Director Max Joseph has joined the roster of Hungry Man which was initially drawn to his “Follow the Frog” work for the Rainforest Alliance. A clever approach to short-form advocacy filmmaking, “Follow the Frog” has garnered industry acclaim, the most recent recognition being its winning Gold at the EPICA Award show in the Public Interest category. The three-minute romp through Central America was written, directed and edited by Joseph.
As a triple threat–conceptualizing, directing and editing–Joseph last year saw his Toms Shoes’ “Get Out And Play” spot earn inclusion into SHOOT‘s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery (7/8/11). And our end-of-year readers’ poll had that project tied for second as the best of “The Best Work You May Never See” entries for 2011. This spot gave new meaning to the phrase “concert in the park” as folks strip down to white and black skivvies/sweats and lay down in the grass in a configuration that resembles a piano keyboard. Each person in this keyboard is wearing white classic summer Toms shoes. The alternating black and white “keys” move to seemingly produce a piano riff that’s easy on the ears. A super reads, “Get out and play,” with a tag touting Toms’ classic summer shoes.
Joseph made his first mark as creative director of video at GOOD Mag for two-and-a-half years. He honed his filmmaking skills at GOOD, where he wrote and directed over 60 films for clients such as Pepsi, Prius and Ford. He went on to helm the short films Saab Story and Atomic Alert which then screened at festivals such as Sundance and Telluride. His work has screened at LACMA, BAM, The Gagosian Gallery in New York and has been featured many times on the front pages of YouTube, FunnyOrDie, and DailyMotion accumulating over 30 million views so far. He’s also directed and edited commercials for Starbucks and Nike.
Currently Joseph is co-starring in MTV’s new docu-series Catfish, a modified version of–and with the same title as–the noted documentary released in 2010 and directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (a.k.a. Henry & Rel who are handled by Moxie Pictures for spots and branded content).
Directing and Editing “Conclave”; Insights From Edward Berger and Nick Emerson
It’s been a bruising election year but this time we’re referring to a ballot box struggle that’s more adult than the one you’d typically first think of in 2024. Rather, on the industry awards front, the election being cited is that of the Pope which takes front and center stage in director Edward Berger’s Conclave (Focus Features), based on the 2016 novel of the same title by Robert Harris. Adapted by screenwriter Peter Straugham, Conclave stars Ralph Fiennes as the cardinal leading the conclave that has convened to select the next Pope. While part political thriller, full of backstabbing and behind-closed-door machinations, Conclave also registers as a thoughtful adult drama dealing with themes such as a crisis of faith, weighing the greater good, and engaging in a struggle that’s as much about spirituality as the attainment of power.
Conclave is Berger’s first feature after his heralded All Quiet on the Western Front, winner of four Oscars in 2023, including for Best International Feature Film. And while Conclave would on the surface seem to be quite a departure from that World War I drama, there’s a shared bond of humanity which courses through both films.
For Berger, the heightened awareness of humanity hit home for him by virtue of where he was--in Rome, primarily at the famed Cinecittà studio--to shoot Conclave, sans any involvement from the Vatican. He recalled waking up in Rome to “soak up” the city. While having his morning espresso, Berger recollected looking out a window and seeing a priest walking about with a cigarette in his mouth, a nun having a cup of coffee, an archbishop carrying a briefcase. It dawned on Berger that these were just people going to... Read More