SHOOT will publish a Special Directors>e.dition on Monday, October 30, that will contain the entire Directors Series section from SHOOT’s October/November print issue (including extended versions of some stories).
The mix of profiles includes several filmmakers whose work has entered this season’s Oscar conversation, including Sean Baker for The Florida Project, Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton for Battle of the Sexes, Stephen Frears for Victoria & Abdul, Craig Gillespie for I, Tonya, Todd Haynes for Wonderstruck, Reginald Hudlin for Marshall and Dee Rees for Mudbound.
Within this group, there are strong ties to commercialmaking. Gillespie, who’s with MJZ for commercials and branded content, is a DGA Award winner (and four-time nominee) for Best Commercial Director of the Year. The Dayton/Faris duo, which made its first feature splash with the lauded Little Miss Sunshine, has enjoyed ad biz success during a long, ongoing tenure at production house Bob Industries. Haynes is repped in the spot/branded content arena by Moxie Pictures. And last year Baker earned a Tribeca X Award nomination, a competition that celebrates branded storytelling, for the short film Snowbird starring Abbey Lee, part of a fashion campaign for KENZO.
Also in the SHOOT Series lineup of profiles are Miles Jay of Smuggler, who recently won the primetime commercial Emmy Award for Squarespace’s “Calling JohnMalkovich.com” out of agency John X Hannes; and Damian Kulash who’s breaking new branded ground at Park Pictures.
The lead singer, guitarist and founder of rock band OK Go, Kulash has successfully extended his reach into filmmaking over the years as most recently reflected in Morton Salt’s “The One Moment which has won assorted accolades including six Cannes Lions this year along with a Wood Pencil at the D&ADs, and an AICP Show honor for Best Production. The Cannes bounty consisted of a Gold Digital Craft Lion, a Gold Design Lion, a Silver Film Craft Lion, a Bronze Film Craft Lion, a Bronze Film Lion in Viral, and a Bronze PR Lion. “The One Moment” came out of agency Ogilvy.
Meanwhile our ensemble of up-and-coming talent consists of: a noted actress who’s making her directorial debut with an upcoming HBO documentary; a music video/spot/short film helmer who’s gotten his first meaningful taste of long-form fare via a Netflix TV series he co-created; a still photographer who has successfully diversified into moving imagery, directing spots, shorts and branded fare on both sides of the Atlantic; a filmmaker who brings agency creative chops and BBC production experience to her first production company affiliation in the U.S.; and a director at one with nature, adept at the deployment of drones, and who made a major mark with a short film that scored on the festival circuit.
And then in our Cinematographers & Cameras Series, we meet three DPs—one who has lensed eight Sundance Film Festival premieres in the past seven years; another who’s in pre-pro on his sixth feature for the same noted director, the last release being a Disney live-action film that sprung from the beloved animation classic Beauty and the Beast; and a lenser who too enjoyed a recent return engagement with a director/writer for whom he previously collaborated with in both the feature and TV series worlds.
Sinners and Saints Adds Apple Pie To Its Branded Menu
Bicoastal Sinners and Saints--the multidisciplinary studio overseen by managing director/executive producer Heather Heller, and partners/EPs Yann Henric and Thomas Carroll--has added Apple Pie Tabletop to its roster for branded content. Known for its food and beverage content creation, Apple Pie comprises the husband-and-wife team of director/DP Gene Dubin and director/art director Alisa Volodina. In addition to representation, the move expands Apple Pie’s production capabilities through the combination of its centrally located full-service studio in New York and a newly established mobile studio in Los Angeles. Apple Pie recently teamed with Sinners and Saints on a Wienerschnitzel project created by Innocean.
“We believe that our dual studio strategy positions us uniquely in the competitive landscape of food and beverage storytelling,” said Heller. “By blending the artistry of the New York studio with the flexibility of our Los Angeles location, we can tailor our productions to meet the unique demands of each project, regardless of geography.”
“Working with Sinners and Saints in the demanding field of tabletop was an absolute pleasure,” shared Apple Pie Tabletop in a joint statement. “Warm welcome, unwavering support and dedication--everything a director can ask for. The entire experience was both enjoyable and rewarding. We will not miss an opportunity to collaborate with them again.”
“The first thing you notice is that Apple Pie has beautiful work,” Heller observed. “Having worked with them, I can say that Gene and Alisa are extremely meticulous and detail-oriented; their combination of talent and agility appeals to agencies and clients.” Also appealing to Heller is Apple Pie Tabletop’s brisk international... Read More