Alexander Davidis, director and producer of the TV show GT Racer, has launched Davidis Film, Inc. (DF), a company specializing in production services for the automotive industry. The new venture has assembled a lineup of directors, producers and cinematographers. Davidis has extensive experience producing and directing programming for networks, such as Discovery, and commercials for Saatchi & Saatchi, among others. He has directed projects for ad agencies in the U.S., South Africa, Brazil, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal.
“Every business active in this automotive sector, whether it’s a large car manufacturer or a local restoration shop, needs to display their product in compelling film productions, whether it’s a video for YouTube, a corporate film for their own website or a TV spot,” said Davidis. “At the same time, video channels and a large number of car blogs and webzines rely increasingly on video content. We set out to serve that particular need.”
DF also has a focus on brand building for the fast growing market of classic, exotic, luxury and high performance collector cars. The DF global team includes:
o Executive producer and director of marketing Paul Babb who had most recently served as director of integrated production at MindOverEye. Prior to that Babb had a seven-year tenure as EP for Rhythm+Hues Commercial Studios, a division of the Oscar-winning feature VFX company. Earlier Babb developed the commercial shop kachew! from the ground up for Klasky Csupo Animation. And as the director of broadcast for Ogilvy & Mather, Los Angeles, Babb was responsible for the production of over 260 commercials a year and management of the production department. He has in-depth experience in virtually every type of motor sport and production, and his work spans live action, CGI animation and effects, aerial, underwater, pyrotechnics, motion control, blue screen/matte, time lapse, food, table-top, miniatures, front and rear projection, stop motion and high speed photography. Industry awards include: Silver and Bronze Cannes Lions, IBA, Beldings, Clios, Los Angeles Art Directors, Chicago Film Festival, AICP Show and New York Art Directors. Automotive clients include Jaguar, Chrysler, Ferrari, Toyota, Hyundai, GMC, Mazda, Infinity, Mercedes-Benz, NASCAR, Ford, Chevy, Oldsmobile and Volkswagen.
o Director/cinematographer/photographer Mark Barrs who was instrumental in creating the look and feel of GT Racer. In the U.K., his credits include the acclaimed Triumph Motorcycle spot “For The Ride.” Barrs has experience in all types of testing climates from North Pole to Antarctica, the African desert to rainforests. His specialties include experience with various cameras from Alexa to Red, DSLR underwater kits and housings, aerial and car shooting, Steadicam and as a geared head operator.
o Director/cinematographer John Denniston who’s been an instrumental part of the creation of GT Racer. He has shot on all major race-tracks around the world including the grueling Carrera Panamericana. He’s experienced in shooting in extreme environments such as Alaska in winter or other ambitious expeditions. Denniston also directs TV shows in Canada.
o Director/cinematographer Joe DeSalvo who has shot hundreds of commercials and some 20 films. His car cinematography clients include Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Dodge, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, Chevy, BMW, Jeep, Lincoln, Honda, Nissan, Shell, CarMax and Hertz. His film lensing credits include writer/director Tom Noonan’s What Happened Was, which won both the Grand Jury Dramatic Prize and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, and director Alex Winter’s Deep Web, a documentary which premiered at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. DF handles DeSalvo exclusively as a director for the automotive sector.
o Director/cinematographer/photographer Tony Mitchel who made his first major industry mark in music videos, shooting for such artists as Tom Petty, Run DMC, AeroSmith, Duran Duran, Cameo, Phil Collins, Ozzy Osborne, Elton John, Nina Hagen, Tina Turner, and Freddie Mercury. Mitchell has shot hundreds of commercials. His automotive clients include: BMW, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen and Opel.
o Director/cinematographer/photographer/editor Stephen Pfeil, a leading car shooter in Germany with clients including Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, MINI and Audi. He was one of the first Avid editors in Germany and became known for his action photography.
o Director/cinematographer Christopher Rutkowski who has served as DP on film and TV projects for the likes of Justin Bieber, Shaquille O’Neil, Lou Ferrigno and Dave Navarro. Rutkowski recently worked on Winning: The Life of Paul Newman. Rutkowski also documents and tells stories about important movie cars and their respective owners for his automotive brand the Aficionauto. He has developed relationships with Universal Studios, RM Auctions and Heritage auctions. Rutkowski is currently directing and producing a documentary in association with Walt Disney Pictures entitled No Excuses with producer of Dogtown and the Z-Boys and The Missing, Daniel Ostroff.
o Cinematographer Paul Daley whose body of work includes features (God Grew Tired of Us), documentaries, commercials and still photography. Among his clients are Ford Motor Company, David Yurman, Ralph Lauren and B.P. Additionally, he captured the priceless Ralph Lauren Motorcar Collection exhibited at the Louvre gallery in Paris.
o And producer Mark Kovacs, a 25-year veteran of TV commercials, documentaries and digital content. A DGA member as first assistant director, Kovacs is an Emmy-nominated producer for One Night in Carnegie Hall with Monk and Coltrane. He was awarded a Clio as an EP for the Jaguar/XKR Launch. Recently Kovacs was the EP on the global campaign for Cadillac.
