If there is a common thread to be found in the work of the directing team Lionel Goldstein—a.k.a. Koen Mortier and Joe Vanhoutteghem—it might well be latex. Latex, as in the oversized latex ears that figure prominently in "Ear Tennis" for Microsoft’s Xbox via Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), London, which scored a Gold Lion at the 2003 Cannes International Advertising Festival. The ad, which was produced via Czar.BE, Brussels, and Blink Productions, London, offers a glimpse into the life and experiences of an East Asian ear tennis champion, whose paddle-sized ears—carefully stretched and shaped since his youth—allow him to play the unorthodox game with a swing of his head.
And then there is the extra-long latex index finger shared by conjoined twins in the new FOX Sports Net "Twins" campaign out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco. The spots, including "Teaser," "Stadium," "Up Late" and "Parking Lot" demonstrate how the twins’ common digit interferes with their sports allegiances, and how FOX Sports Net offers regional coverage in 27 markets. In "Up Late," one of the twins stays up late to watch highlights of his favorite team, while the other twin desperately wants to sleep. The campaign marks the directors’ stateside debut; it was produced via Czar.US, New York. (Both Czar.US and Czar.BE are satellites of Amsterdam-headquartered Czar.)
Finally, there is Lionel Goldstein’s ad for the De Morgen newspaper, which makes it clear that these guys are willing to take risks. The spot, "Cocaine," out of Duval Guillaume, Brussels, defies polite description. But among other indelicacies, we see a close shot of a man being expelled from another man’s butt.
"It aired on TV and in cinemas, which was nice to see—my big ass on cinema screen," says Vanhoutteghem. "Everyone recognized it." He’s kidding. In actuality, it was yet another creative use of that versatile material, latex.
Alone Together
Synthetics aside, Lionel Goldstein is an entity concerned with authenticity and improvisation. Earlier in their relationship, Vanhoutteghem was directing solo, and Mortier served as his as assistant. Then, Mortier recalls, "I thought, ‘I can do that.’ "
Soon, both were directing spots on their own through Czar. Among their recent solo credits is Mortier’s commercial for energy conglomerate Nuon, and Vanhoutteghem’s ad announcing the merger of Konica and Minolta. Mortier has also helmed ads for Volkswagen, JVC, Xbox and Orange, while Vanhoutteghem’s credits include spots for the restaurant LunchGarden, Telenet and B.I.V.V. (the Belgian Road Safety Institute).
Vanhoutteghem and Mortier, along with producer Ruben Goots, eventually co-founded Czar’s Brussels office—Czar.BE, where the trio is based. About three years ago, Vanhoutteghem and Mortier formed Lionel Goldstein with the idea that it would allow them a certain amount of artistic freedom.
Vanhoutteghem and Mortier also enjoy the dynamic of working together. "When we direct separately, it’s very technical," says Mortier. "Together, we [come up with] ideas, we write stuff down and then [we] go for a trip. Even if we’re bullshitting or fooling around, we’re playing ping-pong with ideas.
"Not," he adds, "ears."
As a team, they have directed spots for Virgin Express, Klara Radio, Studio Brussels, Frisk radio and the Dutch Fire Brigade. For now, amusing themselves seems to be the core goal of Lionel Goldstein, but the pair notes that it’s sometimes difficult to sell agencies on their improvisational process.
Lionel Goldstein’s "Wedding," for Base telecommunications out of BBDO Brussels, highlights how improvisation can result in good performances. The ad depicts a wedding reception for an interracial couple in which the bridal party’s taste in music and dance clashes with that of the groom’s party. For that spot, the directors cast a crew of extras they’d worked with on more than one occasion, and drew inspiration from the photographs by social documentarian Martin Parr.
"It’s the film I like the most," says Mortier of "Wedding." "When we saw the whole thing, the art direction, it was kind of magic for us. The actors sometimes didn’t know we were filming while they were out there amusing themselves."
