Andy Garcia has signed with Dark Light Pictures for representation as a commercial director. In his debut with the company, Garcia has directed a campaign for Whirlpool and Buenos Aires agency Madre that will air across Latin America and South America.
Although best known for his work in front of the camera (including a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for The Godfather: Part III), Garcia has a number of credits as a director in television and film, the latter including The Lost City, a 2005 film (in which he also starred) about a Cuban nightclub owner whose family becomes embroiled in the violent transition from the dictator Bautista to Fidel Castro. Garcia’s alliance with Dark Light, however, marks his first foray as a director of commercials.
Dark Light Pictures executive producer Vince Arcaro believes that Garcia has great potential as a commercial director. “Andy has had an opportunity to work with and learn from many great directors–Francis Ford Coppola, Sydney Lumet–and cinematographers–Gordon Willis, Conrad Hall Sr.,” observed Arcaro. “He is a very seasoned director who brings a lot of knowledge, experience and creativity to the set.”
In addition to directing the campaign for Whirlpool, Garcia also acts in the commercials, playing all of the parts. The commercials offer humorous takes on common family situations and show how Whirlpool appliances help people enjoy life more. In two of the spots, Garcia plays a mother and a father engaged in kitchen and laundry chores. In a third spot, he plays a father and son planning a Mother’s Day gift. The campaign features the tagline “Better homes. Better lives.”
Mariana Gonzalez Ericsson, regional marketing general manager, Latin American region, for Whirlpool, noted that this is the first time Whirlpool has used a celebrity spokesperson and it conducted an extensive search before choosing Garcia. “We were looking for someone with the same values as our brand: a family person who is real and believable, with a touch of Hollywood glamour,” she said. “That’s Andy.”
Gonzalez Ericsson added that having Garcia direct himself has proven to be an inspired choice. “He was so into the story and understood so quickly what we were trying to communicate that we felt immediately that he was the best choice to direct,” she said. “And, he’s been doing an amazing job.” She adds that the campaign has special relevance as it coincides with Whirlpool’s 100th anniversary.
Dark Light Pictures has made a specialty out of representing directors who have careers beyond commercials. For example, its roster includes Caleb Deschanel, ASC, a well known feature cinematographer; actor, director and comedian David Steinberg; and Michael Lehmann, director of the film Heathers and the television series True Blood.
Oscar Nominees Delve Into The Art Of Editing At ACE Session
You couldn’t miss Sean Baker at this past Sunday’s Oscar ceremony where he won for Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay and Editing on the strength of Anora. However, earlier that weekend he was in transit from the Cesar Awards in Paris and thus couldn’t attend the American Cinema Editors (ACE) 25th annual panel of Academy Award-nominated film editors held at the Regal LA Live Auditorium on Saturday (3/1) in Los Angeles. While the eventual Oscar winner in the editing category was missed by those who turned out for the ACE “Invisible Art, Visible Artists” session, three of Baker’s fellow nominees were on hand--Dávid Jancsó, HSE for The Brutalist; Nick Emerson for Conclave; and Myron Kerstein, ACE for Wicked. Additionally, Juliette Welfling, who couldn’t appear in person due to the Cesar Awards, was present via an earlier recorded video interview to discuss her work on Emilia Pérez. The interview was conducted by ACE president and editor Sabrina Plisco, ACE who also moderated the live panel discussion. Kerstein said that he was the beneficiary of brilliant and generous collaborators, citing, among others, director Jon M. Chu, cinematographer Alice Brooks, and visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman. The editor added it always helps to have stellar acting performances, noting that hearing Cynthia Erivo, for example, sing live was a revelation. Kerstein recalled meeting Chu some eight years ago on a “blind Skype date” and it was an instant “bromance”--which began on Crazy Rich Asians, and then continued on such projects as the streaming series Home Before Dark and the feature In The Heights. Kerstein observed that Chu is expert in providing collaborators with... Read More