A cross-section of industry folk offered their reflections on varied questions posed in a SHOOT survey relating to their careers, positive influences, changes in the business, pressing issues, and remembrances. Feedback on one of the queries, asking respondents to identify their industry mentors, is in this 50th Anniversary Issue’s separate feature story on Mentorship.
Here’s a rundown of the other questions
1) What industry developments have and/or whose work has had the greatest positive influence on you?
2) What change(s) in the business do you love and why?
3) What change(s) in the business do you dislike and why?
4) What do you look back on as your greatest accomplishment professionally?
5) What prompted you to get into the advertising/filmmaking business to begin with?
6) Looking towards the future, what are the most pressing questions for which you are still seeking answers as you look to evolve your career and your company? Response can span such sectors as the economy, business, creative, technological, media and/or any other area you deem relevant.
7) When did you start reading SHOOT and what were you doing then? What are you doing now?
8) What role has SHOOT played in that career path?
9) What’s your fondest industry remembrance? Your most profound remembrance? Your funniest remembrance?
A sampling of the feedback SHOOT received follows:
Mark Androw, executive producer, STORY1. I truly appreciate having a smartphone and that much of our business is carried out via email because it allows me to travel and stay in touch with my company and projects freely. You can be anywhere on the globe and still be very involved with your clients and directors.
5. I was drawn to the production business by the unique blend of art and commerce that it represents. Early in my career I was exposed to some very smart people and some very creative and unique people, unlike any I had met in any other field.
7. I started reading SHOOT when I was in high school. My grandmother was living with us at that time and would read the paper before I came home from school. She became quite knowledgeable about the production business. One day I came home and she greeted me with, “Did you hear that Levine and Pytka are splitting up?”
Michelle Burke, managing director, Cut+Run2. Over the last few years we’ve seen the creative process expand outside of the traditional box to opportunities that reach audiences where they live—that is to say….nearly everywhere. The blending of advertising and entertainment, online engagements and other campaigns as a complement to commercials, are all part of the consideration and, in turn, have opened up opportunities.
6. There has been a very large shift in the business in terms of how things are produced and who produces. Sectors are becoming increasingly combined as the traditional roles from which we operated in the past have been altered. As we look to the future, we choose to see this as an expansion of the creative process and offers a myriad of new opportunities. We need to be multi-faceted in our crafts and educated beyond one part of the pipeline and, in doing so, this will forge how we work next. Knowing that there are not solid answers to the questions that are currently in front of us in our industry is key and exciting.
Bill Davenport, executive producer, Wieden+Kennedy Entertainment (WKE)1. Speed.
2. Speed. The thing I like most about the business today is how quick we can get something made and out to the public. If you have something to say, you can get it produced very quickly, very efficiently and get an immediate response.
3. Speed. The thing I dislike about the business today is the extreme pace at which we work today. That and the relative loss of craftsmanship. Or maybe I should say the tension between the whole DIY aesthetic and craftsmanship.
5. I guess it all started with Bewitched and McMahon and Tate. But what really got me into this business was the craft of filmmaking. I liked the lights, the cameras, all of it. Getting a good story on film was a lot of fun and very satisfying. Still is.
6. In terms of the future the most pressing issue for me is the evolving business models in entertainment world and their impact on content production and distribution going forward. Figuring out exactly how and where we as agencies fit into this puzzle is a challenge but also a real opportunity.
7. Back in the 80’s. I was producing TV commercials. Now I am producing various forms of content.
8. SHOOT exposed me to new talent both in production and post. It also gave me an insight into how other people were approaching production.
C. Texas East, owner, East and Associates2. I love that the expansion of media avenues and the technology for origination have allowed a great number of “non-professionals” to bring their viewpoint directly to the masses.
3. I am sorry that the big agencies were unable or unwilling to see what the future was bringing. Between the fiscal requirements by the holding companies and the entrenchment of the creative establishment, the big agency has relinquished its leadership role in communications.
Kerstin Emhoff, executive producer/co-founder, PRETTYBIRD1. Technology has had the biggest positive influence on me. I learned to edit film on a flatbed in film school. When I started in production the avid was just starting to build a following. I brought a bunch of editing students to an avid seminar that I had to sit in for eight hours and told them to forget flatbeds. At that seminar they brought out a suitcase that would hold 1 gigabyte of memory. Now I have four edit bays going constantly with a whole movie on a drive that is smaller than a shoebox. This industry is now so much more accessible because of technology. But it’s still good ideas that stand out. Technology has also given us so many more opportunities to entertain, inform and influence people. It’s up to us to make the most of it and make sure we are on top of what is coming next.
2. I love that the business is not only about a 30-second commercial anymore. We are now able to develop creative in longer formats and for any filmmaker that is a breath of fresh air. I still have to laugh when I’m talking to someone about a director and they say “but can he tell a story in 30 seconds?” I hope there comes a time when I can say “No he can’t.” It’s amazing how much story we tell in 30 seconds, at least that’s what we think.
