Director Marty Weiss, whose career spans assorted spots and films, has come aboard the roster of Beverly Hills-headquartered MRB Productions.
Weiss first established himself as a spot director, helming hundreds of domestic and international commercials before parlaying that into longer form projects such as Vampires: The Turning for Sony/Screen Gems Entertainment, and The Pre-Nup, a comedy starring Larry Miller and Alex Borstein. The latter hit the 2007 film festival circuit, including the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, the Santa Barbara Film Festival, the Palm Springs International Festival, and The World of Comedy Film Festival, Toronto.
Not a rookie on the film festival scene, Weiss has many festival awards under his belt including a Best Director nod at the New York Film Festival. His spotwork has garnered several Clios, Cannes Lions, Addys, and One Show Pencils, as well as AICP Show recognition.
Weiss began his career in Chicago producing commercials for clients like Anheuser Busch, Budweiser, McDonald’s and even produced a series of spots for filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen. After moving to Los Angeles, he directed commercials exclusively through Sony Picture Entertainment’s Pavlov Productions, The Bedford Falls Group/Trailhead, and then Cucoloris Films. He directed via the latter shop from 2000 to the end of ’03 when he began casting for Vampires: The Turning. Weiss went to Thailand to prep and shoot that film and was in post until its release in early ’05.
At that point he hooked up with The Directors Network, Los Angeles, a talent agency which freelances directors through other production houses. That relationship (which included such spot projects as a package for Herbal Essences shot in Venezuela for Leo Burnett and Macondo Films out of Spain; a Little Caesar’s campaign for Agency Oz of Michigan; and a Blue Cross/Blue Shield assignment for Michael Flora and Associates, Troy, Mich.) ran through late ’06 when Weiss started The Pre-Nup.
From ’07-’09 Weiss directed two movies for Spike TV, Backwoods and Xtra Credit. The former starred Haylie Duff, Ryan Merrima, Danny Nucci and Mark Rolston, and debuted last year. Xtra Credit, with a cast headed by Micah Alberti and Marina Black, is slated to air later this year.
Weiss’ spot directorial credits in recent time include his having freelanced three packages for Cincinnati Bell for Gee, Jeffery and Partners and Kandoo Films, L.A.; a campaign for Spike TV show “Pros vs. Joes,” as well as various promos for CBS, Style Network, and Fox.
Weiss now joins a spot directors’ roster at MRB that includes Mark Teitelman, Jamie Babbitt, Jeremy Haft, and Branson Veal. MRB is headed by president/CEO Matthew Brady.
For film and television projects, Weiss works through his company Martini Shot Films, and is represented by CAA and the Arlook Group.
After Documentaries About Taylor Swift and Brooke Shields, Director Lana Wilson Turns Her Camera To NYC Psychics
Filmmaker Lana Wilson had never thought much about psychics. But the morning after Election Day in 2016, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, she found herself drawn towards a sign that promised "$5 psychic readings" and wandered in.
Much to her surprise, she found it to be a rather profound experience. She can barely even remember what was said, but it was emotional and comforting. And it would set her on a seven-year journey to make a documentary about this strange and misunderstood tradition, "Look Into My Eyes," which expands in theaters this week.
"I think I had totally misjudged the whole psychic tradition," Wilson said. "I had trivialized it and seen it as this silly thing, despite the fact that millions of people around the world engage in it… I'd had this personal experience where I, as a lifelong skeptic, found comfort in a psychic one day. So part of my initial perspective was what if it doesn't matter if it's real or not?
In the years since that fateful encounter, Wilson's own profile has raised significantly for her documentaries about Taylor Swift, " Miss Americana," and Brooke Shields, " Pretty Baby." But the idea of the psychics lingered. The film, unjudgmental, funny and poignant, takes viewers inside the homes, and sessions, of several New York City psychics
Wilson spoke about her process, her revelations and why she decided to not take Shields up on her offer to be one of the subjects in this one. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: Did you find many of your friends shared your own assumptions about psychics?
WILSON: One of my closest friends is a therapist and she immediately got it. She was like, "This is totally different than therapy. But, also,... Read More