Park Pictures, New York, has signed director Alison Maclean for spot and music video representation. She is best known for her features and short films, as well as episodic TV endeavors.
This is the Maclean’s first venture into commercials. She is currently wrapping her initial assignment for Park Pictures: three PSAs for The Legal Aid Society of New York via Pedone & Partners, New York. Comprising "Shoe," "Wallet" and "Trophy," the campaign will break in mid-May. The spots are based on crisis issues that The Legal Aid Society is faced with in its representation of people who cannot afford legal assistance. "Shoe" focuses on a woman who is physically removed from her apartment by her landlord; "Wallet" is about a man whose medical benefits are cut off, so he bites down on his wallet to prevent swallowing his tongue during a seizure; and "Trophy" is about a woman who is being battered by her husband.
Born in Ottawa, Canada, to New Zealand parents, Maclean moved to New Zealand when she was 14 years old. Graduating with a bachelor of fine arts from Auckland University, she then tapped into what she calls "New Zealand’s very generous grant structure for short films," to write/direct four shorts. These are: Taunt (1982), Rud’s Wife (’85), Talk Back (’87) and Kitchen Sink (’89). The latter, which shows a housewife pulling a tangle of hair clogging her drain, only to find that it’s attached to a fetus, which in turns grows into the man she falls in love with, was screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and received eight international awards.
In ’90, Maclean moved to Sydney, Australia, where she mostly concentrated on writing screen plays. She also ventured into television production, directing an episode of the series The Seven Deadly Sins. In ’92 her first feature film, Crush, which she co-wrote/directed, was released. Crush is about a woman (played by Marcia Gay Harden) who becomes involved in the lives of a novelist and his teenage daughter.
In ’93 Maclean moved to New York, working as a freelance director on television shows. Credits include an episode of HBO’s Subway Stories titled "Honey Getter"; the first two episodes of HBO’s Sex and the City—"Models and Mortals" and "Valley of the 20-Something Guys"; and an episode of NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street, called "Birthday." From ’97 to ’98, she directed three videos for Natalie Imbruglia, including "Torn" and "Big Mistake."
Maclean’s second feature film, Jesus’ Son, starred Billy Crudup, Holly Hunter and Denis Leary. Released in ’99, Jesus’ Son is based on Denis Johnson’s book of short stories about a troubled ’70s drug addict and the eccentric characters he meets. The film received numerous accolades, among them the OCIC Catholic Award and the Baby Lion—both at the ’00 Venice Film Festival—and Best Actor for Billy Crudup and a nomination for the Grand Prix at the ’00 Paris Film Festival.
Park Pictures was started in ’97 by executive producers/partners Jackie Kelman Bisbee and Jonna Mattingly. (Before creating the firm, Kelman Bisbee worked in the fashion industry as an agent, entering the production business in ’95 when she launched the now defunct New York shop Navigator Films, which specialized in films and commercials for children. Mattingly was a freelance line producer in New York for 11 years, working on commercials and music videos. The two met through mutual friends and ultimately decided to start a company together.)
Also represented by Park Pictures are Lance Acord and Manuel Maranda. Acord, who has directed commercials for clients including Gucci, Renaissance Cruises and ESPN, is probably best known for his work as a cinematographer. Feature credits include DP on Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich (’99), Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo ’66 (’98) and Peter Care’s RoadMovie (’96). Acord is also set to DP Spike Jonze’s next movie, Adaptation, with shooting scheduled to begin March 10, and will be available for spot work again in May. Maranda specializes in fashion/beauty spots and has worked for clients including Oil of Olay and Coty.
Kelman Bisbee and Mattingly first approached Maclean two years ago after seeing Kitchen Sink, but at the time Maclean was tied up with Jesus’ Son. The three of them kept in contact, eventually leading to Maclean’s signing with Park Pictures.
Kelman Bisbee said that part of what attracted the company to Maclean was her unusual approach to storytelling. "We wanted a female director, and Alison definitely has a female voice. She can do dark comedy, as evidenced by Jesus’ Son. It was her honest and realistic direction of actors, as well as her visual sensibility—she really knows how to build a scene and make it very suspenseful," enthused Kelman Bisbee.
Maclean maintained that Park Pictures was the first company to approach her about working on commercials. "I liked them [Kelman Bisbee and Mattingly], and admired the work I’d seen. The company also represents Lance Acord, and I liked the work I’d seen them do with him," Maclean told SHOOT. "I’m interested in commercials for a number of reasons. I love the idea of working in a short format, especially since a lot of the projects I’ve done recently have been very long. Having made a number of short films, I think it’s a challenge to tell a story and make something visually interesting in a very short length of time—so this is a way to try new things and work in a way I wouldn’t normally get to."
Maclean will continue to pursue other projects while being represented by Park Pictures, and has just completed a script for a feature she will direct. Called Iris, it is a thriller about a woman who remembers certain incidents from her childhood—which may or may not have happened.
Park Pictures is represented by Michael Arkin and Jennifer Warren on the East Coast and by Chris Brenneman in the Midwest. Kelman Bisbee is in the process of appointing a West Coast rep.
