By Kristin Wilcha
NEW YORK—Director Tom Schiller has signed with bicoastal Go Film for commercial representation. Prior to joining Go, Schiller had been represented by Coppos Films, which shut its doors earlier this year (SHOOT, 7/5-7/18, p. 1).
Jonathan Weinstein, partner/executive producer at Go Film—along with Robert Wherry and Gary Rose—related that he initially contacted Schiller after a conversation with Barbara Gold, the director’s long-time producer. "We always look for a certain level of talent in a director," said Weinstein. "Tom has a brilliant sense of humor, and the fact that he can translate that sense of humor to the film he shoots is a great quality."
Schiller joked that he decided to join Go because the shop’s New York office is located three blocks from his apartment. He added, "I was attracted by their philosophy of how they handle directors and work on projects, and I love the idea of having three partners to work with, because if you get sick of one, you can go to another. … I also like the name ‘Go Film’—it’s a positive, forward-sounding name, and I would love to be commanded to do that."
Schiller has already wrapped a job through his new roost, a comedic spot for an undisclosed client out of Publicis NY, and is in the midst of prepping two projects—one for Leo Burnett USA, Chicago, and another for The Richards Group, Dallas.
LIVE FROM NEW YORK
Schiller’s commercialwork reflects a comedic sensibility grounded in parody, a skill he honed while working as an Emmy-winning writer for Saturday Night Live in the 1970s, and later in the ’90s. While working on the show, he was responsible for creating commercial parodies for products such as the "Manbra" (for men who suffer from gynecomastia) and the "Klinger," a human-hair yarmulke.
He initially made his mark in the ad world in the late ’90s with a trio of spots—"Missed Cue," "Reporter" and "Jockey"—for Courtyard by Marriott out of Lowe & Partners/SMS (now Lowe Worldwide), New York, and produced via now defunct Five Union Square Productions. The spots, shot mockumentary-style, emphasize the importance of professionals getting a good night’s sleep, and won numerous awards, including a Gold and Silver Lion at the ’98 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival for "Missed Cue" and "Reporter," respectively, as well as two Gold Clios—one for campaign, the other for "Missed Cue."
In ’00, Schiller signed with Coppos, where he continued to direct humor-based fare, including the first TV execution of the long-running "Real Men of Genius" radio campaign out of DDB Chicago. Schiller’s efforts included the ads "Mr. Really Bad Toupee Wearer," "Mr. Pro Wrestling Wardrobe Designer" and "Mr. Nudist Colony Activities Coordinator." While at Coppos, he also directed spots for Nintendo, Cingular, the National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA), ESPN and Staples.
Schiller plans to focus his attention on spots. "I love to make commercials," he said. "I love collaborating on the ideas for each spot with the creatives, and meeting new creatives. I love casting and finding interesting characters who are funny, and creating a feeling on the set that is fun for everybody."
He joins a directorial roster comprising David Dobkin, Rene Eller, Caitlin Felton, Christopher Guest, Tim Hamilton, Overall & McQuoid, Michael Shapiro, Neil Tardio Jr. and the directing team Who?.
Go is represented on the East Coast by Douglas Howell and Jamie Scalera of White Hart Lane, New York; in the Midwest by Jill Rheel of Get Rheel, Chicago; and on the West Coast by Steven Monkarsh of In-House Reps.
Independent Cinemas In L.A. Are Finding Their Audience
On a hot summer evening, Miles Villalon lined up outside the New Beverly Cinema, hours before showtime.
The 36-year-old already had tickets to the Watergate-themed double feature of 1976's "All the President's Men" and 1999's "Dick." But Villalon braved Los Angeles' infamous rush-hour traffic to snag front-row seats at Quentin Tarantino's historic theater.
This level of dedication is routine for the Starbucks barista and aspiring filmmaker, who typically sees up to six movies a week in theaters, and almost exclusively in independently owned theaters in and around Los Angeles.
"I always say it feels like church," he said. "When I go to AMC, I just sit there. And I can't really experience that communal thing that we have here, where we're all just worshipping at the altar of celluloid."
Streaming — and a pandemic — have radically transformed cinema consumption, but Villalon is part of a growing number of mostly younger people contributing to a renaissance of LA's independent theater scene. The city's enduring, if diminished, role as a mecca of the film industry still shapes its residents and their entertainment preferences, often with renewed appreciation after the pandemic.
A revival in the City of Angels
Part of what makes the city unique is its abundance of historic theaters, salvaged amid looming closures or resurrected in recent years by those with ties to the film industry. Experts see a pattern of success for a certain kind of theater experience in Los Angeles.
Kate Markham, the managing director at Art House Convergence, a coalition of independent cinema exhibitors, said a key factor is the people who run these theaters.
"They know their audiences or their potential audiences, and... Read More