On May 10 at the DGA Theatre in New York City, SHOOT debuted its ninth annual New Directors Showcase reel, which is now available at http://nds.shootonline.com.
The latest edition of the Showcase and reel reflects the work, creative sensibilities and inventive talent of 32 helmers–30 individual directors and one directorial duo–covering 31 Showcase slots.
Helping to fashion the 2011 New Directors Showcase were entries from SHOOT’s 2011 New Directors Search, choice work from SHOOT’s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery, our Up-And-Coming Directors features, and feedback from advertising agency creatives and producers.
Below are thumbnail sketches of the Showcase directors. Additional Q&As with each director appear on http://nds.shootonline.com. (More detailed coverage on the New Directors Showcase panel discussion and related developments will appear in the June 17 print issue and concurrent e.dition.)
Here’s a look at this year’s field of talent:
How did you get into directing?I’ve been directing my whole life… in my head. I’ve loved stories since I was a kid because my grandfather was a writer. At six or seven, my uncle took my cousins and I to see a re-run of Ben-Hur and the chase scene sparked my love for visual storytelling. In my teens, I thought I wanted to be an actor, but quickly realized I wasn’t any good. After college, I fell into advertising by chance. Being on set to shoot my commercials felt so natural, I always knew directing would be my next step. Although it took a huge leap of faith, I finally quit my job as a creative director and went back to school. Two years ago I shot my first spec, which started my career. What is your most recent project?I’ve been busy this year with web projects and commercials. Right now we are prepping a couple of new commercials with really interesting ideas. What I’m most excited about is a short film I have in pre-production. I teamed up with my wife, who is a screenwriter. She wrote the project that I’ll be directing in the fall. What is the best part of being a director?The opportunity to work with incredibly talented people from different areas: designers, writers, photographers, and especially actors. It keeps it interesting and new every time. I love the collaborative process. |
How did you get into directing?We both started out as still photographers. On a basic level we are just story tellers. We found that live action is just another fantastic way to tell a story, and we get to mix in a bunch of fun tools like music, and movement. There are so many magical things that can be done, and ways to reach so many people. Really, we just want to spin tales, and whatever medium we can use to do that, we will. What is your most recent project?We have so many projects swirling around in our heads. Right now we are really keen on a music video art piece that we’ve just begun. It’s great to collaborate with artists and clients that will let you stretch your legs artistically, and we are really fortunate to be working with people like that right now. What is the best part of being a director?We love working with people that are excited about what they do, and excited to make something special. We feel so lucky every day to be around people who inspire us with their creativity and dedication, and I think that is the best part about this career. |
How did you get into directing?Ever since I was a kid, I have loved movies. All I knew is that I wanted to be involved in film, in any kind of aspect. My father was a photographer, so he encouraged me to shoot pictures everyday. I guess I felt comfortable with a camera at an early age. My first week of college, I started working on a local PBS TV show called alt.news. It was the beginning of a new season and they needed directors, editors and producers. I jumped at the chance and never looked back. What is your most recent project?I recently had the opportunity to combine forces with my team at ONE and The Martin Agency to create two teen anti-texting while driving spots for Project Yellow Light. For the first spot, “MultiTEXT,” my goal was to literally over stimulate the viewer. Students today are multitasking so much that I thought it was critical to visualize their day, however, once they get into their car, there’s only one thing they need to focus on, and that’s the road in front of them. With the second spot, “The Last Text,” it was important to me to not have any cuts. We’re a very voyeuristic society and I felt locking in on the texting conversation could really be haunting in our audience’s mind. What is the best part of being a director?No doubt about it, the collaboration. It’s such a team effort when directing a project. |
