Director Scott Bergstein has signed with Santa Monica-based Area 51 Films for exclusive spot representation. Bergstein, best known for his prowess in comedy, comes over from The Joneses, Santa Monica, where his recent efforts include a Kellogg’s Apple Jacks cereal spot featuring the Backstreet Boys for Leo Burnett Co., Toronto, and an ad promoting the 20th anniversary of the Sony PlayStation game "Pac Man" via Darien & Kilburg, San Francisco.
In explaining the move to Area 51, Bergstein said he’s been impressed with the success company executive producer Mark Thomas has had with another comedy specialist, director John Adams. "Mark has built a very hip house that is winning ‘A’ caliber work," he said. "He has also proven that he can guide directors and help them further their careers."
Bergstein was with The Joneses since that company’s inception in ’98. Prior to that, he helmed spots via Cognito Films, Santa Monica. His credits include campaigns for Ameritech, Pennzoil, Bob Evans Restaurants and Jose Cuervo
Typical of Bergstein’s off-center approach to comedy is the Cuervo work for New York agency Grybauskas Beatrice. The campaign focuses on a pair of young urbanites who have a six-foot-tall lizard as a roommate. "It’s a social take on labeling people," explained Bergstein. "The roommate accepts the lizard for what he is. I found it be an interesting story and extremely fun."
The aforementioned Bob Evans Restaurants’ spots, for the Chicago Creative Partnership, employ quirky humor centering on the restaurant chain’s staff. "Each spot is essentially a character study of a smart, fun character," said Bergstein. "We wanted to bring out the quirks in each character, that made them just a little bit strange A and interesting."
Although much of Bergstein’s work can be characterized as heightened reality, he has recently gravitated toward a more refined, dialogue-based humor. "To me, great commercialmaking is all about casting. I like finding characters that you can relate to, but with these little quirky traits you would never guess they have," he observed. "Commercial humor generally is becoming more subtle, more sophisticated and interesting. It’s moving beyond the mockumentary look to a style where the story rules. It makes you think a little more and laugh a little harder."
Bergstein first established himself in the spot business as a production designer. This was after he apprenticed under noted production designers Norris Spencer (Thelma and Louise, Black Rain) and Arthur Max (Seven, G.I. Jane) while working in the art department of bicoastal RSA USA’s West Hollywood office.
As a commercial production designer, Bergstein teamed with A-list crews and directors, including Ridley and Tony Scott of RSA USA, Michael Karbelnikoff of bicoastal HKM Productions, and David Kellogg, who at the time was with bicoastal/international Propaganda Films (he has since joined bicoastal Anonymous). "I was able to watch them work and learn from the masters," recollected Bergstein.
To break into directing, Bergstein wrote, produced and helmed a series of spec spots. In ’96, on the strength of that work and coupled with several local jobs he freelance directed, Bergstein landed a slot at Cognito that helped him gain national exposure. Among Bergstein’s spec projects was "The Cable Boy" promoting ESPN2’s coverage of college football. The work-which centered on an earnest young man who supervises the laying of sound cable during football games-caught the eye of ESPN executives and its in-house agency The Loose Federation, New York, which hired Bergstein to reshoot the commercial at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium.