3. I think the worst trend in our industry is for anyone to think of us as manufacturing ads. We are not making a product that comes off an assembly line. Each product is unique and is directly influenced by the time frame involved, the materials used and the product itself. Advertisers are trying to control our cost issues and their cost issues by making us a vendor that we’re not. There are better ways for all of us to deal with the changes in the economy, but looking at us like other vendors is not helping.
4. I really hope I’m not looking back yet. I think that this is such a great time in our business. I am hoping that the best is yet to come!
5. I moved to LA after film school to be a director. I started as a waitress. After six months of disappointing interviews to be a D-girl in the movie business, I waited on a commercial director and his ad clients. They told me that they made commercials. I told them that’s a cheesy profession. The director told me to come and work for him and I could do whatever I wanted. I started a week later. He was true to his word.
6. How are advertisers going to monetize the Internet. Everyone wants to be in a digital space but they are still not quite sure what it’s worth. We need to sort out some kind of money equivalent of a “hit” on the web so we can start doing better work.
7. I started as a receptionist/sales rep/bidder. SHOOT was my bible. It was my link to the outside world. It’s funny how small the business seemed back then. Now the cast of characters is so much bigger.
8. SHOOT has been a great barometer for the good, the bad and the changes in our world. It’s amazing that a trade magazine for such a specialized industry has managed to stay current and at the center of all that is happening in our business for so long.
9. I lost a director and four crew members in a helicopter crash. I never forget that regardless of the time pressures and people insisting that we have to pull it off, we are still responsible for every person on our crews. I always know when to say it’s not worth it. I never want to go through that experience again.
Vin Farrell, VP, production, Digital Studio, R/GA1. I think the way technology has impacted the fundamental functions of our industry–from content creation to distribution–has brought an overwhelming amount of disruption to the film/video industry, both positive and negative. We’ve seen the evolution of technology change everything from our pricing models and tool kits to the way in which we consume media. However, the business models haven’t adjusted as rapidly.
Evolutions in the space have granted me the flexibility to experiment, play, and create content in different mediums, which has certainly influenced and changed my career path from film to TV to digital/interactive advertising.
5. My summer internship in college was at Allen & Company, an investment banking company who handled special media and entertainment deals. It was there that I first learned about the monetization of distributed content.
7. I started reading SHOOT in 2004 when I was an agency producer at Digitas. Now I head R/GA’s Digital Studio as the VP of production. In a relatively short time, the Studio has grown into an award-winning offering with a team of 50 professionals that specialize in everything from video shooting and editing to sound design, motion graphics, and 3-D animation. The Studio collaborates with creatives across R/GA’s global offices, assisting on both client pitches and strategic initiatives such as Nokia’s 2009 Rihanna Live event in Brixton, UK. Last year, we increased revenue by 65 percent and were directly involved in more than 650 jobs.
9. My fondest memory was when I premiered my first short film The Third Date at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival.
In 2004, I experienced my most profound moment–when I saw Dig at the Sundance Film Festival. I almost got involved in that film, but chose not to for the wrong reasons. I over thought it and didn’t follow my gut, even though the film had great material, a talented unknown filmmaker, and awesome music. Needless to say, I regretted it and learned a valuable lesson about this industry: always follow your gut.
The funniest and creepiest memory I have was when I was held up by a group of gangsters in Coney Island. I was using “their section of the boardwalk” in my film and the guy locked me up until I paid. But I walked away victorious when I talked him down from his original demand of $2000 to $150.
Cindy Fluitt, director of broadcast production, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners1. It’s a long list that includes many, many writers and art directors, editors and directors, clients, other producers, assistants and great thinkers that I have worked with through the years. I try to learn from everybody I meet.
2. The constant adventure of discovery and collaboration that connects to the culture and technology of the moment.
3. The time warp is putting stress on great thinking. I worry that we react more and think less because our production time has dramatically decreased.
4. “Long Way Home” for the Drug-Free America campaign. It was a true labor of love from all who participated and cost less than $3000.
5. One of my classes in college required attendance at the annual Clio Awards screening. A Joe Sedelmaier spot for National Airlines changed my life. That night, I decided that advertising looked like the chance to make small movies and dropped all my journalism classes the next day.
6. The media frontier is exciting for me. There are so many places to place a good story. It just needs to be a good story and not mindless imagery. The thrill of learning how to fill those spaces makes work feel new everyday.
7. From the earliest days, SHOOT has provided nuggets of information that made me curious to look around the next corner. It has always been, and remains a great place of information.
8. Resourcefulness is one more tool in the toolkit.
9. At our 25th anniversary party, I was backstage and heard the stage manager give Jeff and Rich the cue to walk onstage and speak to the crowd. Seeing this from that perspective and hearing the tremendous applause was a true movie moment. Time stood still and I felt incredibly lucky to have been part of many things that led up to that epic night. And then, just like at the end of every shoot, I thought about how much my feet hurt.