How did you get into directing?I got into directing by being an over-achieving ad guy. When I graduated ad school, I just wanted to make some great ads. I never dreamed I’d open my own ad agency and win these giant, monster accounts, and find myself flying all over the map to run it. Yet running an agency had this incredible and intoxicating momentum, and it took a while to realize, “wait a minute- I’ve gone and promoted myself out of all the fun stuff.” So starting to direct was just my natural reaction to having been in one too many business meetings. So in the summer and fall of 2010, I wrote and shot two campaigns for clients that had bypassed ad agencies, and then got the opportunity to sign with Epoch. What is your most recent project?A couple of great fashion ad spoofs for Old Navy. They lambast the fashion choices of “that guy.” You know, the one that wears shirts with embroidered dragons and leather pants? We’re bringing to life what would be one of his favorite labels- “Doo-Shay.” It looks and feels like a high end fashion ad–hot models, overcranked, artsy cross-processed film, moody soundtrack, but things are definitely way, way off. This guy’s definitely a “Doo-Shay.” It’s a great exercise in art direction and mocking. What is the best part of being a director?For me personally, it’s being able to really focus and craft things to the n-th degree. The creative process in advertising has been accelerated to absolute breakneck speed. Most creative teams I know at agencies are juggling multiple assignments across multiple mediums for multiple clients. They rarely have more than an hour at a time to focus on something, no joke. What I’m enjoying about directing is getting to take a single idea, analyze all its possibilities and pitfalls, and make it great as a result. Great ideas need to be figured out and crafted to become great films. |
How did you get into directing?By finding an old super-8 camera in my father’s wardrobe in my youth. And then using it to recreate alien invasions and explosive Bond action, more often than not by putting good-natured friends in harm’s way. What is your most recent project?I’m currently editing a Pepsi campaign I shot involving innovative graffiti/street artists. Recently, my production company Savage put me in touch with Minneapolis-based studio Motion504 and together we made a TV commercial for Greenpeace’s Unfriend Coal push, a far more direct piece than the Greenpeace: Unfriend Coal viral I made for the initial stages of the campaign. What is the best part of being a director?If I answered the feeling of TOTAL POWER would you think any less of me? Hm. Not that then. Not awards or praise because I’m just too awkwardly British to take it in my stride. How about the wonderful privilege of being allowed to unleash talents so much better than yours at your personal whimsies? …that’s the one. |
How did you get into directing?One day, many years ago, when I was just an infant, I sat in the backseat while my Father and his brother were arguing in a car. When my Dad objected to his brother’s point of view he forcefully exclaimed “BULLSHIT!” I guess I liked his enthusiasm, as I picked up on that word real quick… The only word I had ever uttered up until that point was the word “no.” The first word I ever uttered as a human being was “no,” the second was “bullshit”– no bullshit (I’m serious, you can ask my Dad). It was at that very moment, I knew I could be a great director. What is your most recent project?I grew up with two great loves (three actually, if you include women, but really I only got to mess around with two of them): cars and film, so it was a great pleasure to shoot a nostalgic piece for Chrysler about the loss of glamour and style in the American motor car industry, and the quest to regain some of that allure. The spot aired during the Golden Globes last year. What is the best part of being a director?There are so many wonderful aspects to directing: being more free to share my voice, concepts, and ideas when telling a story. Having more creative control. Being able to hand select my team of collaborators and elevate one another. Being able to follow my instincts (on set and in the editing room), and of course, being the one who calls ACTION! I view acting and directing opportunities as gifts no matter how challenging they are. They allow me to communicate ideas and emotions to so many people, and let me share techniques I have learned from spending a lifetime on film sets. |
How did you get into directing?It’s always a relief to me that I’ve found what I want to do with my life. It started when I took a film class at my high school and we had this phenomenal teacher who loved film and loved teaching it. Our class created our own little short film studio. We shot films on 16mm cameras, had big ideas and invented low budget methods of overcoming challenges. The process hasn’t changed much since, except the budgets and the ideas have gotten slightly bigger. Since that first class, all my decisions, conscious or sub-conscious, have led me on a path towards directing. What is your most recent project?I recently released a viral short called Find Makarov. It’s based on a popular video game franchise and serves as kind of an international calling card. Staying true to the game, the film takes place entirely in 1st person. Along with creating a custom face mounted camera system to capture the visuals we developed a narrative language that would weave together a story despite the limited coverage options. I think we did a good job translating the gaming experience and I’m very happy with the feedback we’ve been getting. It was released on YouTube around a month ago and has just under 4 million views. What is the best part of being a director?It’s such an incredible feeling to generate an idea, emotion or visual in your mind and have the ability to transfer that into the material world. There is a certain draw towards the passion and excitement that a good idea breeds and the people that work around you can feel that. And although I love all parts of the process there is nothing like being on set. It’s the one place where I feel completely fulfilled and extended. There’s nothing else quite like it. |
