London-based commercial/music video production house Bullet Films—headed by creative producers/partners Pete Chambers and Simon Poon Tip—has entered into an agreement to have several of its directors represented for commercials stateside through Highway 61, New York. These helmers include Steve Dell, Jake Knight, Adam Johnson, Max & Dania, Jamie Morgan, David Slade and Markus Walter.
Slade is best known for his Stone Temple Pilots’ music video, "Sour Girl," which was nominated in the best cinematography category of the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards. Additionally, Slade helmed Sony Playstation’s "Detective" out of TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, London. Chambers described Slade’s reel as containing "beautiful photographic work fused with a real edge in terms of the way he uses the camera and lens. The action is always quite dark and he also has a great understanding of post."
Johnson’s directorial credits include the World Development Movement’s "Bank Manager" via now defunct Bainsfair Sharkey Trott, which earned gold distinction at the British Television Advertising Awards in ’95. Chambers said that Johnson is Bullet’s "most experienced commercial director," with an affinity for storytelling and people-based work.
Morgan directed the promo "Worth the Wait" for London-based clothing designer Ozwald Boateng through its in-house agency. Chambers likened Morgan’s reel to the experience of "watching magazines ID or Vogue come to life. He was a photographer at The Face (an influential style and celebrity magazine) in London. He shoots beautiful frames and he gets great performances out of people."
Knight’s directing endeavors include Loginchillout.com’s "Stressball" through TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, London, and The Missing Suitcase, a short film he made through Eye Candy/Nexus Production Company, London. "He has a wonderfully odd sense of humor about his work, very deadpan and funny," said Chambers of Knight. "His use of characters and colors is great."
Through Hamburg, Germany-based Markenfilm, which reps him in the rest of Europe, Walter helmed sports club Kaifu Lodge’s "Bathtub" via Jung von Matt, Hamburg, Germany, and sneaker manufacturer Deichmann’s "Football" through Grey Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany. Walter began his career as an editor. "He plays with spatial awareness, so things are at once very big in frame and then very small," related Chambers. "He draws you in and makes you question what you’ve seen."
Max & Dania have made a number of videos including boy band Five’s "Everybody Get Up" (BMG) and Thunderbugs’ "It’s About Time" (Columbia). The directing duo is firmly established in London’s R&B/pop scene, exhibiting prowess in appealing to the youth market. "They bring a freshness to everything they do," assessed Chambers.
And Dell came over from the agency side, having served as a producer at J. Walter Thompson and BMP DDB, both in London. Chambers signed Dell after seeing his short films (i.e.—Neckbrace) about a pair of wrestling kebab storeowners. The work ran on MTV Europe. Chambers was enthralled: "They’re the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen."
CLEOPATRA
Highway 61’s executive producer Marc Rosenberg first learned of Bullet about a year and a half ago. Rosenberg, then running his production company Rockets & Rosenberg (which no longer produces spots), was asked by Kmart and Campbell Mithun Esty, Minneapolis, to find out who had directed the music video "Cleopatra’s Theme" for the British pop act Cleopatra. Rosenberg recalled, "It was worth a shot for me to investigate in the hopes that maybe it was a freelance director, which as it turned out it was—Bullet had no representation in the U.S. So I was able to negotiate a deal to bring them [Max & Dania] to the states." Max & Dania ended up directing Kmart’s "Sesame Street".
At that point, Rosenberg recalled, "Pete and I formed a very informal alliance. But they were primarily a music video house, and though some of the guys had done spots, that was not where their main business was coming from." Chambers was initially reluctant to establish a stateside link for spots, despite Rosenberg’s urging: "I didn’t feel my directors were ready," Chambers explained. "But Marc’s a very tenacious man." Earlier this year, Bullet decided to launch some of its directors here, and the agreement was formalized this summer.
Highway 61 director of marketing Chris Miller thinks that the Bullet directors’ clips background will prove valuable in commercials: "A lot of people in advertising tend to forget that people in music videos create, write and develop the work that they direct—which of course is very different from how we work in advertising. I think that’s one of the reasons why these directors will communicate so well with agency people: these directors are capable of getting a strategic plan about a certain brand, and creating and executing work."
Rosenberg added, "We’re hoping that in time we’ll get an opportunity to sell some of our Highway directors to the European market."
Bullet also has several directors who are not at this point represented in the U.S. by Highway 61, but could be down the road. They are Rankin, Frank Voiturier, 2 Big Eyes, General Lighting & Power (Danny Vaia, Ezra Holland, Nic Clear and Johnny Halifax), Jerome Redfarn and Rachel Thomas. Bullet director Mike Lipscombe has U.S. representation via Los Angeles-based Palomar Pictures.
Bullet’s sales reps are Chambers and Poon Tip. The company’s directors are repped for U.S. music videos by Santa Monica-based Mark Humphrey. Prior to Bullet, Chambers and Poon Tip worked at Partizan, London, serving as executive producer for music videos, and freelance producer, respectively.
Highway 61’s directors are Iain Campbell, Tricia Caruso, Peter Cherry, Jeff Cooney, Fiona, Jeremy Goodall, Christopher Hawker, Steven Levy and Jerry Sandoval. The company is repped on the East Coast by New York-based Miller. Patricia Paul of Patricia Paul & Associates, Chicago, covers the Midwest. Terry Seward of Terry Seward Creative Representation, Santa Monica, and Darr Hawthorne of Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based Burning Motor Home handle the West Coast.
