people with so many interesting stories it’s ridiculous. And then there’s the process. The tone, casting, production design, shooting, trying new things, collaborating, editing, finishing, exploding high-fives, and drinking wine from a golden goblet. That stuff is pretty cool too. How did you get into directing? What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?A campaign for Airtran Airways out of Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago with creatives Pat Hanna, Andrei Chahine, Ryan Stotts, Michelle Litos and Larry Liss. (But please don’t print their names because these spots are funny and I don’t want to share any of the credit.) What is the best part of being a director?There are too many to list, but near the top is getting to ride shotgun while tall people have to sit in the back. And by tall, I mean anybody over five feet, five inches. How did you get into directing?After a few years of watching my screenplays bob along with the other flotsam in the Hollywood sea, I wrote and directed my first feature, Filmic Achievement, mostly to save myself from going to law school. I was the guy who swore I would never direct, but after my first big directing project, some kind of switch flipped on in my brain. I can’t quite articulate that phenomenon–however, after screening that film in 20 film festivals and then directing my second feature, I can’t imagine not directing. What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?A nine-spot documentary campaign for Akron Children’s Hospital that was recently featured in the New York Times. And Running America, a feature doc that follows two ultra-runners across the U.S. in the six weeks prior to the presidential election. I interviewed over 150 Americans along the run’s route. It was an incredible experience. What is the best part of being a director?Besides being able to execute my over-caffeinated 3 a.m. ideas on a grand scale, it’s the human connection–earning the trust of both actors and non-actors alike so that something compelling and undeniably emotional happens in front of the camera. The added bonus is that I often end up learning as much about myself as I do about them. How did you get into directing?My dad brought home a HI 8 video camera when I was eight years old. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I fell in love with capturing real moments around the house. As I got older I started shooting skate videos for my friends along with the occasional blowing up of watermelons with M80s. Everyone liked my leadership and ideas and I thought, “hey this is pretty f*ckin rad.” What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project? What is the best part of being a director?My favorite part of being a director is seeing the reaction of people while I am showing them my spots. I love to make people laugh and it’s so rewarding when I can see them crack a smile. How did you get into directing? What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project? What is the best part of being a director?Andre: To bring imagination to life (…and I love to cheat on life) How did you get into directing? What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?My most recent commercial project was a very creative campaign for Coke Zero that I hope will pleasantly surprise viewers. Filming this type of project is always challenging and enriching. In addition, working alongside Ogilvy Buenos Aires is a true privilege. What is the best part of being a director?That’s a tough one- I suppose I’m forced to exclude all the travel and free food, and never mind all the girls that talk to me only because I’m a director. But without a shadow of a doubt: The best thing about this profession is that it gives you the opportunity to work with very talented people from whom one can always learn something new. How did you get into directing?I’ve been shooting since about the sixth grade when I convinced my father to buy our family’s first video camera. They never saw it again. It was immediately co-opted to facilitate the production of countless slasher flicks, and many hours of very off-color sketch comedy. Fast-forward through high school, film school, and a few years touring in a band, I found myself working art department on film shoots and directing my own projects. I then connected with Radar Studios and the rest is history– or the present. Both? What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?I most recently completed a spot for Qdoba Mexican Grill and Amalgamated, out of New York. It was shot using stop motion animation. Before that, I directed a live action comedy spot for Procter & Gamble and Leo Burnett. Currently, I’m in pre-production on two music videos. What is the best part of being a director?Well, obviously seeing a fully realized creative project from concept to completion is beyond satisfying. However– telling people what to do, burning bridges, and drug-fueled orgies with actresses is cool too. How did you get into directing?Since I was little I loved the arts, all of them, and could never decide which one I liked the best. So, when the time came, after my graduation from high school, to decide