How did you get into directing?I directed a music video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers called “Charlie.” It was for a contest they held on YouTube. I pulled the whole thing together with what was left of my grandmother’s inheritance. My crew was made up of friends, their younger brothers, my family, and DP Matthias Koenigswieser. That shoot seemed to be driven by some divine force, everything went right because everyone in the cast and crew was in to it for the right reasons. Its a high I chase on every one of my shoots. To make sure that RHCP got the video, I snuck into Coachella that year where they were playing. The crowd was so huge I had to crowd surf my way up to the stage. I passed it to the road manager and told him that my future depended on him delivering that DVD. Two days later their manager called me at home and said “Anthony Keidis wants to speak to you, are you available this week?” What is your most recent project?“Yards”! One of the craziest rides I’ve had on a production. Nike sent me to Mumbai to direct a spot about street cricket that aired during the World Cup of Cricket. I landed in India without a clue about what I was sent there to do or any working knowledge of the sport and eight days later the spot was running on TV with over a billion people watching. I learned to direct in Hindi, sing in Marati, and navigate my way through the slums of Dharavi. I’m currently in Vancouver shooting for an agency and client I haven’t worked with before. What is the best part of being a director?You start with a single image or a feeling and that idea evolves. Next you are in some foreign part of the world with a new group of people who very quickly become your family and bleed to bring the idea to life. You collaborate to create something out of nothing. As a director you live in a constant state of unknown. You have to trust that the universe will send everything your way, and it always does in the most unexpected way. When you realize an idea, there is no feeling like it, and it’s always a team effort. A reliable source told me it is second only to giving birth. |
How did you get into directing? As a kid I was drawn to science fiction and fantasy films, and sometimes I’d steal my dad’s Minolta VHS camcorder to shoot horror movies with my friends. As I grew older I became more involved with music, especially DJ’ing. That led to other interests like graphic design and I eventually graduated college with a BFA in computer graphics. For about four years I was doing grunt work as a motion graphic and Flash designer and during that time I started meeting other artists who came from film schools and it inspired me deeply. After shooting my first no budget feature, I became addicted ever since. What is your most recent project?I just wrapped a feature titled Starla about a young mother who loses her daughter to a botched surgery and takes revenge on the pediatric surgeon responsible. As a father, the fear of losing a child is a constant enemy, especially in the hands of someone who is supposed to save lives. I wanted to tap into those fears and feelings of revenge and challenge myself to create a character that you can sympathize with even if she has the capability to do horrifying things. What is the best part of being a director?My job first and foremost is to create the environment where my talent and technicians can thrive and work to the best of their ability. But the high comes from the moments of synergy where everyone in the room discovers magic at exactly the same time. It’s something you can’t always predict or throw money at so I do my best to ensure those moments happen more often than not. |
How did you get into directing?I have wanted to be a director since age 18, but felt I didn’t have enough life experience. I started taking photographs to explore the world, road trips finding subcultures (Angola Penitentiary inmates & characters on the Texas/Mexico borderland) and letting landscapes, like Appalachia, reveal unseen and unusual things. Two years ago I approached The New York Times to make a short film of musicians and fans at Coachella Music Festival. The response to the film was very positive and Partizan took me on as a director. I followed up with other short film and interview projects for various publications and made my first U.K. commercial in October, 2010, for Walmart’s English supermarket chain Asda. What is your most recent project?Love is Like Life but Longer is a 10-minute film about how a chance meeting with a stranger can change life forever, exploring the faith required in order to give and receive love. Blind since birth, Michael is a famous young novelist visiting New York for book signings. When he stumbles in the lobby of his downtown hotel, a young nun sees him struggling and stops to help. Although their encounter lasts only minutes, both feel a deep and lasting impact, but realize that to find each other again will require not only “blind” faith but the courage to hold on and the strength to accept loss. The film was commissioned by Morgans Hotel Group for the opening of their New York Mondrian Soho. What is the best part of being a director?Collaboration. I love being able to connect with DPs, actors, sound mixers and all the skilled people involved to bring out the best in them, together creating a shared vision of a particular story. Also, the thrill of having an initial fantasy, then watching it grow, change and become a proper film. To let go of a fixed idea and let a project take on a life of its own feels unique to the film making experience, something truly organic but with such intensive work put in place beforehand. I like the boundaries–to have to tell a story in 20 seconds, 10 minutes or an hour and a half is an intriguing experience, with its own challenge. |
