Director/writer/producer Nelson McCormick has come aboard Aero Film, Santa Monica, for exclusive spot representation. He is best known for his direction of popular drama/action TV series, including episodes of CSI-New York, Alias, Cold Case, The West Wing, ER, CSI, Nip/Tuck, and Third Watch.
At press time, McCormick was at Raleigh Studios, Los Angeles, helming an episode of The Closer, a series which airs on TNT. Last year he directed two episodes of Stephen Bochco’s acclaimed and controversial series for F/X, Over There, which chronicled the drama of soldiers serving overseas in Iraq.
McCormick is no stranger to the ad discipline. Early on in his career he had a stint helming spots via The Front (the former live-action arm of Los Angeles animation/multimedia studio Duck Soup), and Red Sky, San Francisco. His spot credits back then included Ultrawheels In-Line Skates for agency TDA in Longmont, Colorado, and Airwalk footwear via Lambesis in Carlsbad, Calif.
“Nelson is great at directing drama, action, and dialogue,” related Aero executive producer Lance O’Connor. “There’s hardly a person in this country that hasn’t seen or been affected by the television shows he’s either produced, written or directed. Every show he’s directed demonstrates what a strong storyteller he is. I’ve got many different [spot] jobs in mind for him.”
Ironically, it was McCormick’s commercial work eight years ago that brought him eventually to the forefront of directing primetime TV series. According to McCormick, Reid Shane, a producer working at now defunct Propaganda Films, left for a position at Paramount. Shane, impressed by McCormick’s spot fare, brought him over to do a series titled Primal Force. I was immediately thrown into the mix,” recalled McCormick. “At first I was ambivalent about work in television, but that quickly changed. The timing was right, TV work became very high caliber, with good writing and good stories. Many great people like Jennifer Garner (Alias) and J.J. Abrams (Alias, just directed Mission Impossible 3)–their careers were born in television.”
McCormick sees no problem with translating his television work to the commercial world. “Characters are complex in television, the rich drama is great for creating moments–the same with commercials. The stuff I’m doing, whether it’s dialogue driven, emotional or high risk scenarios like on West Wing, relate perfectly to commercials. Television gives a director the discipline to create moments and tell the story.”
McCormick has a highly unusual background for a filmmaker, getting most of his training and experience as a combat cameraman while serving in the U.S. Air Force. “My experiences taught me how to capture the moment the first time, because most of the time you didn’t have the luxury of getting a second chance.”
The director foresees no problems in terms of his availability for spot assignments. “Television work has become very seasonal, schedules get hot in the fall, but I take one at a time, and can schedule one or two week outs with very little notice,” he related. “It actually takes less time to prep a show than people think.”
McCormick joins an Aero directorial roster that also includes Klaus Obermeyer, Henrik Hansen, Ken Arlidge and Brent Jones.
By Robert Goldrich
AD&Co. Launches Studio A; Davida Hall To Head New Venture As Sr. Director of Creative Content
Female-founded and led creative marketing agency AD&Co. has opened Studio A. The new venture will serve as AD&Co.’s in-house social brand content division, focused on developing and producing digital programming for advertising, social media, and influencer marketing campaigns designed to reach today’s audiences on the most popular and pivotal platforms. Davida Hall has been named to head Studio A as sr. director of creative content. She shifts over from AD&Co. where she held the same title since December 2023. Hall’s affiliations prior to AD&Co. include PopSugar and Studio71.
Amy Demas, founder and chief creative officer of AD&Co., said, “We understand content is king-—or queen—and that our clients need to engage their customer communities where they live. That inspired the logical expansion of AD&Co with Studio A, which is committed to producing only the most engaging and authentic brand stories.”
Studio A will harness both AD&Co’s and Hall’s deep expertise in the lifestyle sector, as content creators and avid consumers. Specializing in reaching audiences where they spend their time, the studio is immersed in social media, pop culture, and current trends, expertly crafting visuals, language, and storytelling to reinforce client brand identities and cut through the noise.
Studio A debuts with the “This Is Me” campaign for Love + Craft + Beauty, a brand dedicated to embracing and promoting diversity within the beauty space. “This Is Me” highlights Gen Z’s affinity for radical self-expression that allows individuals to tell their own stories, free from labels, using beauty and fashion as tools of authenticity. The campaign showcases models celebrating their unique qualities to present... Read More