Bonnie Goldfarb, co-founder/executive producer, harvest1. [Director and harvest co-founder] Baker Smith
2. I love the way technology has shaped production. Not long ago we were tied to land lines and hand typing AICP estimates. Our industry has been somewhat demystified and it’s opened up opportunities for many people. I also love that in 2010 being a producer and having a baby is not a career destroyer.
3. I strongly dislike the formulaic procedures that clients are trying to apply to our creative community. We produce ideas and depending on what those ideas are, we then apply a methodology and a budget. That process is the very essence of what it means to be a producer. How can you determine a budget before you have an idea?
4. a.) Giving birth to harvest films, inc. b.) Building and managing directors careers
5. I needed a job. I just finished college and I had debt and a ‘bad’ boyfriend and Steven Monkarsh hired me as a receptionist. I feel like I’m living proof of the American Dream in advertising/filmmaking.
7. In 1984, I was a staff production co-ordinator at The Film Consortium mixing vodka and orange juice for Al Mancinetti every morning.
Today I’m running harvest films in Santa Monica.
8. SHOOT has always been the carrot for production community. If your work was good enough to be mentioned or if you had your name attached to “The Best Work You May Never See,” you might get some recognition from the creatives, which in turn would build your career.
9. My fondest memories stem from watching sunrises all over the world with local people and my crew. Connie Hall Sr. taught me about eye light, Paul Giraud taught me about dramatic skies, Jim Giddens taught me about endurance, Joe taught me never to sit down as Austin’s 2nd A.D. My most profound remembrance was drowning while shooting in Jamaica and later surfacing to realize it just wasn’t my time. My funniest remembrance was shooting with George Burns and having him sign a picture for me at wrap, cigar and all.
Hardwrick Johnson, VP operations, ARRI CSC1. The changes in the industry have been tremendous in my forty-eight years of working in this field. I am before fax machines, cell phones, and emails. Technology has made many advances and innovations in Lighting and Camera; we’ve come a long way: Brute Arc to HMI, Mitchell cameras to ARRICAMS, and now we’ve got the ALEXA.
4. The Lighting & Grip department that I built and being part of the growth of ARRI CSC makes me very proud.
7. My first awareness of SHOOT was in the early seventies when I became general manager of CSC. I used the magazine to get information on commercials, production and advertising companies. Then, as now, SHOOT is the leading publication for commercials.
9. One of my fondest industry remembrances, of which I have many, was a location I had with a full service Camera, Lighting & Grip company in South Jersey, our best account at the time. The driver and his helper had an 8.30 a.m. call. At 9 a.m. I received a call that the truck had not arrived. That was before the invention of cell phones so there was no way of contacting the driver. After four hours I decided to call the Turnpike State Patrol and report the truck stolen. The truck finally showed up at 1:45 p.m. The two drivers were drunk; Production later determined that they had been in Atlantic City. Luckily, the director and owner of the company was fond of us–I did not lose the account.
Gary Koepke, executive creative director/co-founder, Modernista!2. The best trend in this business is the increasing importance of communicating a message in multiple media channels, from texting to TV, Facebook and alternate reality games. Along with all these new media channels to explore, there are young talents coming out of schools like VCU, Portfolio Center, and Boulder Digital Works with the knowledge of how to tell compelling stories across these mediums. We’ve moved beyond the point where, as Marshall McLuhan said, “the medium is the message.” Today, the people are the message. A single person can make a huge cultural impact simply by using the platforms available to share an opinion. There’s no excuse for not being heard. How great is that?
7. I started reading SHOOT just as I was getting into advertising in 1995. I had come from the print graphic design world and was learning the ropes of art directing at Wieden and Kennedy. Back then the TV spot was still the reigning commercial medium, and I remember coming to the realization that the big difference between being a graphic designer and an AD was being able to think in terms of moving pictures as opposed to still. I turned to SHOOT to get some education in that new area. Fast-forward to today, and I’m co-founder and ECD of Modernista!. I’d say that education was valuable.
Ralph Laucella, partner/executive producer, O Positive Films1. Those people whose work has had the greatest influence on me, probably Gerry Graf, Scott Vitrone and Ian Reichenthal. I worked on some of Gerry’s earliest jobs with him (for instance e*Trade’s “Broker” and “ER-Wazoo”). I kept on working with him through the 2000s–and with Ian and Scott–as producer of Jim’s Nextel “Dance Party” and the Embassy Suites’ spots, among others. Then when Jim and I launched O Positive in 2007, Gerry, Scott and Ian gave us our very first job, which is still one of my personal favorite spots.
2. Visual effects and animation. I absolutely love the endless possibilities that come with them.
4. Being part of starting a small production company just before the economy really tanked, yet staying busy in spite of that. Not just surviving, but thriving. I’m both grateful for that, and proud of it.
