Director Paul Gay, whose filmography spans commercials, shorts and TV drama, has signed with O Positive for commercial representation in the U.S. His production house roost in London remains Waspface which he launched last summer with co-founder/executive producer Tim Nunn.
Gay, who was formerly repped stateside by Hungry Man, has a body of work marked by a cinematic visual aesthetic. He said that style grew from his early training at Ravensbourne Art College and then as an art director at DDB London where his mentors included London’s archetype art director Mark Reddy. Another consistent thread in Gay’s work is strong performance and dialogue. “I gravitate naturally toward people you observe in life,” Gay explains. “I like to capture the feeling that there are people out there who are not models but very compelling to observe. Advertising is full of aspiration, so it’s refreshing to cast ordinary people.”
Among his recent commercials are Winalot’s “What a Lot” via DDB London, with portrait-like vignettes of real pet owners in picturesque locations all across the UK; Superdrug’s “Take Another Look” for HMDG, starring actress Joanna Page of hit BBC series Gavin & Stacey in a playful performance; and an integrated campaign for the British Post Office via Mother London, featuring real people in TV and viral shorts.
Over the years, Gay has directed iconic campaigns that have garnered industry honors at Cannes, D&AD and the AICP Show to note a few highlights, for British Army and Toyota, both via Saatchi & Saatchi London, VW via DDB London, and Arnold Boston, and Delux via AMV BBDO.
Gay counts popular hour-long TV dramas among his credits as well. He directed episodes of the BAFTA-winning, contemporary teen drama Skins. He worked closely with an untried teen cast to elicit convincingly authentic performances about provocative subjects, and lead actors Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man) and Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire). Gay also directed episodes of BBC2 mini-series Desperate Romantics, Peter Bowker’s darkly comedic drama billed as “Entourage with easels.”
Gay considers directing TV shows and commercials complementary. “In commercials you spend a day shooting 30 seconds for a compellingly tight narrative where back story is implied,” he says. “In TV, you work very quickly over a day shooting seven minutes, where the emphasis is more on story arch and characters than tiny details. You become versatile in the finer points and story arch which are valuable to filmmaking in either format.”
Gay has directed the short films Catalina View and Look at Me, I’m Beautiful, both of which enjoyed positive runs on the film festival circuit.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More