Though the crossover trend hardly needs a dynamic to generate further momentum, such a catalyst could emerge if a strike action against the feature/TV studios is taken by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and/or the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Already the prospects of a potential work stoppage have caused talent agents to explore spot opportunities for their longform director clients.
And possible strikes have at least entered into the thinking of several commercial production house executives who are behind recent launches of shops that offer rosters of feature filmmakers to the ad agency community.
For instance, bicoastal RSA USA and London-based RSA Films formed Top Dog, a division specializing in garnering spot assignments for certain feature directors. Headed by executive producer Kate Driver, the new Los Angeles-headquartered venture has a directorial lineup that includes Oliver Stone (Any Given Sunday), Diane Keaton (Unstrung Heroes), Anjelica Huston (Bastard out of Carolina), John McTiernan (Hunt for Red October) and Renny Harlin (Deep Blue Sea). When Top Dog was launched (SHOOT, 1/19, p. 1), RSA USA managing director Jules Daly observed that the looming possibility of a strike or strikes "is definitely opening some doors involving directors who otherwise might not have been receptive to the idea [of diversifying into spots]. It’s a dynamic that figures to help us at Top Dog, and stimulate further interest on the part of ad agencies."
Similarly, when publicly traded, bicoastal First Look Media launched commercial production division First Look Artists, the possibility of an industry strike or strikes figured in the corporate blueprint. Bicoastal First Look Artists, which plans to soon open a London office, maintains a roster of feature filmmakers available for spots. Those directors include: Julie Taymor (Titus), Julian Schnabel (Before Night Falls), Joan Chen (Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl), Lisa Krueger (Committed), Marlene Gorris (Mrs. Dalloway) and Ed Decter (The New Guy). Heading First Look Artists are president Randy Lippert and executive producer Linda Ross, former managing director of RSA USA.
Of the formation of First Look Artists (SHOOT, 2/9, p. 1), Lippert relates: "In the event of a strike, feature directors will not only be available, but more eager than ever to do commercials. That will help us to build that part of our roster." (First Look has also secured more established commercial talent: director Leonardo Ricagni and his New York-based shop Babilonya have come under the First Look banner for exclusive representation in the U.S. and Canada, and nonexclusive representation in Europe.)
Several ad agency heads of production report that with possible strike action in the offing, agents of feature directors who are interested in spots are approaching them. On one hand, some contend that this will add to what is already a glut of directors who are competing for a limited number of commercial jobs. On the other hand, some intriguing directorial talent is entering the ad mix—at a time when the market has already exhibited its receptiveness to working with longform helmers.
Lizzie Schwartz, executive producer at bicoastal The Industry, a division of bicoastal Moxie Pictures that represents such feature directors as: Wes Anderson (Rushmore), Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma), and John Madden (Shakespeare In Love), says that directors anticipating a strike and/or strikes have already called her. "I have gotten phone calls from lots of directors, including some who are not exclusive to us, saying ‘Don’t forget us,’ " she relates.
In The Mix
Bicoastal/international Propaganda Films has revived its Hollywood-based Propaganda Independent division, with the signing of feature director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men), who recently wrapped his first Independent project: an international three-spot package for 7-Up out of BBDO New York. Executive producer Marshall Rawlings, a former line producer, heads up Independent. Other directors on the Independent roster include: Frank Coraci (The Waterboy); Jon Turteltaub (The Kid); Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth) and Jonathan Mostow (U-571). Three feature directors that were with Propaganda Films—Greg Harrison (Groove), Jamie Babbit (But I’m A Cheerleader!), and Luis Mandoki (Amazing Grace)—are now under the Independent banner (SHOOT, 4/20, p. 1).
Rick Hess, president of Propaganda, contends that the company is suited to facilitate collaborations between feature helmers and ad agencies. "We understand what [feature directors’] lives are like and can really help navigate the process for them," said Hess at the time of Independent’s relaunch. "We understand what it’s like to answer to a studio and we know what directors’ time constraints are and how to work around their schedules."