5. I actually never thought I would be involved in advertising. I wanted to be a filmmaker, maybe a commercial-maker. I started in Features, which led me to TV and Music Videos, and I stumbled on to Commercials as a PA.
7. 1997. I was a production supervisor at Hungry Man in NY.
2010. Drinking a coffee filling out this survey the night before it’s due and I’m a partner/EP at O Positive.
9. Shooting down in Brazil about six to seven years ago. The director had asked the production designer to hand all the background extras Blackberrys. And the AD was instructed to have them look at or talk on them. Sure enough by the time we were ready to film the scene, each one had been handed a pint of blackberries.
Kevin Moehlenkamp, chief creative officer, Hill Holliday1. The greatest influence on my advertising career would have to go to Frank Perdue, hands down. As a child, I grew up on a chicken farm raising Perdue chickens. One of the perks of being a chicken farmer in Delaware (actually maybe the only perk) was being dragged to the annual Perdue Chicken Growers Gala event. I never actually partook of the event, because as a young child I was thrown into a daycare room while my parents went off to enjoy the chicken festivities. The problem was that in this daycare room, there was about 100 kids and four toy trucks to share. But to my endless joy, they always would play a loop of the latest Frank Perdue commercials fresh from the geniuses at Scali, McCabe & Sloves. My parents said they would always come back and find me in tears laughing at those spots. It’s funny where you can find your calling.
2. I love how technology has completely changed our industry. We are in the middle of one of the most exciting times in advertising. Although, there are days when I’m sitting in a room full of digital specialists and I feel 100 years old. But then I remember that Bob Greenberg is the king of digital, and he’s actually a lot closer to 100 than I am. That usually makes me feel a lot better. Sorry Bob.
3. I hate how technology has completely changed our industry. While I love how it’s transformed how we build brands, I despise how it’s torn our industry apart. I’m not a big conference goer, but the few I have been to seem to be dominated by the same Chicken Littles prophesizing the demise of our industry. The truth is, our industry isn’t dying, its evolving wonderfully. And my guess is that the people who will lead the way will probably not be the ones currently choosing to spend their days on the conference circuit talking about it.
Tor Myhren, chief creative officer, Grey Advertising, New York1. Nike is the reason I got into this business. Early 90’s I was in college playing hoops and those ads were so ridiculously good. At the time, I didn’t even know advertising was an occupation for writers. All I knew was I loved those Nike ads and wanted to make things like that.
2. I love all the changes going on in the business. I love that we’re merging with other entertainment outlets (movies, music, fine art, etc). I love that we can make a million dollar TV commercial one day, then shoot something on our iPhone the next, and either one might be viewed by 10 million people on Youtube. I love the speed and intensity of our days. Most of all I love the people. They are interesting, curious and engaged. They make this the best business on the planet.
4. Helping transform Grey from an old, slow dinosaur into the only ad agency named on Fast Company’s ’50 Most Innovative Companies in the World’ list.
7. I started reading SHOOT in 1995, the day I entered the business as a copywriter intern in Denver. 15 years later, I’m CCO of Grey New York and still read every issue.
Simon Needham, co-founder/executive creative director, ATTIK1. One of my first accomplishments was my first ever music video, which I directed it Australia. The project (for Alex Lloyd, entitled “Lucky Star”) won MTV’s Video of the Month award. Since this was done at the beginning of my career, to have earned that recognition was quite an accomplishment due to the fact that I had no film training, was new to the business and was just plain hungry and determined.
2. Clearly, social media is currently and will continue to be important to any marketing campaign. Being able to communicate with people by Twitter, Facebook, on blogs, and those types of tools is obviously an area that people are much more focused on now than ever before. And today, mobile ties right in with social networking. Increasing numbers of people are accessing websites and social media sites on their mobile phones.
3. Nowadays, people often tend to begin creative discussions by focusing on a particular technology, but we generally consider that most new technologies are only cool for a minute, before they become just another platform. We’re always looking for new technologies, but more importantly, we’re always trying to make sure that the ideas we put forward are solid, and that they hit the right market(s) in the right ways.
4. The business has come so far technically and I have made it a priority to embrace all the new technologies. Now, years later, I think my greatest accomplishment is the latest Scion tC “Take On the Machine” spot. Not only did it combine live-action and CGI, the whole spot was produced in 3D, making it one of the first 3D car commercials of all time. Alongside the spot, additional elements were created that were produced for the “choose your own adventure” experience, which can be viewed on www.takeonthemachine.com
6. Many people try to differentiate TV from web from cell phones, but that line is getting blurrier as we move forward. At the end of the day, regardless of the size of the screen, the bottom line is we’re watching stuff on all kinds of different monitors now, but it all goes back to the same piece of content that we’re watching. And bearing this in mind, it had better be effective!