How did you get into directing?I had a great childhood, which really shaped how I think creatively today. I grew up in a small town with only two television channels to watch. Also other than the amazing mountain ranges, there weren’t a lot of exciting places to go so my imagination wandered quite a bit. And having a great childhood mixed with a limitless imagination was really important for me because I imagined some of weirdest things to make the ordinary seem out of the ordinary. So I obviously needed an outlet, but we couldn’t afford a video camera, so for years my twin brother and I created strange radio plays with our dual cassette player. It was a perfect start for me to get into directing. What is your most recent project?I recently directed a four-spot Stride Gum campaign through JWT, Puerto Rico, that’s airing in that region. Most of my current work can be seen at www.mattfackrell.com. I’ve also begun writing the next Yo Gabba Gabba! episode that I will be directing later this summer, as well as writing a script for a new top secret super cool kids show. Lastly my twin brother and I are in the process of developing an original dark, offbeat television comedy that we’d like to take to the networks. What is the best part of being a director?It’s been one of my main goals in life to love what I do for a living and support my family with it. It’s great to see my kids excited to see what I’m working on next and having them visit set to see how it plays out. It wouldn’t be as much fun either if it weren’t for working with a lot of really creative and fun people who help make it an enjoyable experience each time. |
How did you get into directing?I loved horror movies as a kid, but they gave me nightmares. Learning about how these films were made helped me get over this fear. I would make movie cameras out of old shoe boxes and boom mics from mop-handles and feather dusters, and I’d shoot epic, faux-productions with my friends. Though we couldn’t watch these “movies,” I loved making them. Eventually, my parents bought a video camera and even though it wasn’t supposed to leave the house, I was all over the neighborhood getting my friends to star in new movies that I could edit in camera. In high school, filmmaking seemed like a childhood fantasy. In college, however, I took some film and photography electives and was hooked again. I changed my major to filmmaking because I knew if I didn’t pursue directing I would always regret it. What is your most recent project?My most recent project is a spec spot for Boost Mobile. It’s about how cell phone companies can nickel and dime you into feeling cursed and trapped. Of course, Boost Mobile is the cure for this curse! What is the best part of being a director?Filmmaking is such a team effort, with trust being the most important factor. Occasionally, making a film can feel like war, a battle of mental, physical, and logistical difficulties. Working with a group of people and overcoming these obstacles is exhilarating, a perfect example of how the journey can be the reward. It’s incredible, for instance, to work with talented actors and discover that something is working on set better than you could have ever imagined. I am interested in actors and their methods, so it is very rewarding to help them achieve their best performance. Overall, the potential of being a director and leading a creative team is an indescribable feeling. |
How did you get into directing?Growing up I was a ballet dancer, but at 5’3”, I wasn’t exactly music video babe material, so I decided to pursue choreography. I got a couple of big breaks, including “CB4” and the “Baby Got Back” music video and it took off from there. I traveled the world doing choreography for a myriad of projects. I was often recruited to help out with dancer’s costumes and that was my first foray into styling. I was also able to production design several spots and I knew it was time to make the jump up to the bigger picture. A couple of my directors really encouraged me to take the leap, knowing my passion for all of the details and my commitment to the work. You could say I’ve been in Practical Film School all this time. What is your most recent project?I just finished a spec spot for Rhapsody, which is an homage to the end scene of Flashdance. A little girl goes into an audition for a ballet conservatory but messes up. She asks to start over and changes the music to hip hop. When she spins, her ballet slippers magically turn into funky high tops and she busts out an in-your-face hip hop routine and blows the judges away. It’s really sweet. What is the best part of being a director?Directing means being a leader and drawing the very best out of your team. I love that everyone comes to the table with their A game. It’s exciting to collaborate with talented and motivated people to get the best ideas forward. What can I say? I like being in charge of all of that creativity. |
