By ROBERT GOLDRICH
Director Eugene Yelchin has signed with Hollywood-based Dektor Film for exclusive representation. Yelchin comes to the Dektor studio from Palomar Pictures, Los Angeles, which repped him for the past two years.
Yelchin established himself as a spot director at Palomar. He made his directorial debut there in late 96 with Johnny Coca-Cola, a Coke spot featuring a hand-drawn animation style from yesteryear. That commercial was conceived by Len Fink, Shelly Hochran and Jack Harrower back when they were at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Beverly Hills, which at the time was serving as an ad agency on the Coca-Cola account. Fittingly, that same trio of artisans-now with Santa Monica ad shop Edge Creative-recently awarded Yelchin what turned out to be his last job under the Palomar banner, Cokes Humpty Dumpty, a combo live action/effects/CGI piece which is slated to air soon. In-between those Coke gigs, Yelchin helmed numerous projects for Palomar, including live action/CGI fare introducing the Legoland amusement park via Asher & Associates, Los Angeles, and a number of assignments for Dentsu, Tokyo, spanning such accounts as Honda automobiles and Konica.
Yelchin noted that the Dentsu work provided him with the opportunity to become involved in conceptual development as well as directing. He credited Palomar head Jonathon Ker with helping to develop his directorial career. Jonathons selectivity and good taste resulted in my getting worthwhile projects that advanced me as a director, related Yelchin. He has a well-deserved reputation for nurturing directors.
But Yelchin explained that his long-standing admiration for director Leslie Dektor is what prompted him to shift over to Dektor Film. Yelchin and Dektor have a track record together. Starting in 89, Yelchin served as a storyboard artist for several notable directors, including Dektor. The two developed a rapport, collaborating on jobs for some eight years. He is a true artist, said Yelchin of Dektor. Hes the most artistic person Ive met in my 15 years in this country. Working with and around him is an environment that anyone would wish for.
Yelchin was born in Leningrad, Russia, and educated at the Leningrad Institute for Theatre Arts. He designed sets and costumes for more than 20 major stage productions before leaving Russia in 83 as a political refugee. In the U.S., Yelchin worked as a magazine and book illustrator before entering the graduate film program at the University of Southern California where he helmed a half-hour, live-action comedy, Red Mambo, that fared well on the festival circuit.
Tapping into his art background and film education, Yelchin started creating spot storyboards for not only directors (i.e.-Tony Kaye of Tony K., Santa Monica and London, David Fincher of bicoastal/international Propaganda Films, Kinka Usher, now of House of Usher Films, Santa Monica, and Dektor) but also agencies (Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, TBWA/Chiat/ Day, Los Angeles, DDB Needham Los Angeles). Through storyboards, Yelchin gained an intimate knowledge of how ideas are developed by creatives and visualized by directors.
Then he got the big break on the aforementioned Johnny Coca-Cola after having worked as a storyboard artist for the then CAA contingent. Yelchins directorial career started to build momentum.
Dektor assessed that during a relatively brief tenure as a director, Yelchin has demonstrated the capacity to turn out artfully done, unique work. Each piece is a little jewel and I think that craftsmanship comes from his theatrical design background and his being a serious painter. Dektor added that this work-spanning live-action, visual effects and animation-is grounded in simplicity. Typically, you only see four or five shots in each commercial he directs-but it tells a story so well, said Dektor.
Dektor noted that he spent the past year looking for the right director to bring into the company fold; a search that began when director Thom Higgins left to join bicoastal/international RSA USA (SHOOT, 2/20/98, p. 1), prompting the studio moniker change from Dektor Higgins & Associates to Dektor Film. Yelchin joins a Dektor Film roster that also consists of Dektor and his son, director Paul Dektor. Executive producer for the overall company is Faith Dektor. Exec. producer Sven Shelgren-who reports to Faith Dektor-will work primarily with Yelchin and Paul Dektor. The company is repped by Susan Kirchmeier on the East Coast, Rich Newman in the Midwest, and Carol Biedermann on the West Coast.
“Memoir of a Snail” Takes Top Prize At London Film Festival
The Official Competition jury said: “Our jury was incredibly moved by Adam Elliot’s Memoir of a Snail, which is a singular achievement in filmmaking. Emotionally resonant and constantly surprising, Memoir tackles pertinent issues such as bullying, loneliness and grief head-on, creating a crucial and universal dialogue in a way that only animation can. The jury is delighted to recognize an animated film alongside its live-action peers.”
Rounding out the winners of this year’s films screening In Competition are:
- Winner of the Sutherland Award in the First Feature Competition – On Falling (Dir. Laura Carreira)
- Winner of the Grierson Award in the Documentary Competition – Mother Vera (Dirs. Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson)
- Winner of the Short Film Award in the Short Film Competition – Vibrations from Gaza (Dir. Rehab Nazzal)