The third time proved to be the charm for director Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles. Having been nominated each of the last three years for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award as best commercial director, Murro finally broke through and won the coveted honor during a gala Guild ceremony last week (1/29) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
DGA judges named Murro the best spot helmer of 2004 on the basis of three entries: Starbucks’ “Glen” for Fallon, New York; adidas’ “Carry,” out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco; and eBay’s “Toy Boat” for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco.
In accepting the award on stage, Murro made some brief remarks. However, his opening sentence suggested he might be more longwinded. “Thirty second commercials–twenty-minute speech,” he quipped, eliciting a round of laughter. Murro then thanked a succession of people by first name, including Biscuit Filmworks’ executive producer Shawn Lacy Tessaro, producer Jay Veal, Gary Feil who was first assistant director on “Carry” and “Toy Boat,” James Giovannetti, first assistant director on “Glen,” and editor Avi Oron of Bikini Edit, New York. (Oron cut all three entries.) Murro concluded by thanking his father, adding, “I love you all.”
Backstage Murro told SHOOT that the award is “a fantastic honor,” noting that he was gratified just to be nominated. At the same time, he expressed some tongue-in-cheek relief that he won and thus won’t be deemed the “Susan Lucci” of commercial directors–the reference being to the actress who was a perennial daytime Emmy nominee but seemed destined to never win the award.
Murro said he was “grateful” for the DGA recognition and to the agency people who gave him such great creative. Murro added that he was especially pleased to have been part of a remarkable field of nominees this year. The other four nominated directors were: Dante Ariola of bicoastal/international MJZ; Fredrik Bond, also of MJZ; Andrew Douglas of bicoastal Anonymous Content; and Jim Jenkins of bicoastal/international Hungry Man. (All the directors reflected on their nominations in SHOOT‘s inaugural electronic edition–1/21 e.dition, p. 1.)
Bond, Douglas and Jenkins were first-time DGA nominees. Ariola has been nominated three times for the DGA Award, the earlier nods coming for best spot director of ’00 and ’02. (Leslie Dektor of Dektor Film, Los Angeles, won the ’00 honor; Baker Smith of Santa Monica-based harvest received the best commercial director of ’02 award.)
Murro’s win came on a night when DGA Awards history was made. In earning best feature helmer distinction for his acclaimed Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood, 74, became the oldest director to receive the DGA Awards’ top theatrical film honor.
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The most recent of Murro’s three entries in the DGA competition was “Toy Boat,” which broke in December ’04. In the commercial, an eBay user discovers his beloved childhood toy on the site–a model ship he brought to the beach at Cape Cod one day in 1972. On that day, it floated out to sea, eventually sinking to the ocean floor during a violent storm. The toy turns up years later when a large fishing vessel near China pulls its netted catch aboard. The fisherman who spots it amid the slimy fish presumably puts it up for sale on eBay where the boy, now a man, spies it. A voiceover asks, “What if nothing were ever forgotten? What if nothing were ever lost.”
The Goodby, Silverstein & Partners’ creative team on eBay included creative director Jeff Goodby, creative director/copywriter Jamie Barrett, creative director/art director Rob Palmer and producer Cindy Fluitt.
Visual effects house was Digital Domain, Venice, Calif. Barry Peterson was the DP.
Feil was first assistant director, with Robert Kay and James Veal serving as second assistant directors on “Toy Boat.”
Debuting on air in the summer of ’04 was adidas’ “Carry” in which pro basketball superstar Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves carries countless people on his back, each person hopping aboard during his walk around town. All the while, Garnett looks at ease, accustomed to carrying his team and assorted community responsibilities on his shoulders.
Visual effects were done at Method, Santa Monica. Peterson was the DP.
The TBWA/Chiat/Day creative ensemble consisted of worldwide creative director Lee Clow, executive creative director Chuck McBride, creative director/art director Geoff Edwards, creative director/copywriter Scott Duchon, executive producer Jennifer Golub and post supervisor Jennifer Suttlemyre.
Feil was first assistant director, with Kay and Veal as second assistant directors on “Carry.”
Starbucks’ “Glen” premiered on air in May ’04. The spot shows Glen getting ready for work in the morning and commuting to his job–all the while accompanied by the members of Survivor, who sing a modified version of their mega-hit, “Eye of the Tiger.” The song–which proclaims “Glen, Glen, Glen, Glen”–fuels Glen’s ambitions to rise to middle management, making him ready to seize the day with a boost from Starbucks’ Double Shot. The story takes a turn when Survivor encounters another young worker, Roy, in the elevator. The song’s lyrics then becomes an anthem to him: “Roy, Roy, Roy, Roy.”
The Fallon team consisted of president/worldwide creative director David Lubars (now chairman/chief creative officer at BBDO North America, New York), executive creative director Avi Merkin, art director Rob Baird, copywriter Allon Tatarka and executive producer John Cline.
The new music arrangement for Survivor was created by bicoastal Elias Arts. Visual effects were done at R!OT Manhattan. The DP was Robert Elswit.
Giovannetti was first assistant director on “Glen.” Susie Balaban was second assistant director.
The DGA Awards are now in their 57th year. The DGA opened the annual competition to commercial directors in ’80.