Director Elizabeth Orne has signed with bicoastal The Famous Group for commercials and branded content. Her reel includes spots for French’s, iROBOT and Coors. Orne has already wrapped her first project at The Famous Group, a commercial for Hasbro out of agency Townhouse.
Orne made her first major mark with an NYU thesis film titled Crazy Glue, which was named an official selection at the Telluride Film Festival and earned her a slot in SHOOT’s 2011 New Directors Showcase. Based on a short story from Etgar Keret, the film tells the story of a couple going through a rocky time in their relationship, literally re-bonding in the end with the help of Crazy Glue. “I saw it as a metaphor for attachment in a romantic relationship,” said Orne. “But it had a Rorschach effect on audiences, some people see the ending as romantic, some see it as sociopathic. I picked that story to direct because I love magical realism, dry character based comedy and absurdity.”
Orne’s thoughts on magical realism are illustrated in an ad she directed for iROBOT vacuum cleaners. In the spot titled “Princess,” the camera pans up on an adorable little girl loving the attributes of both glue and glitter. She proudly shows off her newly created masterpiece for the camera, creating a spill only the iROBOT could thoroughly clean up in a single pass.
“Elizabeth (Orne) is about telling stories, including all the subtle detail,” said David Kwan, managing director of The Famous Group. “Her spots entertain in a charming and effortless way.”
For her part, Orne has spent the past several years continuing to build her reel while looking for the right production company. The Famous Group and Kwan fit the bill. “Talking to David, I found him to be very intelligent and strategic. I just wrapped my first spot here, for Hasbro. The project was pretty straightforward. It was about getting honest emotional performances from kids.”
