In the latest in a string of developments aimed at fortifying its domestic presence, Foreign Affaires USA, the Los Angeles-based production house headed by executive producer Wendy Macdonald, has signed French director Louis Pascal Couvelaire and the British directing team known as Partners In Crime-a.k.a. Dan Williams and Stephen Hiam-for U.S. representation. The signings come just three months after the company’s recruitment of British director Lyndon Gaul.
The Paris-based Couvelaire began directing in ’84. At the time he owned a car dealership and garage, but he was interested in movies so he began writing a script. The story was set in the advertising world, so as part of his research he contacted Jacques Seguela, the owner/director of RSCG (now Euro RSCG), Paris, for information. After his meeting with Seguela, Couvelaire ran into a friend who worked at the agency. "We spoke and did an advertising campaign together and then I directed [a commercial for Renault]," Couvelaire said. "It was all luck." He continued directing spots and over the next three years he signed with a series of commercial houses in Paris, including 1/33 Productions, Hamster Pub and Movie Boxe, before breaking out on his own. Since then he has been operating independently. In ’97 he formed his own production company, LPC Productions. He specializes in aeronautical and car spots as well as comedy. His credits include assignments for Coca-Cola out of McCann-Erickson, Casablanca, Duracell via Foote, Cone & Belding, Paris, Hitachi via Euro RSCG, Paris, and Honda out of Hakuhodo, Tokyo. He is also repped for features in the U.S. by International Creative Management’s Robert Newman, although he has yet to make his theatrical movie-directing debut.
Couvelaire was introduced to Foreign Affaires by a mutual colleague, and said he is interested in the American spot market because "it’s [good] to change your market and to meet some different agencies and different crew." He also thinks the stateside spot market has "some interesting projects" to offer. Foreign Affaires is in the process of lining up Couvelaire’s first assignment, but details had not been finalized at press time. Couvelaire brings "a different vision to the filming and lensing," Macdonald said. "Not only that, but [he’s] someone who is genuinely interested in the production and is prepared to put his time and effort into it to make it as good as possible." She further cited his skills in choreographing aircraft as a unique asset.
Both Partners In Crime (P.I.C.) and Gaul hail from the digital effects world, which Macdonald sees as an advantage. "[We figured that] if we were to bring in these directors who are hands-on with their own special effects," she said, "then it gives us an incredible maneuverability. Instead of an agency hiring a director and then going to [an effects company], we can take the whole vision through."
Hiam studied art and photography at the Chelsea School of Art in London, and in ’91 began working for 3D effects shop Digital Pictures in London. Williams briefly attended University College School in England but passed up art school and began working as a graphic designer. A growing interest in film led him to join London-based digital post shop Molinaire in ’90, where he worked as an offline editor. Gaul, a graduate of Bournemouth and Pool College’s film school in England, also worked at Molinaire. From ’90-’92 he served as the head of digital effects before leaving the company to form his own shop, Red Post Productions. At that time, both Williams and Hiam, who knew each other socially, joined the boutique effects company.
Hiam, Williams and Gaul stayed at Red for five years, Gaul as creative director and Hiam and Williams as effects artists. However in ’97, Gaul sold his share of the company because, he said, Red had grown significantly and in his capacity as a partner, "the business was taking over the creative." As for Hiam and Williams, the duo had begun directing as a team. While continuing to work as independent effects artists under the P.I.C. moniker, they joined B.F.C.S. Productions in London, which has repped the pair for the past year and continues to do so in the U.K. However the directors said their focus now is on the stateside market. "The problem that we faced in London," said Williams, "is that we have such a reputation as effects artists that people primarily want to use us for those skills. Whereas we’re hoping to move away into being viewed as directors."
P.I.C.’s directing credits include a client-direct spot titled "Naughty" for the Cabaret of Angels nightclub and music videos for Adamski’s "Introvenous Venus" on London’s ZTT Records, Slacker’s "Your Face" and "Scared" on XL Records, London, and Huff n Puff’s "Take Me Through the Night" for Avex Records, Japan. As effects artists, last year the pair took home an MTV Award for best effects for Madonna’s video "Frozen," which was directed by Chris Cunningham of bicoastal RSA USA, as well as a Gold Monitor Award for an Ericcson spot directed by Jonas Frick of Gem Films, Stockholm. The co-directors will soon embark on their first Foreign Affaires assignment-a John West canned fish job via Ammirati Puris Lintas, Sydney. (Foreign Affaires maintains an international division based in Sydney, Worldwide Foreign Affairs, which handles directors globally. In the case of P.I.C., the company represents the directorial duo worldwide except for the U.K.)