what to do with myself, I discovered that I could combine all the arts by making movies. It was a dream come true and one that I followed head on without ever looking back. What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?Right now I am shooting my MFA thesis short film, entitled Romeo Vs. Juliet, a story that answers the question: What if Romeo and Juliet survived and lived in modern Verona, N.Y.? Can the greatest romance of all time survive the reality of a relationship? The answer is of course as simple and complicated as love itself is. What is the best part of being a director?The best part of being a director is probably directing actors. During my years in the States, I have learned to respect and love these amazing people as never before. It’s always a pleasure and a thrill to be the one who guides them into transforming a concept on paper into real life drama. And the excitement never seems to grow old. How did you get into directing?There were three seminal events in my life that led me to becoming a film director, and they all occurred during the sixth grade. I was the lead in the school play. I went to science camp. My towel fell off after swim practice and people laughed. The last event taught me two important things: I learned that I loved making people laugh, but I was going to have to suffer a bit to do it. What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?Recent work includes spots for Florida Tourism with Zimmerman/Atlanta, McDonalds for DDB Bulgaria, Beeline Cellular for BBDO Moscow, and Oticon for Ogilvy & Mather. Also, I’m teaching my bulldog to ride a skateboard and teaching filmmaking to inner city kids in NYC. What is the best part of being a director?Spots I admire are the ones with great acting, and that’s what I’m interested in as a director. I love scouring the field for the perfect cast, evolving the story by creating complex characters, and helping actors deliver honest moments that people remember. How did you get into directing?While I was at Brandeis in the 1990s, I shot my first film on a high tech VHS camcorder. The film was a comedy about a guy who meets God. Thankfully, I lost the finished film so now no one can see how bad it was, but I had the film bug as surely as the world has swine flu. I then majored in Film Studies because, let’s be honest, who goes to college to actually study, right? That was followed up by a masters in Film in England and then, voila, I was a director. I had George Clooney give a talk where he said that “Directing is the best entry level job in Hollywood today.” He was right. What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?I just returned from Japan where I shot some spots for the new 2010 Ford Mustang. The branded films are currently airing as four minute spots and will be cut into a 45-minute documentary for Discovery/Speed TV. I normally shoot comedy dialogue, so it was a refreshing change to shoot this. It was part of my prize for winning grand prize in the JWT /Ford competition run by Filmaka. What is the best part of being a director?For me, I love the challenge of having a blank page and creating something from scratch. It is the most fulfilling part of my professional life and I don’t know what I would do without it. I also love the satisfaction of touching an audience, be it through humor or a story with more depth. How did you get into directing?I found that directing was a way that I could use my artistic skills to make people feel. That’s what is ultimately most important; to have an impact on the people that see your work. It can be funny, sad, touching or just quirky and interesting. The knowledge that these short little films we call ads can touch so many people at once is quite empowering. This is the satisfaction that allows me to be driven to do more, do better and find bigger and better audiences to affect with my film. What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project? What is the best part of being a director?The best part of being a director is being given the tools, the crew and creative that allows me to put a huge part of my inner self into the final spot. I am allowed to take a concept and tell a story from my own point of view. How did you get into directing? What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?My recent projects are all very different from one another. I have done two spots; one for a fragrance brand and one for a denim line. While the first is an abstract journey through a young girl’s mind and is very experimental; the latter is a reality portrayed through repetition of the familiar day-to-day life experience. I suppose most of my work has to do with transformation of some sort. What is the best part of being a director?