Richard O’Neill, executive director of integrated production, TBWAChiatDay, Los Angeles4. A quarter of a century ago I would have naively said the Apple Macintosh “1984” commercial was my greatest accomplishment professionally. Now though I believe my greatest accomplishment is in the individuals I’ve had the fortune to mentor. They all came through ChiatDay and the production work they’ve done has put them in the Who’s Who of advertising. This year the TBWAChiatDay teams again attained elite status by giving us “Replay” the award winning show, the acclaimed Activision “Call of Duty” commercial, a Nissan LEAF launch, a much watched Visa Winter Olympics campaign, Grammys unique media arts “We are all Fans”, and Pepsi’s humanitarian “Refresh” campaign. This work highlighted an agency whose legacy is intact. I’m proud to continue to work with the best and the brightest. I get so much joy in offering them my experience and insight. I get the greatest joy professionally in seeing their accomplishments.
Stephen Orent, managing partner, Station Film1. In the late ’90s-early 2000s, it was the dot-coms and the clients’ willingness to push. And the genius comedy that ensued – no one did it better then Gerry Graf and Eric Silver.
Jonathan Glazer’s award-winning spot for Levi’s–Odyssey (2002)–and the beginning of breakthrough CG in advertising.
2. The fact that production companies can be much more involved in creative solutions, and more involved from beginning, middle to end.
3. I dislike the fact that business has predominantly become a bottom-line business. It’s no longer about which director/production company is best for the project creatively but who can do it the cheapest. It is not just the immediate impact on the director and production company, but the impact and creativity that’s lost in the end result. It’s the 10-15% push all the way through the process from some of the brightest and most talented minds that elevates a product and brand. And that feels lost sometimes in an effort to save nominal fees because that’s what many people are paid to do.
4. Shooting 78 at Tamarack Country Club in September, 2007.
Partnering with my current partners and getting Station Film off the ground in the eye of the economic storm in March of ’08 and building it into a Top 10 Production Company in less then 3 years.
5. Growing up in L.I. with Gerald and Michael Cuesta, sons of commercial director Mike Cuesta Sr., and learning at age 8 how to make a horror film.
The icing on the cake was getting my first summer job as a PA in the summer of 1980 on the Rodney Dangerfield movie Easy Money and having the tall task of bringing Rodney his favorite spumoni from Ferrara’s in Little Italy to the location on 90th and 5th while the city was melting in the summer heat. Having pulled that off I knew I had a place in this business.
6. Did the invention of television make movies and radio extinct? Have computers, cell phones and digital recording put an end the big screen TV that we all enjoy watching our Super Bowl ads on?
Advertising and all the platforms that it’s brought to us on are not going anywhere, but the question for me is, ‘will the traditional way it’s produced sustain itself for the foreseeable future?’
7. In 1980 when it was BackStage, or at least I thought it was as a young production assistant.
8. It kept me motivated keeping up on all the production companies who were doing well and keeping the dream alive that I would be among them one day.
9. My fondest industry remembrance, opening the doors on my second production company Station Film.
My funniest remembrance, sitting in a cold dark recording studio as the company was being hatched.
My most profound remembrance, the birth of my three children.
David Perry, head of TV production, Saatchi & Saatchi New York1. The work of David Abbott, John Hegarty, Ed McCabe.
5. I was a studio musician, but wanted to get into a more respectable line of work.
Marc Petit, sr. VP, media & entertainment, Autodesk Inc.1. I still remember vividly how hard it was to work in production with first generation digital visual effects tools, many of which were inadequate and incredibly complicated to operate. I remember the frustration and the determination of digital artists in the late 80s and early 90s who were managing to accomplish amazing never-before-seen visual effects every day — but not without a lot of blood, sweat and tears. To this day, that frustration still drives me to create visual effects tools that are better, faster and allow people to create what they imagine more quickly and easily.
2. The Internet has dramatically changed all segments of our industry, it is an amazing vector of innovation both for production and delivery of content (film, games, advertising and TV). It has redefined the balance of power in the industry to the benefit of creative people. For the advertising industry, the Internet and mobile connectivity have opened up a whole new world of promotional possibility, and we’re seeing some incredible creative executions — from augmented reality to multi-tiered, multi-platform campaigns — turn into pop culture phenomena like what we saw with Old Spice and Nike ‘Chalkbot.’
3. Globalization leads to way too much travelling! I’m looking forward to faster airplanes.
4. I love that I have been able to put together the best product teams and have them work collaboratively to have a dramatic impact on the industry. Autodesk now creates the visual effects products that many in the industry still affectionately recall as their ‘discreet logic’ systems — Flame, Smoke, Inferno, Lustre, as well as our 3D tools, Maya, 3ds Max, Softimage, Mudbox and MotionBuilder. It is incredibly satisfying to see the culmination of these efforts when we compile our customer show reels made up of the year’s best work — and much of the most groundbreaking material comes out of the advertising creative community. Looking forward, I hope that Smoke For Mac will become the editorial finishing tool of the next generation of editors. It brings our acclaimed VFX and finishing technology to a much greater audience.