How did you get into directing?It was just after the writers’ strike. A screenplay I had written, Paternity Party, looked like it was going to get made when the town shut down. Not too long after the strike was resolved a little movie called The Hangover was released. The themes were so similar that my movie no longer stood a chance of getting made. I realized then that writing wasn’t enough. I needed to learn how to direct if I wanted to give my projects a better chance of getting made. What is your most recent project?I recently directed four Nissan spots for TBWAChiatDay. It was a unique situation because I was also the freelance writer. When it came time to select a director, I offered up my services. Everyone laughed. Then I showed them my reel and they laughed again. In a good way this time. I think. I have to really thank the creatives who took a chance on me for this project. It’s a difficult leap of faith to suddenly think of someone as a director when you only know them as a writer. What is the best part of being a director?Sinking or swimming. I love this. The idea that the project’s success ultimately rests on your shoulders. And laughing on the set. I love that. When an actor does something so unexpected and so funny that everyone instantly cracks up. That’s special. |
How did you get into directing?My dad works as a director so I was more or less raised on a film set. After attending advertising school, I decided I like working with ideas the most when I can be a part of executing them. What is your most recent project?I’ve just finished a short film/music video for Swedish artist Daniel Adams-Ray. What is the best part of being a director?To get thrown into people lives and strange situations. |
How did you get into directing?I started as a programmer, and eventually shifted from coding to design, and then into motion graphics and film. This was a natural evolution for me. I think this background allowed me to start combining interactive elements with my film work. What is your most recent project?The most recent project is Sour’s “Mirror.” This is an interactive music video for the Japanese band Sour. The song “Utsushi Kagami” (“Mirror”) sings about the fact that everything and everyone around you is a mirror that reflects who you are. This lyric gave us an idea of a journey to find yourself through your connections with the friends and people online. By connecting to Facebook, Twitter & webcam, the video will be customized every time based on the viewer’s personal data and social networking status. What is the best part of being a director?Creating a visual world around an idea is always fascinating. It’s a very special feeling when I can make my own idea come to life with my own eyes and hands. |
How did you get into directing?I direct, however I don’t really call myself a director. I am a graphic designer that originally came to Imaginary Forces as a print designer, however print is pretty much dead these days. What is your most recent project?Tropicana and the titles for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. What is the best part of being a director?I like adding my spin on the things I direct. Being able to turn something expected into a fresh idea is what I love. |
How did you get into directing?I was working in postproduction for awhile and a friend of mine knew a band that wanted a music video. Knowing my work in post, he asked me to direct the video with him. That became my first super low budget music video. What is your most recent project?Music video for artist Martha Wash. Song “I’ve Got You”. The video is shot in black and white and filmed at The Hanover Theatre in Worcester, Massachusetts. What is the best part of being a director?I am still looking for it. |
How did you get into directing?Directing came to me like a firm slap in the face. I was 14 at the time, sitting in Dr. Sima’s high school acting class. He assigned us to report on anyone in the entertainment industry. Naturally, I chose Steven Spielberg. Three biographies later and boat loads of adolescent optimism, I purchased his little known video game, “Steven Spielberg’s Director’s Chair” (shockingly, Amazon still lists it brand new for $15). And after assembling a crude, rather ridiculous video game movie, I was hooked. I immediately went home and told my Mom that I had abandoned all previous career pursuits–including marine biology and professional basketball. What is your most recent project?In addition to a few commercial projects, we’re working on a rather unique documentary for acclaimed and self-proclaimed advertising luminary, Cornelius Trunchpole. Advertising Age’s Man of the Year in 1942, Trunchpole is rumored to have invented the voiceover and the billboard–among other groundbreaking innovations. For the project, we’re gathering interviews from around the country with some of the industry’s most elite on how they were influenced by the man. What is the best part of being a director?I love the variety and collaboration. You’re constantly exploring different worlds and occupations–from wardrobe and makeup to animal training and sound design, not to mention the variety of stories and characters. If only for a moment, I love having access to these different cultures and ideas. |