“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamer of dreams” sounds like an appropriate quote. As director you get to create an alternate reality that makes sense to you. Out of all the randomness we create in our subconscious, we get to recreate it for a mass audience as we see fit. Aaron Platt How did you get into directing?I started shooting film and was always behind a camera at first. I bought a Super 8 and fell in love with the process of handling a miniature filmstrip. Film was silent and needed something to drive it. So there was a passion for music growing by film’s side as I learned. It all converged over time and directing came from an urge to create specific images to ideas inspired from music I loved. What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?My recent projects are all very different from one another. I have done two spots; one for a fragrance brand and one for a denim line. While the first is an abstract journey through a young girl’s mind and is very experimental; the latter is a reality portrayed through repetition of the familiar day-to-day life experience. I suppose most of my work has to do with transformation of some sort. What is the best part of being a director?“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamer of dreams” sounds like an appropriate quote. As director you get to create an alternate reality that makes sense to you. Out of all the randomness we create in our subconscious, we get to recreate it for a mass audience as we see fit. The Purchase BrothersAnonymous Content, bicoastal How did you get into directing?We’ve always loved movies. We started off by picking up our parents’ high 8 camcorder in the early ’90s and we haven’t stopped since. It’s been a lifelong learning process so far. We started filming a guerilla-style indie feature film that we are now completing before transitioning into commercials. We made our spec spots, which we launched on Sons and Daughters in Canada, and a week or so later we were picked up by Anonymous Content for U.S. representation. Both are fantastic companies with great people that we are proud to be associated with. It has been quite an exciting time. What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?“Escape to City 17” is our most recent project, which we created guerilla-style with a budget of $500. The shooting location proved challenging, as everything was being improvised, and we were chased out by security. We find it a personal challenge and an adventure to discover just how much we can make out of nothing. What is the best part of being a director? How did you get into directing? What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project? What is the best part of being a director?I think the constant challenge of communicating an idea or story in a new way has always fascinated me. As a director, you’re able to immerse yourself in that opportunity. Shira-Lee ShalitOpen Air short (produced by Arcady Bay, New York) How did you get into directing?At age 5, in my grandparents’ living room, directing shows with my younger brother and cousins. (My grandfather was a director so it runs in the family, my brother became an actor/producer.) I was a professional child actor in South Africa and then in the U.S. I later realized how passionate I am about bringing the whole story to life, and how much I love film, so I moved behind the camera, got my MFA from Columbia Grad Film in Directing… and found my true calling. What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?
Paper Heart (feature film and trailer)
How did you get into directing?I first started writing and directing comedy short films in high school, in a video class during the day and in a community college film class at night . I’d always loved movies, but once I started making them I knew there was nothing else I wanted to do with my life.
Ross Katz
TWC, Santa Monica
Taking Chance
I love the collaboration that comes with being a director and being able to work with a team of people to realize a story. Telling a great story effectively is really all it’s about. Whether it’s a commercial or a feature, I want to tell a great story.
Timothy KendallRhythm+Hues, Los Angeles
Minnesota Tourism’s “Office Boarding” (produced by Drive-Thru, Minneapolis)
Clarity Coverdale Fury, Minneapolis
KennyO Positive, bicoastal/international
Boomerang GPS’ “Santa”
I wrote work directly for clients and talked them into letting me shoot it. I started off with little mom and pop operations like Anheuser Busch.
Kevin KerwinAuthentic Films, Cleveland
Akron Children’s Hospital’s “Nick”
Marcus Thomas, Cleveland
Brandon Kraines
Stray Dog LLC, Franklin, Tenn.
“Hands-Free” spec viral (produced by Stereo Lab Films/United Front Films, Los Angeles)
I just finished shooting two comedy spots in Vancouver for MTS. We shot three real buffaloes in the middle of a blizzard–pure awesomeness. Right now I am in production on two docu-reality shows and a webseries for MySpace–but shhhh–that’s on the low.
André Maat and Henk LoorbachLost Highway Films, New York
Cult TV spec IDs
Andre: I was too animated to be an astronaut, too stubborn for a politician, too creative for a designer and too easily drunk for a rock musician.
Henk: I am really an exotic scientist which turned out to be the other word for director in my language.
Andre: I did a totally analog in-camera splitscreen music video.
Henk: A series of stop motion program idents with found objects, cardboard and a bag full of googley eyes, and together we did a couple of Stuntman episodes for kids.
Henk: To bring life to imagination.
