Director Russell Prior has landed at his first spotmaking roost, Santa Monica-based Millennium Pictures. The company signed him on the basis of what executive producer Jeanne Mattiussi described as “an unusually accomplished yet natural and accessible” spec reel.
Over the past few years, Prior has worked as an assistant cameraman for assorted directors (Mark Coppos, Alexander Paul, Marcus Nispel, Sean Thonson) and DPs (Daniel Pearl, Bernd Wondoliek, Michael Fitzmaurice).
Prior grew up in the filmmaking industry; his father is noted editor Jim Prior whose feature credits include The Lost Boys, Flatliners and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Russell Prior made his first directorial mark with a short, Slightly Off, based on one of his real life misadventures when he was a rebellious youngster. Also reflected in the short was Prior’s automotive passion, which led to his initially pursuing a career as a car shooter.
This vehicular motivation also manifested itself in a couple key entries on his spec reel as a director: Acura’s “Flirt,” and Mercedes-Benz’s “Self.”
The former entails a playful, on-road exchange between guys and girls. For the Acura spot, which Prior wrote, the actors did their own driving to add a real-life feel.
The Mercedes spec commercial promotes the ML500 through a humorous twist. After the ad opens with beauty shots of the ML500 being put through its paces, it ‘s revealed that the dusty workhorse of a camera car capturing this running footage is also an ML500.
Rounding out Prior’s reel is “Goldie Locks” for GAP, as well as a behind-the-scenes extras section for his commercials. For example, the Mercedes “extra” is a documentary-style short, chronicling the making of “Self.”