How did you get into directing?I began my career as a commercial and documentary editor and then naturally moved on to producing commercials and music videos. I developed great relationships with the labels and agencies I was producing for and that established trust led to directing opportunities. I come from the DIY, new school of production, and directing was just the natural next step for me. What is your most recent project?I just got back from Cadiz, Spain, where I was shooting a digital Captain Morgan campaign for Anomaly. I spent some time on a pirate ship in a beautiful part of the world, working with some of the best talent . What is the best part of being a director?After years of editing, I love being on set and having the opportunity to see my creative vision come to fruition. I also appreciate now working with such amazing talent, from great DPs to such highly skilled editors. |
How did you get into directing?I was thrown right into it. I applied to be a P.A. on a music video shoot but their director had just quit. After the producer saw my reel, he invited me to the location scout and gave me the job. I met the artists and made a shot list on the spot while listening to the music for the first time. It was my first job with a real crew, 35mm film and about 60 extras. The next morning I did not know what to do when I got to set early, so I started hauling sand bags to help. The key grip told me never to touch the gear. I was a director! What is your most recent project?I am working with Sony on a cinematic stereo 3D commercial. What is the best part of being a director?Collaborating with artists and creatives to create something unique. I love meticulously planning, and then letting the unforeseen happen on set to capture moments you could have never planned. My work lately has been leaning towards the surreal and is thus open to interpretation. I love the challenge of heightening a story and telling it from a fresh point of view. |
How did you get into directing?I started directing because I always had stories I wanted to tell and images I wanted to share. I’d get an idea for a film stuck in my mind and wouldn’t be satisfied until I’d shot, edited and screened it. I was totally immersed in the surf world and traveled the world shooting surf films. Through those travels, my view of the world expanded and I started making short documentaries. From there, I got my shot in the commercial directing world. For many years it was a one-man-band production. I would direct, shoot, do sound, and edit short films, music videos, and documentaries. Now I’m so grateful to have incredible creative partners at ACNE supporting my efforts. What is your most recent project?Recently I was lucky enough to make a short film profiling Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist, for Intel’s “Visual Life” campaign. Scott is a pretty fascinating character and he graciously gave us intimate access to his life, his process and his work. We had a lot of freedom with the film and I was able to try a few things I’d been waiting for the right project for. My DP, Joseph Aguirre, brought out quiet, beautiful moments with a great deal of patience and attention to detail. What is the best part of being a director?The best part of being a director is watching a simple idea take form. Filmmaking is such a collaborative art that an idea for a film can twist and turn and grow from it’s inception to completion. Everyone brings value, strength and creativity to a project, but being a director allows you to lead that process from start to finish. It’s the most rewarding thing to make something tangible and real, out of nothing but a thought in your head. |
How did you get into directing?Even though I was trained as a cinematographer I have always been attracted to the idea of directing. Visual storytelling is something that was part of my background and extending it towards the visual medium of commercials was a natural step. What is your most recent project?I’m currently shooting a feature film Freelancers with Robert De Niro, 50 Cent and Forest Whitaker. In a way it’s a classic Greek tragedy dealing with betrayal, revenge and forgiveness albeit set in contemporary New York. What is the best part of being a director?To wake up in the morning and go to work excited about it. |
How did you get into directing?I grew up watching silent films, monster movies and classic animation. I was fascinated how these worlds were brought to life on screen through hand-made sets, make-up, camera tricks and beautiful artwork. While in high school I began exploring stop-motion animation, and fell in love with it. I then attended the Rhode Island School of Design where I majored in Film/Animation/Video. I was drawn to stop-motion because it allowed me to combine many art forms into one, like sculpture, painting, textiles and sound. While at RISD my teachers embraced experimentation, while stressing intentional execution, which requires well-developed direction. My senior thesis film “Undone” was shown in festivals around the world and won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Animated Short at Slamdance in 2009. This film grabbed the attention of Curious Pictures in NYC and I began working there shortly after graduating. I am now a Director there. What is your most recent project?My most recent project was done for the Advertising Council’s 57th Annual Award Dinner. The dinner showed the best commercial work from the year. I directed a piece called Health which was an introductory video to all the health commercials made. I created a humorous animation which displayed an unhealthy person vs. a healthy person, using clay and paper. This video was made completely by hand by moving the clay figures and props frame by frame on a multiplane. What is the best part of being a director?The best part of being a director is making my dreamed up thoughts a reality before my eyes. It can be a stressful and tiring process at times, but what makes it truly fun for me is experimentation and spontaneity. I plan each and every piece in full detail before starting, but when I actually get down to making it I discover new things along the way. For instance a piece of fabric moves in a completely different way than I expected or the sound of a mop could represent something strange like a person eating. It’s just amazing to see something in my mind develop from a thought into its own living and breathing world. |