5. As I was studying to become a telecom engineer in 1986, I quickly discovered that graphics was the most creative arena developing in computing. I gave up telecommunications and pursued a career in computer graphics and never looked back. What’s most interesting to me about the computer graphics industry is the confluence of geeks and artists and what could be more fun than that?!
6. The price of computing resources is dropping rapidly, we’re going to have infinite computing resources available soon in the cloud, accessible at very affordable price points and this will allow for new generations of content creation tools and processes — and a larger pool of artists with access to them. The commoditization of technology will lead to the democratization of the tools across the globe. To prepare for this new world, we actively support learning. Students have access to our latest tools and techniques — from free 36-month licenses for registered students; to the AREA, our digital community, with a plethora of trials, training and even a job board and finally with our active support for curriculum development for schools http://students.autodesk.com.
7. I started to read SHOOT magazine when I joined the industry in 1988; I was writing visual effects software for the computer animated movie Paris 1789 and several commercials. Now, I lead Autodesk Media & Entertainment and I still read it regularly for updates on the latest creative efforts in the advertising community. I have always appreciated how SHOOT went out of its way to recognize all of the artists involved in commercials — acknowledging that the production of a spot is typically a collaboration of efforts — and it’s still rewarding to see the artists out there that are credited as ‘Flame’ and ‘Maya’ artists on the projects covered in SHOOT‘s pages.
8. As a tools provider, SHOOT has always been an important source of information to learn about our customers and their projects but also to understand the needs of our customers’ stakeholders (directors, cinematographers, producers, advertising agencies, etc.). It helps me understand the evolution of creative agencies, production and post-production companies and how their roles are changing in the production process. The rapid adoption of Smoke for Mac by agencies and production companies is a testament to this trend. SHOOT provides a great avenue to witness these changes in the industry.
9. Watching Jurassic Park for the first time and thinking the impossible was finally possible and that it was cool to be part of it! I go back to that feeling every time I see a remarkable feat of creativity whether it’s something like Coke’s ‘Happiness Factory’, Katy Perry’s new ‘California Gurls’ music video, an incredible new story-driven videogame project like “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” or a groundbreaking film like Avatar.
Michael Porte, owner, The Field/Nth Degree Creative Group2. For the most part, the creative process gets better and better each year! (uh… yea, there are exceptions!)
3. I’m not loving the pay schedule – both in the time it takes to get paid, and the smaller budgets that we have to work with. That’s less of a “change” than a “continued downward spiral”!
4. Introducing “producers” into the postproduction environment. Before Mad River Post, the position of post-producer did not exist. As commercials became more complicated, a new breed of postproduction management was necessary. My competitors complained bitterly that I was making it hard for them to compete by adding well-trained post-producers to the team.
5. It’s the only industry that would have me!
6. I’m still trying to come up with the answer to my father when he asks what I do for a living.
7. I started reading SHOOT as a junior agency producer. I’m still reading it today after creating over eight companies that serve the advertising business.
8. SHOOT has helped me stay current with advertising trends. Advertising is one of the few businesses that re-creates and re-invents itself every two years. The only way to continue being relevant is by keeping up with the trends of the moment. SHOOT helps me do that.
It is also one of the few places to advertise where I can guarantee that my intended audience is paying attention.
9. Funniest: In the days before 9/11, we had prepped a caravan of FAKE package delivery trucks for a shoot on the dry lake-beds in the California desert. On our way to the location a real FedEx truck got in the middle of our caravan and proceeded to turn into Edwards Air Force Base — dutifully followed by all of our FAKE delivery trucks (i.e. Painted on the side were signs like “BEST DELIVERY”, etc). When the trucks got to the guard gate, each driver said “I’m with them — referring to the truck in front of them. All 10 trucks were waved through, and drove deep onto the base, until we realized we were “lost” and turned around. Try that one today without getting shot! NOTE: we all made it to location just as the camera helicopter showed up — and the shot was perfect!
Josh Rabinowitz, sr. VP/director of music, Grey Group, N.Y.1. The creation of mp3s, the rapid digital recording advances in music technology and the proliferation of licensed tracks have had the greatest effect on my work. The most positive influence on me has been my wife Janet, an attorney, who’s made me take the high road at all times, especially when I didn’t think that I possibly could.
2. I like that most agencies have taken to the open seating model for their offices – it creates a great buzz of interaction and communication.
3. Same as above. Just kidding – what ails me is the monetary devaluation of the music and the fact that most of us don’t attend music sessions anymore.
4. Remaining musical against all sorts of opposing tendencies.
5. Saw this as a way to produce music, meet musical people, sustain myself through music, and once in a while, create some high end stuff, maybe even a hit!
6. When will people stop falling in love with reference tracks?
When will people stop copying other people’s Intellectual Property?
