Prior to judges voting on the winner of the Directors Guild of America Award for Best Commercial Director of 1998, the DGA disqualified a spot entry from nominee Rocky Morton of Morton Jankel Zander, Los Angeles.
According to a DGA spokesperson, the disqualification did not affect the final outcome or the field of nominated directors. Director Kinka Usher of House of Usher Films, Santa Monica, won the DGA spot award earlier this month (SHOOT, 3/12, p. 1).
The DGA threw out the Morton-helmed Egg-conceived by Marina del Rey, Calif.-based agency Ground Zero for the SegaSoft CD-Rom entitled Obsidian-upon determining that the spot did not debut in calendar year 98 but instead in 97. However, a DGA representative told SHOOT that the judging committee still felt that the balance of Mortons submitted work was still deserving of a nomination. Those other entries were: FOX Sports Feet from Cliff Freeman and Partners, New York; and Sony PlayStations Laundromat as well as Taco Bells Bobbing Head and Romeo and Juliet, all from TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles.
At press time, SHOOT phone calls to Morton and David Zander, whos exec. producer of Morton Jankel Zander, had not been returned.
Shortly after Morton received the nomination last month, SHOOT asked him specifically about the chronological validity of Eggas an entry (SHOOT, 2/12, p. 1). At that time, Morton explained that while the spot first aired in 97, additional footage had since been shot, and the revised version debuted last year, qualifying it for the DGA competition.
In addition to Usher and Morton, the field of DGA nominees this year also consisted of Amy Hill & Chris Riess of Tony K., Santa Monica and London, Peter Darley Miller of Stiefel & Company, Hollywood, and Tarsem of bicoastal/international @radical.media.
Usher won on the strength of five entries: Sonys Egg from Young & Rubicam, New York; Mountain Dews Michael Johnsons World via BBDO New York; Miller Brewing Companys Cupid out of Fallon McElligott, Minneapolis; Nikes Undercover Ushers for Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore.; and Hallmarks Neighbor Lady from Leo Burnett Co., Chicago.
