Director Eric Goldstein has joined TAG Pictures, New York.
For the past three years, Goldstein had been repped by his own Minneapolis-based Giraffe Film Company. While Giraffe will no longer produce spots, the company still exists for Goldstein’s noncommercial work, like his editing of Bill’s Gun Shop, an independent feature directed by Dean Hyers.
Goldstein’s credits include Bissel’s "Kitty" and Polaris’ "Hotline," both via Martin/Williams Advertising, Minneapolis; Gas Ex’s "B Squad" via TBWA/ Chiat/Day, New York; and FOX’s "Bobcat," through the network’s in-house agency.
Goldstein’s roots are in the industry. "My father was a copywriter at [now defunct] Knox Reeves Advertising, and he had me writing copy from the time I was about 14 years old. I also went to art school, and film was something that combined those two [disciplines]."
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in the early ’80s, with a degree in mass communications, Goldstein started editing. Between ’85 and ’90, he also worked as a camera operator, and later as a DP, at a variety of Minneapolis shops, including Greer & Associates, Badiyan Productions and the now defunct AM Studios.
However, because he was anxious "to catch onto that explosion of comedy here in Minneapolis," (which he attributes to agencies like Fallon), Goldstein explained that in ’90 he founded Giraffe to go after comedy spots on his own.
Giraffe was affiliated with New York-based Travisano DiGiacomo Films and later with the now defunct Calypso Films. However, most of his work was made solely through Giraffe.
This proved difficult for Goldstein, he told SHOOT. "I had to disentangle myself from the producing. Even though I would bring producers in, I would still get caught up in it because I was a business owner. I just found myself getting caught up in too many side issues and not concentrating on directing. The idea with TAG is I’m not doing any of that—I’m simply a director, and I really like that a lot."
He and TAG executive producer Jim Golden met when Giraffe’s rep left the business. One connection led to another: First Goldstein’s friend, Chicago-based sales rep Marguerite Juliusson of Juliusson/Ratcliffe, suggested that he contact TAG’s Midwest sales rep Lauren McNamara.
"When we were talking, Goldstein recalled, "Lauren was interested in repping me, but she told me about Jim Golden and said, ‘You know, I really want to hook you guys up; I’d think you’d get along.’ " At that point, Goldstein continued, "I hadn’t really thought about making the move [to a production house]." Nonetheless, "That’s when it started. Lauren took my reel and sent it out to Jim. Jim called me; we started talking and he flew out to meet me."
Although Minneapolis is not a national production center, Goldstein currently has no plans to move. "I find I’m generally traveling to the job anyway, so it hasn’t really made sense [to move to New York or Los Angeles] so far."
Goldstein likes directing comedy, and he credits his pre-shoot preparation for his ability to concentrate on performances while on set: "I like doing a lot of work up front; that way, when I get to the shoot, I know how the shots will cut together." At that point, he said, "I try to think about the actors’ performance: If I’m really prepared, then if there’s something that I see that would add to the commercial, I have the time to do it."
He added, "I’m definitely geared towards comedy. I love working with actors; I did quite a bit of acting in college." Furthermore, Goldstein is comfortable with special effects, which is a plus in directing physical comedy: "I’ve done a lot [of work] with special effects and I find that comes into play a lot with the comedy that we do. For some reason I’ve gotten a lot of jobs where we’re blowing people up, bonking people on the head or dropping things on people, so it comes in handy."
TAG’s other directors are: Jack Churchill, Beth Galton, Christopher Reeve, David Rosen and Gordon Willis Jr.
TAG is repped by Perry Schaffer and Corey Rogers of Schaffer & Company, New York, on the East Coast. Chicago-based Lauren McNamara reps TAG in most of the Midwest; Dwayne Petch of Petch & Company, Westerville, Ohio, reps TAG in the Ohio Valley (Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky). FinnSaxon Represents’ Rachel Finn in Santa Monica, and Mary Saxon in San Francisco, are the West Coast reps.
