The lineup of speakers is taking shape for SHOOT‘s first ever Directors Symposium, which is being held in conjunction with SHOOT‘s 8th Annual New Directors Showcase Event.
The daytime learning/networking Symposium will be held May 11 at the DGA Theatre in New York, as will the evening’s New Directors Showcase. Register here.
Among the panelists confirmed thus far are:
o Laura Belsey, director, Shadow Pictures and C-Entertainment, & teacher, “Commercial Directing,” Graduate Film School of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts
o Wayne Best, executive creative director, JWT New York
o Caleb Deschanel, director/cinematographer, Dark Light Pictures
o Bob Giraldi, director, Giraldi Media, & teacher, “The Project Class” & “Evolutionary Dynamics in Advertising”, School of Visual Arts, NY
o Bonnie Goldfarb, founder & executive producer, harvest
o Jeffrey A. Greenbaum, managing partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz
o Nick Iannelli, VP, Deluxe Postproduction, Toronto
o Kevin Kerwin, director, Authentic Films, & 2009 Showcase director
o Craig Leffel, partner/senior colorist, Optimus
o Stacey Mokotoff, president, Bird Bonette Stauderman Inc.
o David B. Perry, executive VP/head of TV production, Saatchi & Saatchi, New York
o Allison (Ally) Polly. head of strategy and brand partnerships, Filmaka Entertainment Studios
o Bobby Sheehan, producer/director/writer/cameraman/co-founder, Working Pictures Inc.
o Kristi VandenBosch, CEO, Publicis & Hal Riney
The Directors Symposium (9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., including lunch) will feature a series of panel discussions and Q&A sessions with leading directors, agency creatives, production company entrepreneurs and other notable artists and executives who will share their expertise, helping to define opportunities in an evolving marketplace spanning advertising and entertainment (and the coming together of those two worlds). Speakers and panelists will also relate their experiences with emerging tools and processes, and delve into the art of building an individual director’s brand. Talent from past New Directors Showcases will share how their careers have since progressed, providing inspiration for our latest crop of directors to be introduced in the evening.
The decision to expand the reach of the New Directors Showcase with the launch of the Directors Symposium was spurred on by several dynamics, including this being the year SHOOT celebrates its 50th anniversary as well as the Showcase’s scheduling to coincide with CreativeWeekNYC (May 10-14), a week-long series of events, such as The One Show, that will be attended by creatives and creative management from all over the world.
The evening’s New Directors Showcase (6-10 p.m.) will feature: a screening of the Showcase reel consisting of 25 to 30 pieces of work culled from submissions from this year’s New Directors Search; a panel introducing six of the new directors with two industry pros providing insight and perspective; and an after-party downstairs at the DGA.
Registration for the Directors Symposium Daytime Event includes the Symposium, lunch and guaranteed seating to the evening’s New Directors Showcase Event & After Party. Individual tickets are $195. (Early bird rate of $175. through Friday, Apri. 16th!) Groups of three or more receive a 10 percent discount. Event details and registration info are available at www.shootonline.com/go/register.
Robert Eggers and Willem Dafoe Reunite For “Nosferatu”
When Willem Dafoe enjoys working with a filmmaker, he'll often jump at the chance to do it again.
The list of directors with whom the 69-year-old has worked with more than once is extensive, including Wes Anderson,Yorgos Lanthimos,Paul Schrader,Lars von Trier and, now for a third time, Robert Eggers. "If it's good, you come back," Dafoe said plainly.
The pair spoke about Eggers' adaptation of "Nosferatu" that hits theaters Wednesday, some of the challenges they faced making "The Lighthouse" — their first project together released in 2019 — and the unique relationship that exists between actors and directors.
The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: Willem, I read that you called Robert after you saw "The Witch." What did you say?
DAFOE: I want to meet you and I want to know who this filmmaker is.
Q: What is it about him that keeps bringing you back?
DAFOE: Well, if it's good, you come back. When I saw "The Witch," I thought, "Wow, this is a film about a period that I'm not particularly knowledgeable about, but I enter it so easily. This is relevant. It's rooted. It's my story. I'm with these people."
That's quite an incredible trick because a lot of period films, they're always pointing to themselves. They're always sending messages. They're always showing. This had a kind of energy and the kind of physicality and sensuality that I thought, "Who does this? I gotta see this guy." And then I had a wonderful experience in "The Lighthouse" and I played a part that was really fun in "The Northman." So, when he wants to do this passion project and offers me this beautiful role of Professor Von Franz, I say,... Read More