Director Ruben Fleischer–whose feature directorial debut Zombieland, an action comedy/buddy picture starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone, opened last week–has joined the commercials roster of Caviar, which maintains offices in Venice, Calif., Brussels and Amsterdam.
Fleischer is no stranger to spots, having broken into the ad arena via Stink, London, several years ago, and bicoastal Smuggler stateside. Via the latter, he directed Burger King’s “Up Late” for Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Miami. During a relative brief hiatus from commercialmaking, Fleischer directed the DVD documentary Gumball 3000: 6 Days in May, and then co-created the reality series Rob & Big and its sequel Fantasy Factory for MTV, Fleischer then returned to spots, joining production house Sandwick where he helmed for such clients as ESPN and Boost Mobile.
The director has also been active in music videos for the likes of Kanye West, M.I.A. and Dizzee Rascal. Fleischer’s virals, including Funny or Die exclusive web series Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, have drawn millions of hits online. He has also directed several episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC.
Fleischer first cut his filmmaking teeth as a director’s assistant to director Miguel Arteta on Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl. Fleischer was able to get first-hand experience in every aspect of the filmmaking process from pre-production to post working with Arteta. With this trial-by-fire film education, Fleischer went on to amass some $40,000 in credit card debt making shorts and music videos that eventually landed him commercial representation.
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More