While at Red, Gaul directed spots for Molson Dry out of CCDP, Montreal, and Cadbury’s, out of Saatchi & Saatchi in London. Since leaving the shop, he has been exploring the feature arena. He directed a feature pilot for Disney, and also served as second-unit director for the two-hour final episode of Heartbeat, which was England’s top TV drama. His interest in Foreign Affaires stems from the company’s extensive production experience. "From my point of view," he added, "it was a place that was small and a tight little family. It reminded me of the early days at Red. We’re a young, contemporary team and the technology side [we have to offer] is very important." Gaul’s first assignment at Foreign Affaires was to create the effects for a Bayernwerk Electricity two-spot package, which was directed by Ian Macdonald (executive producer Macdonald’s husband), and conceived by BBDO/Hiel, Munich. Gaul’s next assignment will re-team him with the director as a consultant on a Toyota project out of Nambokusha/Tokyo.
Other Affaires
In addition to its new directors, Foreign Affaires has hired Michael Pack as executive director of sales and marketing. Pack, who joined the company six months ago, came over from the former Lord Dentsu & Partners, L.A., where he was an account manager for two years. Prior to his tenure there, he spent a year as an account manager at Ketchum Communications in L.A. He has also served in that capacity at Bozell Worldwide, L.A., and Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Boston and L.A.
Macdonald said Pack’s agency experience brings insight into her clients’ needs, which is what she was looking for. Pack added that "[Wendy’s] executive producer skills and my marketing skills [makes us] a great team. I think we have a problem solving ability that other people in our area don’t have."
This "problem solving ability" is the company’s current focus. Macdonald said that just as she sees an advantage in a director who is skilled in digital effects, she sees her international contacts as a way to offer more services under one roof and to "give agencies more quality bang for the buck." To that end, Foreign Affaires provides U.S. representation to three Sydney-based companies: graphic design/special effects shop Garner Maclennan Design, editorial house Karl Marks Films, and music/sound design shop Sound Gallery. Foreign Affaires also reps the New York-based sports research firm, Players International Ltd.
"We’re certainly after the mainstream American work," she said, "and being able to problem solve if it means taking something out of the country to make a budget or an idea work. We don’t see any borders here. What we’re seeing more of," she continued, "is that we’ll have an agency call and say, ‘Look, we have this board, these are our ambitions and this is the budget.’ Sometimes we’re able to offer a combination of our directors here or to link talent overseas. We’re not saying that when an agency steps in the door they have to go with everybody we’ve got here. It’s just to know that we have this other talent available." The company’s international network also allows Foreign Affaires to take advantage of currency exchange rates in order to trim costs. Director Macdonald said, "Our concept is still to make the most of production values in terms of foreign currencies. That’s been the concept of Foreign Affaires from day one. [Now we’re] building talent that are skilled in areas that vary, directors who have the ability to do post, and using talents within the company [rather than] having them come from other sources."
In addition to the new directors and Macdonald, who is in Australia fulfilling an assignment for Johnson & Johnson via McCann-Erickson/New York, Foreign Affaires’ directorial roster includes Dana Rayson, Dean Semler, Peter Romano and Franco Marinelli.
Rayson, who is based in Sydney, where she is repped by the aforementioned Garner Maclennan Design, joined Foreign Affaires a year ago. For her part, she said she’s "happy to go anywhere" for an assignment and added that technology is "tying everything together" so that distance isn’t a barrier. Also skilled in effects, the director/designer is known for her award-winning client-direct TV station promos for Arena. At last year’s Clio Awards in New York, her J. Walter Thompson corporate image piece, "Inside Your Head," took home a bronze for special effects. Other credits include Harper’s Bazaar via BBDO, Sydney, and Nutragrain out of J. Walter Thompson, Sydney. Presently, she is wrapping a three-spot live-action assignment for Who Weekly via Bam SSB, Sydney.
Feature director/cinematographer Semler, who won an Academy Award for cinematography on Dances with Wolves, is currently serving as DP on a Sylvester Stallone feature. Likewise, feature director/DP Romano, who is known for his underwater photography, as seen in Titanic and Saving Private Ryan, is currently serving as DP on a forthcoming James Bond film. Marinelli, who came to directing from a fine arts background, is fulfilling an assignment in the Pacific Rim, but details were not available at press time.
In addition to sales director Pack, Foreign Affaires is repped by Chicago-based independent Lauren McNamara. Wendy Macdonald is in the process of lining up an East Coast sales rep. The earlier alluded to Worldwide Foreign Affaires handles overseas representation for Crossroads Films, bicoastal and Chicago. Worldwide Foreign Affaires also reps A Band Apart Commercials, bicoastal and Minneapolis, in the Australian and Asian ad markets. Macdonald handles international sales, and Sydney-based in-house rep Liesl Macdonald oversees sales in Australia and Asia.