7. SHOOT was my first entree into the ad world–I read it my first day as a junior music producer at a music house in the 90s. It opened me up to a biz I knew nothing about. Now I’m the SVP/director of music at Grey and an adjunct professor at The New School
8. SHOOT covered a great deal of my early work as a producer and composer at tomandandy and JSM, as well as much of my work at Y&R when I worked with such great artists as Black Eyed Peas, Smokey Robinson, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Macy Gray, and others. They put me on the map and permitted me to vent and wax futuristic about the music ad business. When I came to Grey, they allowed me to write an Opinion piece which may be some of my best writing I’ve ever done.
9. My funniest industry remembrance was getting positive feedback from consumers for a track I co-wrote and produced in the form of a hundred dollar bill in the mail requesting a copy of the track.
My fondest was meeting Sir George Martin and meekly telling him that I was the “music producer” on the session we were recording at his studio.
My most profound were twofold:
Conducting a 63 piece orchestra for an AT&T ad which was full of my music teachers from HS and College.
The first day I taught my Music in the Media course at NYU and the students called me professor.
David Rolfe, partner/director of integrated production, Crispin Porter+Bogusky4. Watching work early on and throughout my career that I so admired, made by colleagues that I see at least annually still, and knowing that it shaped me and shaped the motivation that drove me. But then knowing that in turn over the last 8-10 years we made some work that has received admiration. It is hard to believe, given the respect I have for accomplished work in our field.
6. I think we have to find our way in the post-Integrated environment. I think Integrated is as important as ever but much of Integrated, in production, came about as a signifier that we need to achieve more. Some companies have made it and others haven’t. But the interactive side of Integrated cannot be an add-on anymore. Within agencies that have made it, I think it is as important as ever for collaboration, how ever you put it. But, what is the overriding mentality of a production department? Its an important question.
8. Without SHOOT, I’m certain I wouldn’t be where I am now, heading production at CP+B. I started at a small agency in Miami (not CP+B) with no advertising background. I voraciously read every word in SHOOT for at least a half dozen years, and used it to catalyze my early chosen path to be the sort of “I know who did that” guy. I loved it and I loved the straightforward style. Flat out: thank you SHOOT.
Chris Rossiter, EVP/executive director of production, Leo Burnett1. Believe it or not, I’d have to say the economic challenges of the last five years have had a hugely positive effect for me. As difficult as the financial pressures have made things, the situation’s forced me to look long and hard at the way we work, strategically, procedurally, and above and beyond all, creatively. Innovation isn’t just tools and technique, it’s a point of view. The economy’s forced me to constantly look at myself and the rest of our department with a more demanding, responsible and ambitious set of eyes.
2. My present first love is the new structure we’ve designed in our department. For years the industry’s preached specialization and subject matter expertise. For us, the future is in expanding our individual horizons across platforms, not siloing ourselves within them. I’ve always felt that what makes a producer great is the ability to learn on the fly and figure out how to do things that haven’t been done before. Oddly, the business is more dependent on that talent now than ever before. It’s not what you know, it’s what you’re willing to learn and how fast you can learn it well.
4. My hope of hopes is that if I’ve accomplished anything in my career, it’d be helping people to be the best they could be, and that the projects I’ve been a part of were also the best they could be.7. I started reading SHOOT shortly after I started at Leo Burnett in 1987. I started reading to help better understand how the industry worked, and I still read it for the same reason.
Michael Sagol, managing partner/executive producer, Caviar1. I love how stories are being told better with less money. Because I have not been doing this for that long, I have only heard of big budgets and money to do things.
2. I love how quickly things are changing and how the lines are being blurred more and more. Advertising is changing almost too quickly but that is the fun part. The game now is how to be the wave as opposed to how to ride it.
4. The ability to take talent without any advertising background and bring them into the fold and have them succeed. It’s the thing I love and the thing that drives me the craziest because a lot of our guys are not for everyone–so sometimes it’s an uphill battle that is lost at the onset but you hope. Regardless of the outcome, though, it’s the struggle and the results that make me get out of bed.
5. Love of stories and the need to pay for rent after graduating with a BFA in theatre.
7. I started reading SHOOT magazine when I was a PA on set picking up trash in ’99. I read SHOOT today and I’m a managing partner of caviar and I still pick up trash- just a bit more complicated trash.
Doug Scott, president, OgilvyEntertainment1. The branded entertainment work being done by @radical media has had a positive influence on me and for that matter has really pushed the industry along. From Gamekillers (AXE) to Iconoclasts (Grey Goose), these original series exhibit how a brand, through its key messages and core attributes, can inform a storyline and sustain an audience through entertainment. On the broadcast side of things I think that IFC/Sundance truly understands the branded entertainment space and have structured their development and sales teams as well as their network in a way that allows agencies/brands to co-develop and distribute original entertainment.
