Committee LA, the one year old creative production house, led by directors Frank Samuel, Jeff Reed and executive producer Lauren Bayer has added agency creative director turned commercial director Adam Goldstein. He joins a directorial roster that includes Samuel and Reed, as well as David Cornell, Peter Billingsley, Jennifer Phang and Vikram Gandhi. Goldstein was most recently represented by harvest films, Santa Monica, CA.
For Samuel, Goldstein with his depth of experience as both an agency creative and filmmaker is a perfect fit for Committee LA. “Committee is focused on creating a commercial production company that is in tune with today’s changing media world,” Samuel says, “which is a vision that Adam and I share. That means both respecting the power of a truly great 30 second broadcast spot, but also fully embracing the changing needs of brands and agencies today in terms of partnering on branded content, online video, as well as developing our own original content.”
For Goldstein, who began his career as a copy writer/creative director at agencies Ammirati & Puris and BBDO, New York, before launching his directing career in 2006 at RSA Films, Los Angeles, and joining harvest in 2009, notes that Committee LA, shares his belief that right now is an incredibly exciting time to be in the business of content, advertising and media.
“All these previously separate realms are colliding, expanding and merging to create incredible creative and business opportunities,” Goldstein says. “I have an agency past, a directing present and a screenwriting future and to my mind that gives me the ability to play in all of these arenas. Frank, Jeff and Lauren understand that is not something to lament, but rather something to embrace celebrate.
Although Goldstein is known for his sure hand with comedy, as evidenced by his recent spots for Discover Card, AT&T and Kidsport, it’s his PSA “Ed” for States United to Prevent Gun Violence that continues to resonate most. When it first aired in 2013 this powerful pro gun control spot was honored by the AICP, Cannes Lions, the New York Festival and the D&AD Awards. Just recently though, in response to the recent spate of shootings in the U.S., the spot was been repurposed as a social media meme, shared 39 million times on Facebook and viewed nearly 3 million times on YouTube.
Goldstein is also known for his spec spot for Levitra that led to his inclusion in SHOOT Magazine’s 2006 New Directors Showcase, as well as a screenplay that was named first runner up in the prestigious Tracking Board Features competition, and top 3 comedy out of 7000 entries in the Final Draft Big Break contest.
Looking ahead, Goldstein notes that today is an amazing time to work in advertising because clients truly understand the value of creativity as a business asset. “Unlike the days when many people would dismiss doing great work as just ‘creatives trying to win awards,’ today clients know it’s an advantage to be seen and form a deeper relationship with their consumers," Goldstein adds. “What I love about Committee LA is they’re doers, fearless and eager and possessed of this urgency to make stuff, which is exactly how I feel. I knew intuitively when I first met Frank, Jeff and Lauren that this was a company I had to be a part of. It was never a question of should or would I sign with them. I walked out knowing this was were I belonged.”
Committee LA. is repped on the East Coast by Sarah Jenks and Robin Stevens in the Midwest.
