Production house Big Fish Films, Dallas, has added director Brian Mack to its roster. It represents the first commercial representation for Mack, who has worked in the Dallas production market as an assistant director and line producer for the past six years.
Already, Mack has directed his first Big Fish spot: a :30 PSA called "Santa Clause" for the Make-A-Wish Foundation promoting its annual fundraising event, Wish Night 2000. The PSA was created by Dallas-based agency Coffee/Black Advertising, and agency produced by Dallas-based Beaucoup Chapeaux (which also has an office in New York). The piece features local Dallas television station news anchor Tracy Rowlett and a group of Make-A-Wish kids (including Ellen Sykora, daughter of Coffee/ Black principal Jim Sykora, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age five). Although originally in-tended to air regionally in Texas, the PSA has been slated for national airing, according to Big Fish executive producer Leslie McCullough.
Over the years, Big Fish had worked often with Mack, who McCullough assessed as being one of the top ADs in Dallas. Along with Big Fish founder/ director Robert Latorre, Mack also helped to develop The Big Freeze, a camera rig that Big Fish offers for rental, which creates the frozen moment effect. Mack served as a special effects director on select Big Freeze projects, including a spot for Adams Golf via Temerlin McClain, Irving, Texas.
McCullough related that Mack actually directed his first project last September: a promotional piece for Miller Brewing Company-sponsored boxing events that aired regionally. Big Fish produced that piece, which was created by Dallas-based Square One and agency produced by Beaucoup Chapeaux.
"Brian is very talented," said McCullough. "He’s got an incredible vision and communicates very well with agency clients; they have a good comfort level with him. Obviously, Coffee/Black awarded him a job without him having a reel based on his ideas and some of the special effects work he’s done."
Mack said he’d been seriously considering moving into the director’s chair for the past two years. "It’s something I’ve always wanted to do," he said. "As a first AD, you bring all the departments together; you’re part of the creative. Then you hand it over to the director. So I wanted to take it one step further and just do it myself. I’ve worked with so many other directors in town, and after assistant directing with them for a while, they wanted to know what I wanted to do. They’ve given me a lot of great support."
His first directorial opportunity, on the aforementioned Miller project, came about after the agency had hired him to AD. "They didn’t have any budget for anything," said Mack. "When I found out they didn’t have any director on board, I stepped up and offered my services as a director."
Mack related that he had recently conceived an idea for a Land Rover spot that he intended to pitch to the client and its agency, GSD&M, Austin. "Robert [Latorre] knew about it, and he wanted to put me under contract before I went forward with anything, so they signed me on." Currently, Mack is seeking spec spots to help develop his reel, and hopes to specialize in live action/special effects combo projects.
Additionally, the company has formed a strategic alliance with Mexico City-based America Film Corporation (AFC). Per the deal, Big Fish will rep four AFC directors in the Southwest and in New York: Gilberto Martinez Solares, Jaime Casillas, Rob Dupear and the mono-monikered Airel. "There is such a need for Hispanic directors, especially in the Southwest," said McCullough. "These directors give us a very strong offering. Their combined talents range from comedy to special effects, and we can meet any client’s needs." She added that the company hopes to eventually establish a full-fledged Hispanic unit.
Apart from the AFC directors, Big Fish also recently struck up a deal to represent Hispanic director Luis Argueta in the Southwest excluding Houston, where he is marketed by Rio Bravo. Argueta continues to maintain his New York-based production company Morningside Movies, which handles him in New York, California, Florida, Mexico, Central America and Puerto Rico.
Mack joins Latorre on the Big Fish directorial roster. The company also provides Southwest representation for directors David Blood, John Zurik and Joe Scudiero. Big Fish is repped in the Southwest by Dallas-based Jack Reed Reps, and in New York by Bradley Latham.