How did you get into directing?I started directing long before I knew what it was. At age 5, I’d put on plays in the basement. I’d cast my cousins in the lead roles of bedtime stories I’d memorized. I’d (painstakingly) teach them their lines (they were crap actors). I’d hang blankets for curtains. I’d dress them in Grandmas old clothes. I’d charge 5 cents admission… But, I was never in the plays myself, I’d just yell at my cousins from “backstage” about how they were ruining my ideas. My parents called it “being bossy”. What is your most recent project?I recently shot two short films at once. Crazy Glue is one of them, the other is called The Girl on the Fridge. They are both adaptations of short stories by one of my favorite writers, Etgar Keret. I am also just wrapping up post on a short film I wrote and directed called American Venus. What is the best part of being a director?Entertaining an audience. All of filmmaking takes place in preparation for the moment when an audience is actually experiencing the story you have worked so hard to tell. It is the moment that feels the most like old fashioned, oral storytelling. Its very intimate. I also love shoot days. The days when I am on set, directing my own projects, are my favorite days in my life. Or at least, in retrospect they are. |
How did you get into directing?I’ve worked as a creative director in advertising for most of my professional life. I’ve owned my ad agency since 1995, working in a variety of business categories, including travel and tourism, finance, automotive, education, and health care. I’ve also created integrated campaigns in virtually every media type. However, commercial and film production have always given me the greatest satisfaction. Part of my job involves conceiving unique positions and ideas for my clients and then bringing those ideas to life. It’s fun to develop the idea and see it through to reality. Every aspect of a TV/film production is rewarding. I’ve always worked closely with the directors I’ve selected to produce my work. It seemed to be a natural evolution for me to then take on the role myself. What is your most recent project?I recently conceived and directed the new brand advertising campaign for New York-Presbyterian Hospital. This TV campaign features actual patients who tell their own remarkable stories. The challenge was to go beyond the typical testimonial and create compelling storytelling to engage the audience. Most people turn off to any hospital advertising. This work is intended to position this large academic medical center as a place where its employees regularly go above-and-beyond the call of duty, to provide the best medical care, and in the most compassionate and human manner possible. When you see these stories, you can’t help but feel that this is a hospital whose doctors, nurses, administrators, and staff will give everything they’ve got to help their patients. What is the best part of being a director?I enjoy the process most. Taking an idea and realizing it to its full potential. Every aspect of a production requires an unusual attention to detail, so maintaining the highest quality standards throughout the production is a stimulating challenge. I get to work with talented people, and I’m told I’m pretty good at encouraging everyone involved to give their best. When the work we produce is recognized, I feel that is a shout out to everyone involved. |
How did you get into directing? I grew up in Aix en Provence, France. At 8 years old I directed my first play, an adaptation of the “Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint Exupery. The emotions I discovered in the process convinced me that being a director was something very special and something I could not get enough of. From then on, I was the official theater/film guy at school with the yearly “Laurent Soriano Productions Presents”. I then focused my education towards filmmaking starting in Paris and then in Los Angeles. I studied theater, cinema and acting. I have been working in the industry as a cameraman for many years on commercials, documentaries, feature films and TV series. My career as a cameraman has given me a thorough understanding of the technical and collaborative aspect of filmmaking. I decided to direct spec spots to build my reel and to fully transition from camera to directing. What is your most recent project?I have just finished two new spec spots. One is for “Nike Golf” with Pete Sampras and the other one is for “Perrier” with Bridgette Wilson- Sampras. I am also developing a story for a feature film. What is the best part of being a director?The best part of being a director is having the opportunity to share my vision and sensitivity with others. I enjoy combining all of the independent components of a film production in an effort to tell the story in an artistic way. It inspires me to work with actors and to be in the front row watching their performances evolve. |