"People are not only open to [crossovers], but are anxious for them," relates Cami Taylor, an owner/partner in production company Crossroads, bicoastal and Chicago. "For commercials, agencies are not just looking at talent from the music video side, but from the film and [episodic] TV side, as well."
Why? And why now? From a production house perspective, it is natural to try to have fingers in as many pies as possible. If a director helms features, spots, music videos, and episodic television, why not keep all of it—and the profits—under one roof?
"So many people are crossing lines," observes Ross of First Look Artists. "It makes sense to have different divisions [for the different media]."
That kind of synergy is what led spot house Crossroads to open a feature film division and bring on noted indie producer Bingham Ray as a full partner. Ray is perhaps best known as a co-founder of the now defunct independent film production firm October Films, which produced The Apostle and Breaking the Waves. In addition to developing a slate of longform projects, Ray will work with Crossroads to create feature film opportunities for Crossroads commercial directors and, through its features, also entice movie directors for commercials.
"Where I can be of great service is in attracting feature film directors to make features for Crossroads and commercials for Crossroads," observes Ray, who says no directors have yet been signed. "Our model is Propaganda Films of the mid-to late ’80s. They had a core business of commercials and music videos, and were also making films. That’s a great, great model."
And the reason feature directors get into television? For one thing, you can’t beat the turnaround. "A feature takes a year of your life," says Jeanine Pepler, former division head of New York-based Thru-Line, a division of bicoastal/international Chelsea Pictures, which reps such feature directors as Ben Younger (Boiler Room), directing collective The Haxans (Blair Witch Project) and Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse). "A commercial, from start to finish, can take anywhere from three weeks to two months." (A replacement for Pepler is forthcoming; in the interim Steve Wax and Dominic Ferro, respectively president and West Coast executive producer of Chelsea, have assumed Pepler’s duties.) The Haxans have helmed a couple of spot projects, including "Don’t Hold Back," directed by the collective’s Greg Hale for Bolt.com, an online community for teens, out of Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York.
"It’s all very concentrated," agrees Top Dog’s Driver. "You can get pretty immediate gratification because a spot can take a month as opposed to a year. That appeals to directors."
In addition, Driver notes that a spot director can experiment with technical tricks and cutting-edge technology that he or she can later employ in features. And if an industry strike materializes, continues Driver, "we will see a lot of directors who want to stay active."
From an agency point of view, hooking up with a feature director means getting a specific look and, producers say, a novel perspective to spot work. "There are so many directors out there right now, and everybody wants something fresh and new and unusual," observes Taylor. "That means agencies are very open to trying different people."
Indeed, most production houses offering feature helmers are using the distinctive styles of particular directors as selling points. "It isn’t just the average feature film director who will do this," Driver notes. "You are looking for someone who can put a different mark on advertising. Oliver Stone brings a wealth of experience and a special look." Stone made his spot debut last year, with ads for Heineken ("Rain," "Curiosity" and "Night Life), out of Bates China, Hong Kong; and Motorola’s "Wireless," via McCann-Erickson, Singapore. Production for both jobs was done through Los Angeles-headquartered Saville Productions, and Shooting Stars Productions, New York.
"The agency wants a particular stamp," explains Adam Bloom, head of production for music videos and commercials at Los Angeles-based A Band Apart.35mm and A Band Apart Commercials. The former represents feature helmers such as Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton, John Woo and Darren Aronofsky.
