Director Leonardo Ricagni has joined First Look Artists for exclusive spot representation in the U.S. The recently launched bicoastal production house (SHOOT, 2/9, p. 1) is under the aegis of president Randy Lippert and executive producer Linda Ross.
A New York resident, Ricagni formerly helmed commercials via bicoastal Basecamp Entertainment Group. He just wrapped principal photography on his second feature film, 29 Palms, with a cast that includes Jeremy Davis, Chris O’Donnell, Rachel Leigh Cook, Michael Lerner and Russell Means. The project offers a film noir-like perspective on U.S. Indian reservation life, with Native American-run casinos serving as a prime backdrop.
Ricagni, who initially established himself in the European and South American ad markets, has drawn a significant number of U.S. spot assignments in recent years, many of them coming from New York agencies (e.g., work for Internet access services firm Terra Communications, out of Ogilvy & Mather, New York; multi-national Visa ads from BBDO New York and Miami; Chase Manhattan Bank for FCB, New York; and AT&T via Young & Rubicam, New York). Prior to Basecamp, Ricagni was repped for spots by bicoastal Villains.
He becomes the first established U.S. commercialmaker to come aboard First Look Artists, a shop with a roster primarily comprising feature directors looking to diversify into spots. That lineup includes Julie Taymor (Titus), Joan Chen (Autumn in New York, Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl), Julian Schnabel (Before Night Falls, Basquiat), Lisa Krueger (Committed, Manny & Lo), Marleen Gorris (Antonia’s Line, Mrs. Dalloway) and Ed Decter (The New Guy).
"Thus far, our efforts have centered on branding these [feature] directors in commercials," related Ross. "But from the company’s inception, we also planned on bringing strong commercial directors into the fold and going the opposite direction—opening up opportunities for them in longform."
Ricagni related that he was drawn to First Look Artists because it offered him the possibility "to work on two levels—commercials and feature films." The latter is a reference to the shop’s parent company, publicly traded First Look Media, which also maintains longstanding feature film production and domestic/international distribution operations, as well as new-media production and home video/ DVD distribution arms.
Lippert assessed that Ricagni’s spot reel indicates a "real sensibility for storytelling spanning shortform and features, which perfectly fits the directorial profile we value." Lippert noted that First Look’s feature division is looking into possibly handling U.S. distribution for 29 Palms. "But even if First Look doesn’t get directly involved in that film," said Lippert, "we as a company will offer our support to Leo’s feature endeavors. Our emphasis is on developing directors’ careers across multiple disciplines. Leo has the experience in commercials and is building his feature expertise—this [29 Palms] was made for an American company [Davis Entertainment]; Leo did his first feature [1998’s The Life Jacket Is Under Your Seat] on his own out of Uruguay."
Ricagni hopes that 29 Palms will help broaden the perception of him in the spot market to now also include more actor-performance, humor and dialogue-driven fare. "The movie reflects my ability to handle that kind of work, which complements a lot of the visual storytelling I’ve done in commercials," he observed.
The director continues to maintain his own New York-based company, Babilonya, for select projects, including features and foreign spots. But Ricagni related that his preference is to channel all of his work through First Look. Lippert said it was still being determined at press time whether First Look Artists would also exclusively rep Ricagni for European spots.
First Look Artists’ roster also includes directors Darren Keith, and São Pãolo, Brazil-based Carlos Manga Jr. The former is a fashion still photographer who’s making the transition to spotmaking. Manga is a spot director who has gained recognition for his work in the South American and European ad markets. First Look Artists is repped throughout the U.S. by Creative Management Partners, bicoastal and Chicago.
