The uncompromising and outspoken Joe Pytka discussed his thoughts on the commercial industry in a conversation presented by The One Club held at the Museum of Television & Radio on May 5. After a screening of Pytka’s work, the long-maned director talked about his craft and answered questions from a sometimes contentious audience, who inquired about everything from Pytka’s thoughts on art ("[Art] doesn’t exist") to his interest in directing commercials for the pharmaceutical industry ("Call my rep"). The Museum screened an introductory reel of Pytka’s directorial work that included Nike’s "The Wall," "Hare Jordan," and "Frozen Penny" via Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore.; Pepsi’s "Make a Wish" out of BBDO New York; Hallmark’s "Dance Card," for Leo Burnett Co., Chicago; Lotus’ "Anthem" via Ogilvy & Mather, New York; and The Beatles’ "Free as a Bird" music video. All of the projects were produced through PYTKA, Venice, Calif.
Pytka’s deep disappointment with the current brood of advertising creatives was one of the major themes throughout the evening. Pytka hailed the ’60s as the golden age of commercials, "when very talented writers got together with very talented directors to make great advertising." One of the basic weaknesses of today’s advertising, Pytka said, is bad writing. "Most people can’t write dialogue, they write strategy," he argued. "They put that into the mouths of the characters." Pytka later added that the increasing influence of clients was another factor undermining advertising. Their tendency to take an analytical tack on advertising takes "the magic out of it."
"There’s very little that happens now that isn’t fettered by something," the director bemoaned. "I try to find what [the idea] was when it was fresh and young."
Pytka said that he preferred to both shoot and direct spots. "If you can’t shoot a camera, you can’t direct," he contended. "You have to control every aspect of the process that you can. There’s going to be a compromise working with a DP." Though Pytka was adamant on this point, he said that his role in the editing varied, admitting that a good editor could add to a director’s work. In terms of shooting styles, Pytka said that while other directors develop a strict shooting regimen, he never had any "hard and fast rules" for how to shoot a spot.
On the subject of athletes, Pytka said that directing them was generally "a pain in the ass" because spots are "secondary or tertiary" for most athletes. Besides, Pytka said, "If you’re a basketball player, your attention span is about as long as a game."
While Pytka’s comments were sometimes scathing, he did reserve praise for some commercial directors. He said that Joe Sedelmaier (Sedelmaier Film Productions, Chicago) and Howard Zieff were "two of the best commercial directors," and he acknowledged admiration for directors Ridley Scott (RSA USA, bicoastal/international) and Adrian Lyne. Asked if he liked any of the current crop of commercial directors, Pytka bluntly responded, "No." The director decried the "thievery" that takes place among directors and creatives, their lack of knowledge of advertising’s history, and what he perceives as the emphasis on form instead of content. As an example of this, he critiqued the rampant and unnecessary use of the hand-held camera aesthetic.