Bloom says that an agency looking for a particular look from a director occurred with the mono-monikered McG, who is represented by A Band Apart Commercials. McG, whose directing roots are in spots and music videos, made his feature film debut with the blockbuster Charlie’s Angels. Creatives at FCB Chicago, called on him to direct four upcoming Coors’ Light spots—"Mr. Hollywood," "Reunion," "Sports" and "Beautiful Girl—featuring David Spade, due in large part to McG’s longform effort. "He has done a lot of action and stunts involving beautiful girls," Bloom notes. "The agency wanted that for the campaign, and they looked at Charlie’s Angels and saw he had done all that. It is the same with Tim Burton [of A Band Apart .35mm]. You go to Tim for his look, his stamp. The agency knows going in that he will put a particular twist on it. The Timex spots he did, ‘Mannequin’ and ‘Kung Fu,’ [out of Fallon Minneapolis], were a little dark. You definitely knew it was Tim. It almost seemed like you were in a movie, not a commercial."
Production houses are also pushing the idea of directors as catalysts for good performances. "Good feature film directors know how to get good work out of actors," observes Lou Addesso, president of Creative Film Management International (CFM), New York, which represents Gregory Hoblit (Frequency), Stanley Tucci (Big Night) and Ted Demme (Blow), among others. "There is a comfort level they achieve with actors."
Drawbacks
Nonetheless, producers admit that there are drawbacks to using feature helmers. For one, the directors are usually not as readily available as their small-screen colleagues. "[Unavailability is] a problem not unique [to this area]. You face it at every production company," says Ross. "I think there isn’t a director out there [commercial or otherwise] who is not doing a feature. You simply have to have enough people to cover yourself and structure your overhead and talent accordingly. If someone goes on a feature, you have to have someone else who can act as back up."
There are also potential problems for feature film directors who need to learn how to work in the spot realm. "I don’t think every film director can do commercials," warns Susanne Preissler, executive producer of Los Angeles-based Independent Media, which garners select spot assignments for such feature directors as Chris Smith (American Movie), Scott Hicks (Shine, Snow Falling on Cedars) and Doug Liman (Swingers, Go). (Preissler launched Propaganda Independent in ’98, and ran the division until she left a year-and-half later.) "Sure, they all have the aptitude to understand the medium, but will they understand the ad business?" asks Preissler. "I’ve watched people who have been successful in the film business not be as successful in the commercial business. You have to look at the attention to detail in a commercial, to design, to continuity. In a film, if the story is good, [those things are less important.]"
Schwartz of The Industry points out that she and her colleagues, Moxie owner/director Dan Levinson, and owner/executive producer Gary Rose are careful about the feature directors they sign. "We try really hard to sit and talk to [feature helmers] very clearly and openly at that first meeting about the commercial process," notes Schwartz, "so they understand it."
By way of example, Preissler says that she knows and loves the work of a particular feature director. "But," she adds, "there is no way in hell I would put him in the commercial world. He would have been overwhelmed by the amount of pressure from the client and the agency. You have to find someone who knows how to focus on what’s important to our business. When you make a commercial, story and character development are based around a product. That’s different from a feature."
But most argue that such roadblocks can be overcome. "If you surround your director with the right people—a great producer, a great DP, a great executive producer overseeing the project—the process can be very rewarding," states Ross.
Adds Addesso: "I always take the position that a director is a director. He can direct longform, shortform. Once they understand that it’s collaborative, it becomes like any other project. Whether it’s a film, a music video, or a commercial, you are telling a story. Directors should be storytellers."
In the end, most houses see the pluses outweighing the minuses in crossover deals, and add that, in a competitive, changing world, one must be flexible. Certainly, the crossover everyone is talking about is not simply a director, but a whole project: Home Movie, the indie feature directed by Chris Smith of Independent Media, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival (SHOOT, 2/2, p. 1). The film was originally conceived as a series of spots for TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles’ client Homestore.com, but subsequently evolved into a feature.
"That was a terrific picture," says Crossroads’ Ray. "It shows that in this business, you have to be open to anything, I saw a short that was nominated for an Academy Award, called Rejected. It was a stick figure done in black-and-white animation. I think it was a series of promos for the Family Channel or the Learning Channel that had been rejected [by the client]. They were hilariously funny and they began life as promos. Good material comes in many guises." And, for that matter, so do directors.
