NEW YORK—The Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Show & Lecture Series was held last week (June 14) at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The 13th annual event returned to its roots with the Lecture Series, which featured four top directors sharing insights into spotmaking. When these morning sessions first started, featured speakers were often top-notch directors discussing the art of helming ads, but in recent years the discussion has moved away from that format and instead centered on different topics, such as branded content.
The evening’s screening also presented a return to the show’s roots, with Jon Kamen, chairman of bicoastal/international @radical.media, receiving the Jay B. Eisenstat Award. Named for an AICP founding father, the award is the highest honor bestowed by the AICP, and recognizes outstanding contributions and distinguished services to the field of spot production. Kamen served as national chairman of the organization from 1991-’92, and is the only person to ever serve as the show’s chairman twice, in ’94 and ’01. He was also instrumental in making the AICP Show, "The Art & Technique of the American Television Commercial," a reality, helping to organize the first one back in ’92, when he was a partner at the former Sandbank & Partners.
Upon accepting his award, Kamen joked that perhaps this was a "trick by competitors to get me to retire." On a more serious note, he discussed his great admiration for Eisenstat and added that he would "cherish this [honor] forever."
"Kamen has been an active member of the AICP for over twenty-five years, devoting countless hours to the commercial production industry, all the while building a successful international company," noted Matt Miller, president/CEO of the AICP. "His contributions to the industry and to the AICP merit this special award."
THE LECTURE
Alex Bogusky, executive creative director of Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami, moderated the directors’ discussion. The participants were: the team of Kuntz & Maguire—Tom and Mike, respectively, of bicoastal/international Morton Jankel Zander (MJZ), Andrew Douglas of bicoastal Anonymous Content, and Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles.
Bogusky introduced the session with many humorous notes; after the film commissioners for the State of New York and the City of New York read official proclamations declaring the day AICP Day, he quipped that he had a proclamation from the U.N. declaring the day World Commercial Day. He also joked about the importance of having an interesting name in order to be a successful director, pointing out that Andrew Douglas might be an even bigger success than he already is if he had a "director’s name."
And in what was perhaps a nod to the changing media landscape and the constant talk of the death of the TV commercial, Bogusky mentioned that 20 years ago, when he first started in advertising, he attended an industry event where the end of advertising was forecasted. He had made the move into the commercial world from the design world, which was supposed to be on its way out as well. Both industries are clearly still thriving today, and Bogusky predicted continued success for the directors and producers in attendance.
Bogusky then introduced each director, providing a few biographical highlights, before a reel of work was screened. Each director then took to the stage to give some brief remarks about directing and the evolution of their respective careers.
Kuntz & Maguire, who specialize in offbeat, comedic ads featuring less-than-stellar looking talent, discussed, among other topics, their team approach, as well as the importance of creating their own treatments. Kuntz related that before the pair writes a treatment, they come up with a sound bite that they use as a platform. Maguire noted, "The treatment is the big starting point [for us]." They also enjoy the treatment process because it lays out for the agency what their directorial process will be like.
Up next was Douglas, who divided his reel into three sections, beginning with his early, highly visual look, and progressing through to the more comedic work he has been doing as of late. He also showed the trailer for his documentary, Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus, which recently screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. Douglas, who began his career as a still photographer, talked about his growth as a director, initially focusing on work that was highly visual, and now wanting to explore more comedy-based work. Douglas also talked about the importance of having compelling ideas for agency conference calls.
Murro, the director with the most honors at this year’s AICP Show—seven in total (see SHOOT, 6/18, p. 1, for a full rundown of Show honorees)—discussed how he was struck by the level of personality that comes through in each panelist’s work. He pointed out that even though directors get assignments, which are the ideas of others, the individual style of the helmer comes through. He also talked about the high level of creativity and professionalism in advertising, as compared to feature films (Murro had been attached to direct The Ring 2, but the deal ultimately fell through).
Q&A
After each director presented his work, Bogusky had him come on stage, where a discussion of various topics ensued. Among these issues were: ads for products that the directors didn’t support (Douglas noted that he wouldn’t do spots for cigarettes or the Republican party); the importance of the conference call and diversifying as a director; how involved directors wanted to be with clients and brands; and a director’s participation in the editing process.
When Bogusky asked the question regarding a director’s involvement with brands and clients, the directors had some strong opinions. Kuntz remarked that while he and Maguire were on the agency side of the business, they never enjoyed pitching to clients. Maguire concurred, but added that it’s gratifying to be involved in "pushing a brand in a new direction." He also applauded clients who had the confidence to trust their agency and directors, citing Budweiser’s "Real Men of Genius" campaign out of DDB, for which the team, as well as Murro, has directed spots.
Murro, who said he doesn’t like to get overly involved with clients, opined that for a director and a brand, it’s important for an agency to be secure and confident in the work it is presenting to a client. He cited "Sheet Metal," the Saturn spot he directed out of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, which showed little footage of automobiles. Murro related that the initial client reaction was not good, but the agency went to a higher level, ultimately gaining approval for the ad, which went on the win several awards.
On the topic of the conference call, the directors agreed that it’s essentially a tool to get you noticed. "It’s a tough system," commented Douglas. "All you want to do is be remembered, since you know [the agency team] is talking to six other directors." Murro quipped that he "just wants to be loved" during calls, while Kuntz pointed out that "you need to make an impression on the call. It’s not crucial to the look of the ad; the call is about hype."
On the subject of diversifying into styles and genres with which each is not normally associated, all the directors agreed that working with smart agencies and good creatives is helpful in getting different types of jobs. Kuntz mentioned that London was a great place for the team to flex their creative muscles, citing a Monster.com ad for the U.K. market that had a more cinematic quality than their other work. Douglas shared that he has spent time consciously trying to go after more comedy work, wanting to make an impression different from his earlier, more photographic-like spots.
In terms of the director being involved—or not involved—in the edit, each of the helmers on the panel expressed a desire to be a part of the edit; Murro joked that he "usually begs" to be involved. Maguire related that U.K. agencies seem to have more confidence in a director’s ability to do a cut, while in the U.S., he and Kuntz often have to plead with an agency for editorial involvement. Kuntz added that they often make their request to U.S. agencies up front.
Bogusky said that he has had "success and failure both ways," referring to having a director involved in the cut. One point he made was that he doesn’t want to work with editors who are "beholden" to a director, preferring instead to choose his own unbiased editor.
