Documentary Team Finds New Spot Home.NEW YORKaNoted directing team Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky have joined Sandbank Films Co., LLC, New York, for exclusive representation in commercials. The directors are known for documentary films such as Brothers Keeper and Paradise Lost, both of which have had successful theatrical distribution. Previous ad work by Berlinger and Sinofsky includes real-people spots for Kodak, Peter Pan peanut butter, and a PSA for The Peace on Earth Foundation which ran in Sony cinemas throughout the U.S.
Berlinger and Sinofsky were formerly repped by Industrial Artists, New York, which closed its commercial division while the duo were working on a Rolling Stone anniversary special for ABC that aired in 97 and later on MTV and VH1. After a break following the project, Sinofsky and Berlinger began to look at different companies for commercial representation, ultimately choosing Sandbank. Sinofsky explained that Sandbank was very supportive of the kind of work they have done in the past, and enthusiastic about the teams current endeavors.
Sinofsky added that one of the key points was Sandbanks preparation of a reel in which Robert Berman, Sandbanks executive producer, and Arthur Portnoy, the companys East Coast representative, demonstrated how they would present Sinofsky and Berlinger to potential clients. Sandbank assembled a reel that not only included the teams spotwork but also segments from the directors feature and television work. Sinofsky noted that the reel emphasized a little bit less the commercial aspects of what we do but emphasized the storytelling and filmmaking talents we exhibit in our feature work.
Berlinger, who is now directing an episode of Homicide in Baltimore, reiterated the points that his partner made. We were in synch about the kind of work we wanted to do, he said. I felt good chemistry with Sandbank, and we all want to do quality work. Although our core is obviously real people and documentary style, wed like to push that into new arenas, and I think the team at Sandbank is going to give us that.
Berman explained that he thought Berlinger and Sinofsky would strengthen Sandbanks reputation as the thinking mans film production company since the two directors have such a rigorous intellectual approach to the work. He added that another appeal was the fact that they invest so much of themselves in connecting with their subjects so the responses they get are so genuine and unguarded. Berman said that Berlinger and Sinofsky would help to round out the [Sandbank] roster into a different area. Other Sandbank directors are David Sandbank, Henry Sandbank (for special projects), and David Anderson.
Berlinger and Sinofsky certainly have their plates full at the moment. Sinofsky is currently overseeing the editing of a follow-up to Paradise Lost that revisits the community where Berlinger and Sinofsky first went to document the murder trials of three teenagers accused of killing three young boys. The initial filming for the follow-up project began in 97, continued at the end of last year, and will be complemented with additional footage to be shot in upcoming weeks. The project has a target completion date of June 99 and will air on HBO.
In fall 99 or spring 2000, Berlinger will direct 38 Witnesses for HBO, a film that is based on the infamous Kitty Genovese murder, where 38 people heard Genoveses cries for help but did nothing. In addition to developing other work, Sinofsky plans to direct a film based on a script that he wrote which will star Tom Arnold. Sinofsky has other screenplays which he would like to direct.
The two also run their own production company, Creative Thinking International, a New York house through which they produce their own projects. Sinofsky explained that he and Berlinger are hoping to add directors to the shop, which will enable it to take on more than one project at a time.
While the two directors acknowledged that they were busy with other projects, they said this would not prevent them from working on spots. We talked very candidly about that in our initial discussions, Berman said. And if they make themselves available to do a commercial project, they have guaranteed their full focus and attention to doing commercials. They dont see commercials as just a chance to make a couple of bucks and then theyre out. They see it as a pursuit unique to itself demanding a whole different set of tools. Sinofsky explained that he and Berlinger would be available to direct together and sometimes individually.
Both Sinofsky and Berlinger began their careers at Maysles Films, New York, which they left in 91 while working on Brothers Keeper. The duos first commercial project was in 93 for Kaiser Permanente through J. Walter Thompson, San Francisco, and production company One World Productions, Chicago. Before Industrial Artists, the two were represented by now defunct Citizen Films nationally except for the Midwest, where they were handled by One World Productions.
Sandbank had been located in Hawthorne, New York, but moved to Manhattan in December when its former quarters were sold to a biotechnology company. The new digs are on the premises of production services company Johnson Burnett Productions, a bicoastal shop that Sandbank plans to tap into for production support and backroom services. Berman explained that the relationship with Johnson Burnett will help keep our overhead excruciatingly low.
