SANTA MONICA-Directors Deran Sarafian and Michael Watkins have signed with Film R alit , Santa Monica, for commercials. Sarafian’s credits include theatrical movies and television work ranging from the feature actioner Terminal Velocity to multiple episodes of the CBS series Martial Law. Sarafian has also directed episodes of Nash Bridges, Fantasy Island, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Meanwhile Watkins has done a wide variety of both directing and cinematography. He has directed episodes of The X-Files, NYPD Blue, and Chicago Hope. Watkins also serves as a TV producer, filling roles as a co-executive producer of The X-Files during the current 1998-’99 season and as a producer for NYPD Blue during the ’96-’97 season.
Rich Epstein, president/executive producer at Film R alit , said he looked forward to having both directors working on spots. Epstein noted that because the directors have extensive experience with actors on a range of productions, he thought they would make an easy transition to the ad arena. Epstein said that Watkins was an actor’s director who he hoped would work on dialogue- and celebrity-oriented spots. For Sarafian, Epstein said the company would look for action, dialogue and comedy commercials. Epstein hoped to take advantage of both directors’ experience with visual effects in TV and film. Film R alit is currently bidding on projects for Watkins and Sarafian though Epstein did not specify clients or agencies.
Spot Foray
Sarafian has some commercial directing experience, having helmed two spots for Cadillac, "Pop-ups" and "Maze," for DMB&B, Troy, Mich., through Film R alit (prior to formally signing with the company). The Cadillac spots were the first Sarafian had done, and, in contrast to some of the his other work, are driven less by actors than by the featured cars. Sarafian said that the spot’s cinematographer, Dana Christaansen, was very supportive during the shoot. The director enjoyed his first commercial foray, and looks forward to the possibilities of future work. "Board to board, there’s a tremendous amount of creative freedom because the companies and the clients are open to really trying cutting-edge things," Sarafian said. "It’s a wonderful medium to be in."
Sarafian has just come up for air, having recently completed directing duties on Martial Law. He said that his schedule would be open for directing commercials until May or June, though Sarafian noted that all three networks were looking at him to possibly direct some pilot work.
Filmmaking seems to be in Sarafian’s blood. His father, Richard Sarafian, directed both television programs and films including the feature Vanishing Point. Sarafian’s uncle (on his mother’s side) is none other than feature director Robert Altman. In 1980, Sarafian went to Italy’s Cinecitta Studios to begin his film career out of the shadow of his illustrious relatives only to move into the light of the acclaimed director Federico Fellini. After meeting Fellini at the Cinecitta espresso bar, Sarafian worked as an assistant on Fellini’s Ginger and Fred. After directing low-budget independent films, Sarafian’s first major feature was Death Warrant, an action pic with Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Watkins
Watkins was a spot cinematographer in the ’70s, lensing for directors such as Lee Lacy and Dick Snyder. In addition to directing for programs such as The X-Files and NYPD Blue, Watkins’ helming credits include two movies for television (Detention and To Love, Honor, and Deceive) and episodes of Quantum Leap and Lois and Clark. As a feature cinematographer, Watkins has worked on director John Badham’s Point of No Return, the American remake of La Femme Nikita, Ron Underwood’s Heart and Souls, and Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz, for which Watkins did additional photography.
Speaking from an X-Files location where he was directing, Watkins said that he enjoyed working in the short form of spots. "Commercials teach you a certain sense of detail and a concise, creative, succinct way of telling stories," he said. "That detail really pays off for you when you move on to lateral forms of work, whether it be television, movies of the week, features, anything." Watkins said that though The X-Files schedule keeps him busy during the season, an upcoming hiatus stretching to July would give him the opportunity to focus on commercial directing.
Watkins also began his film career at an early age, working on soundstages in his teens and moving up the ladder to cinematographer. He began directing television while lensing NBC’s Quantum Leap.
Darlene Gorzela-formerly an independent West Coast rep who was handling bicoastal Zooma Zooma and Santa Monica music house Wojahn Brothers-joined Film R alit last month as head of sales and marketing for the Midwest and the West Coast. Gorzela is exclusive to the company.