2. I love the collaboration that is taking place between Madison Avenue, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Although there are still some silos that need to be broken down, those that understand the economics of the business and the inter-dependencies of all the parties involved in developing, funding, producing and distributing content are working in a way which reflects the future of marketing.
4. My greatest accomplishment professionally was the creation and execution of the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival in 2002. This fully integrated marketing program showed how branded short films from emerging filmmakers, film festival experiences, an online consumer promotion and a feature film produced by the winning filmmaker can be used to drive a brand’s marketing objectives and directly affect sales. Not only did Chrysler sell more PT Cruisers but the winning feature film, Cry Wolf, grossed over $15 million at the box office.
6. I think the most pressing question in the future is how will technology continue to disable traditional media and entertainment models as it enables new ways for the consumer to engage with the creators/distributors of content. Will television networks exist? Will programming be delivered a la carte? Will brands be able to buy media based on a Consumer instead of an Audience?
David Smith, executive VP/chief creative officer, RPA1. I am continually amazed and inspired by the next generation of directors, artists and writers. Most of whom are working in the non-traditional space.
Our industry is a total contradiction right now. I don’t see much creativity in traditional media like television, print and radio. But my MacBook and iPad and iPhone are overflowing with brilliant ideas from brave, daring companies.
In my opinion, the Internet has become something entirely different than it was 10 years ago. In 2000, it was all about information. Today, it’s all about creativity. Great artists are making the digital world a stage. I can’t help but think of Toulouse-Lautrec and Lenny Bruce and Christo when I consider this question. They all found a new way to communicate. And changed the world while they were at it.
2. I love the fact that we have more brilliant people than ever before to help us bring our ideas to life. Everywhere we turn, another great director, musician, effects house or editor has popped up.
These companies are populated (and often owned) by young people with immense creativity. They are optimistic, driven and fun to work with.
I read a book a couple of years ago entitled A Whole New Mind.
http://www.amazon.com/Whole-New-Mind-Information-Conceptual/dp/1573223085
It was recommended to me by a client. It makes a strong case that a Masters of Fine Arts will replace a Masters of Business Administration in the coming years. The MFA is the new MBA. Why? Because creativity, more than anything else, will set companies apart in the future. I think we’re starting to see the beginning of that trend.
3. Nothing that won’t change once our economy gets healthier. I think the recession has caused many clients to pull back, get conservative, and resort to pricing and discounting strategies.
But I will always believe that building a solid brand–whether it’s done through traditional advertising or social media or experiential efforts–will carry the day for companies that have something unique to offer.
I am bullish on brands that respect their customers and talk to them honestly.
4. Well, I hope I haven’t seen it yet.
But to be a part of an agency as special as RPA, to grow professionally as our company has grown, to meet and be inspired by so many wonderful individuals and, then, to be given a chance to oversee the creative product for dozens of amazing companies…it doesn’t get any better than that. I guess I’m going to have a hard time topping it.
5. As my mom can attest, my third-grade teacher gave my class a writing assignment. It was wide open. Write about your dog, your vacation, your favorite sport, the biggest fish you’ve caught (I grew up in Missouri).I wrote a radio commercial.
Frankly, I’ve always been fascinated by people. I love to observe. I love to understand what makes them all different. And I am obsessed by a desire to communicate. But…I’m shy. So, I guess advertising was the perfect profession for me. I could talk to people without actually talking to people.
6. That’s one big one. We are in the business to help companies grow. But we can’t forget we have the talent and skills and power to change the world. I’m proud to be in an industry that is waking up to that idea. The work I see being created for great causes is my biggest inspiration these days.
Regarding the second part of the question, I’ll simply continue to read the morning paper, online, and adjust accordingly.
7. I began reading SHOOT roughly 20 years ago, when I was a copywriter. When I saw that big blue masthead in my mailbox, I immediately grabbed it and scanned the front page, hoping one of my commercials might be “Spot of The Week.” I think I was disappointed 783 times, and happy twice.
Today, as CCO, I still count on SHOOT to let me know what’s going on in the advertising and production business. Impressively, SHOOT has evolved just as quickly as our business has changed.
8. SHOOT has done a few things for me in my career. It’s helped me stay abreast of the best directors in the business. (I read an article about Phil Morrison a few months before we shot with him. It influenced our decision, and it was a very successful production.)
It’s also helped me stay abreast of trends and changes in our business. It’s given me deep insights into the technology that affects our business.
Finally, it’s allowed me to stay up to speed with my friends and the work they are doing. Which sometimes makes me jealous, sometimes makes me grateful.
9. When we shot “Cars/People” for Honda with Malcolm Venville. Every day, we (me, my partner Joe Baratelli and Malcolm) would come to the set and talk about how people don’t look like cars and how screwed we might be.
Then we saw the rough cut, and realized what a brilliant idea it actually was.
Then we won a bunch of awards and had to act like we knew it all along.
