Production and post company Radar Studios, based in Chicago, has taken on national commercial representation for director Frank Donnangelo.
A native of Arkansas, Donnangelo made his first foray into Chicago’s production landscape right out of college via an opportunity with Digital Kitchen. His work until that point had been all live action, and during his time with Digital Kitchen he gained experience in motion graphics, where his live action background informed his graphics work.
“First and foremost, I’m a live action director,” said Donnangelo who is now based in Los Angeles. “I’ve always approached graphics and design from the standpoint of movies: If I was going to shoot this live action, how would I design the frame? How would I go about shooting it?” After two years with Digital Kitchen, Donnangelo began freelancing, which first brought him to Radar’s attention.
Donnangelo’s cinematic sensibility appears readily in his short film, Kanzler, a darkly comic whodunit that will begin making the festival circuit later this year. Donnangelo both wrote and directed the short and said he approached its look “like a throwback to old Hollywood, in the sense that everything is on a dolly, where master shots move into medium shots, medium shots move into close ups–very actor blocking and camera movement dependent storytelling.”
Donnangelo’s work on the music videos “Blood is Blood” for Adam Faucett and the Tall Grass, and “Event of Your Leaving” for Raum, as well as his work for Nike Basketball, recall the brooding, atmospheric territories mapped in Kanzler. Each piece connects with the viewer on a visceral level through powerful imagery, thoughtful camera work and emotive performances from both actors and non-actors alike.
“Frank is an incredible visual storyteller. He possesses an amazing sense of camera movement, a skill that allows him to lead viewers through a story in not only dialogue, but in the setting and the mood,” said Radar EP Graham Gangi.