How did you get into directing?Since a young age, I’ve enjoyed books, comics, music, traveling, games and photography—anything that takes me away and provides an escape. Once I discovered that directing allows me to indulge in a combination of everything I love, it’s quite natural that I got into it. What is your most recent project?The most recent project I completed is a short film titled Thin Air. I fully completed it a month ago and am in the process of sending it out to festivals. Here is a synopsis: Thin Air is a whimsical tale chronicling the final days of Hector. Seated in a wheelchair parked on the roof of his apartment building, Hector flings fishing lines into the cold heights of New York City. He bides his time for the impossible catch, whilst reality bites in the form of Cecilia, his home-care aide. Thin Air is not simply an elegy to solitude. Sometimes the quieter one’s world is, the harder one dreams and sometimes the universe hears you. What is the best part of being a director?Bringing people into the world you’ve created. That without having met a person, you’re able to share with him or her your imaginations and feelings. That in a darkened theatre, you’re able to take the audience anywhere as long as they’re willing to put their trust in you. And also, when you find creative chemistry with right-minded folks, it’s pure magic. |
How did you get into directing?Being an editor. I’ve had the honor to work and learn from some great directors. But a few years back I was given a camera by my wife who said, “It’s time. Go make something.” I started to travel with the camera and found that I was really comfortable meeting people and having them allowing me to capture there craft or passions and from that point I have not really stopped. Every individual is different and we all have a great story and I am drawn towards the realities of life. What is your most recent project?I just finished a spot with Y&R San Francisco for NCAA which aired during the NCAA tournament. Its a really simple spot about a ball’s journey as it seeks its destination of a schoolyard. It was a journey of just a ball so I found that it was a story but that it was also important to focus on composition as well to create a tone. What is the best part of being a director?Having that drive and focus to create something that you’re passionate about. It truly is about making something that can touch other people in some way. Or even make them think different. |
How did you get into directing?I think my true love for directing came from my experience as an agency creative. I really enjoyed the energy on the set, and loved seeing the different ways a script could come to life. As I would sit back on the set I thought “I can do this.” So I just sat and soaked up all I could on the set, and studied how the directors navigated through the process. It was kinda like going to film school where I just happened to earn a pretty good salary for attending. What is your most recent project?My most recent project was the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl competition. I had the time of my life doing that. It was awesome to have an idea and not have to check with anyone. If I liked it, I did it. No video village involved and it was a funny feeling. I placed fourth overall out of 60-plus spots, so I guess my gut worked on that one. What is the best part of being a director?The control and creativity. It’s just a thing of beauty watching the director become the architect. I really love the collaboration on set, watching an idea grow. If you keep your ears open and ego checked you find that lots of good ideas pop up on set. |
How did you get into directing?I began my journey into film as a writer and hands-on all-rounder working for three major TV production companies in Cologne/Germany. Over this period, I mastered numerous skills as I immersed myself in every facet of the industry from production, camerawork to editing. But it was my writing that carried me to the next stage, where I took on the daunting task of developing new programs for television, some of which I directed himself. In pursuit of becoming a great director, I enrolled in Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in 2006 and graduated this month (April 2011). What is your most recent project?Emil Orange is a short film I wrote and directed. This 10-minute-long fairy tale tells the story of a boy who is madly in love with the color orange. But it’s this love, however, that becomes his doom when Emil and his wrestling-fanatic-brother Bruce try their luck at a tombola… What is the best part of being a director?(As the world’s worst illustrator…) Directing lets me bring the images in my head to reality, being able to work with my one big love–moving images. |
Sammy Albis
Angela+Ithyle
Otto Arsenault
Greg Bell
Daniel Bird
Adrien Brody
Jeff Chan
Omri Cohen
Rik Cordero
Poppy de Villeneuve
Matt Fackrell
Christopher Fata
Jeannette Godoy
Alex Grossman
Gustav Johansson
Masashi Kawamura
Ronnie Koff
Ruben Latre
Andrew Laurich
Jacob Lincoln
Arev Manoukian
Tyler Manson
Igor Martinovic
Hayley Morris
Elizabeth Orne
Peter Rabôt
Laurent Soriano
Kirsten Tan
Doug Walker
Tynesha Williams
Mario Zozin