Both: That we found a lifestyle that doesn’t stop between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Gonzalo “Gonzo” LlorenteCarbo Films, Santa Monica
Movistar’s “Not For Me”
Y2R Buenos Aires
After several years of working in almost all facets of filmmaking (particularly in the field of coffee runs), I was finally given the opportunity I had been waiting for. The executive producer had a stroke; it was a decisive moment in my career. I picked up the phone, held him firmly with my right hand, looked him straight in the eye and threatened not to call 911 unless I was assigned a project. In between sobs he said he couldn’t do it while there were other available directors at the production company. Strangely enough, a week later they all suffered an acute case of dysentery, possibly due to the ingestion of large quantities of laxatives in the coffee. That’s the day I began directing
Sam MaconRadar Studios, Chicago
AirTran Airways’ “Gamer”
Cramer Krasselt, Chicago
Lapo MelziAfrican-American Planning Commission’s “Paper Child”
Jason MooreBack Alley Films, Kansas City, MO (for Midwest representation)
U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Ryman” alternative media spec
Jonathan NewmanSerendipity Films, London
Ford Mustang/Filmaka’s “Father Day” branded content
JWT Team Detroit
Otis
The Artists Company, bicoastal
Brady Bill PSA “Bullets”
My proudest moment lately was the Campaign for the MOFTB through the Mayor’s film office. I was given a chance to show people within the production community and portray them as real people, but do so in a way that shows them at their best and most engaging. They were real people who ended up de-mystifying the film business and showed how they are regular people just like us.
Aaron Platt
The Glitterati’s “Keep Me Up All Night” music video
I started shooting film and was always behind a camera at first. I bought a Super 8 and fell in love with the process of handling a miniature filmstrip. Film was silent and needed something to drive it. So there was a passion for music growing by film’s side as I learned. It all converged over time and directing came from an urge to create specific images to ideas inspired from music I loved.
The Glitterati’s “Keep Me Up All Night” music video
Sons and Daughters, Toronto
Escape From City 17, Half-Life video game spec short
Being able to make movies and commercials that we would want to watch.
Doug PurverOmar and His Sky Hook short
Having spent the last six years animating and compositing in the postproduction side of filmmaking, I have worked closely with some great directors in New York and Los Angeles. Being responsible for making their vision come to life into a final product had always left me eager and really fed the drive to see and do more. With a pile of random ideas and sketches, it seemed to be the next step. With Omar and His Skyhook, I was really able to step into that role, and I have never felt more comfortable. starting with a fragment of a thought, sculpting it into a stronger concept, and then collaborating with other talent to create something special.
I am currently in production of another short piece. It explores the contrasts of time and spatial relationships, as well as the delicate balance between nature and human impact. That’s all I can say for now!
I was hired to direct Open Air, a woman’s desperate struggle to find safety during wartime, starring Lynn Cohen (Golda Meir in Munich) and written by David Paterson (Bridge to Terabithia). Selected for 20 film festivals so far, Open Air was nominated for Best American Short at Swansea International Film Festival, U.K, and won an Accolade Award for Excellence in Film.
Mitch Stratten
Hungry Man, bicoastal/international
Toshiba’s “Time Sculpture”
Grey, London
How did you get into directing?I got into directing through d.i.y. filmmaking. solving problems.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?
My last spot was the 200 camera system piece called “Timesculpture” for Toshiba.
What is the best part of being a director?I don’t have a favorite part of filmmaking because for me everything is interlinked. I like working with people but also like technical challenges. Some people find it a bit jarring when they try and put me in one of those boxes.
Shawn ZeytinogluMini Cooper’s “Find Yourself” spec spot
Taxi Canada
How did you get into directing?At a fairly young age I was introduced to Godard, Demme, Scorsese, Truffaut, Tati, Altman, Polanski, etc. They’re greatness motivated me to get involved in visual storytelling.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?A still photo campaign for a Toronto-based boutique hotel. Cinematic style, story driven images.
What is the best part of being a director?Getting to use my imagination.
Mark ZibertSons and Daughters, Toronto
RSA, London
Parkinson Society Canada’s “Struggle”
Taxi 2, Toronto
How did you get into directing?I didn’t get into film school so I took photography instead and focused on that. Then I got into advertising photography and through that I got to work with some of the best creatives in Canada and eventually started working on some of the best campaigns internationally. Through these contacts I was able to hook up a few gigs directing commercials.
What is your most recent spot project? If you haven’t done a recent commercial, what is your most recent project?The one I’m working on right now–a five-spot campaign for Nissan.
What is the best part of being a director?Being able to choose a team to work with–art department, AD, DP–honing your team of guys that you work together with consistently on the creative process. That’s good because their input brings stuff to the next level.
Effective May 29, The 2009 New Directors Showcase Reel will be available to view at www.shootonline.com/go/newdirectorswebreel
