British director Daniel Kleinman has signed with Los Angeles-headquartered Ritts/Hayden for representation in the U.S. spot market. The London-based director will continue to be repped in the U.K. by Spectre, London, where he is a company partner. Spectre principal/director Antony Easton signed with Ritts/Hayden last year (SHOOT, 6/11/99, p. 7).
Kleinman recently wrapped his first assignment for Ritts/ Hayden: a pair of "Got Milk?" ads via Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco. One of the ads, "Everywhere," plays off the idea that the milk campaign is ubiquitous; the spot features a man who can’t seem to avoid the message. The second ad, "Cocoa Puffs," focuses on the bizarre procedure a teenager follows to make chocolate milk.
The signing marks Kleinman’s return to the stateside commercial market after an absence of several years. Prior to launching Spectre two years ago, the director was represented for spots and music videos by London-based Limelight. The company operated a bicoastal spot division in the U.S., Limelight Commercials, which was shuttered in ’94 (SHOOT, 5/6/94, p. 1). The U.S. company was the conduit through which Limelight’s ensemble of U.K. directors—Kleinman included—had been made available to the American ad market.
The director said he opted to reestablish himself in the U.S. because over the past two years "there’s been some excellent [ad work] happening in America." He also said he consistently tries to keep his reel fresh and diverse, with lots of different styles and types of ads—hence his decision to link with Ritts/ Hayden in the U.S.
Executive producer Bill Hayden, a founding partner in Ritts/ Hayden, explained that as soon as he saw Kleinman’s reel, "I instantly knew I wanted to work with him." Bertie Miller, partner/executive producer at Spectre, introduced Hayden to the director. (Spectre currently reps about a dozen directors.) "The response [to Kleinman’s work] has been incredible," Hayden continued. "Besides being an amazing comedy director, his work with effects is seamless."
Kleinman’s formal education is in visual arts. He graduated from Hornsea College of Art, London, in ’77, and began working as a commercial artist. In the early ’80s, he found work as a storyboard artist and music video scriptwriter at Limelight, and by ’83, he’d made his directorial debut with a clip for Heaven 17’s "Wheels of Industry," which led to his signing with the company.
He continued to be repped by Limelight until launching Spectre. Kleinman has directed more than 100 music videos and numerous commercials. Several recent campaigns were in competition at last year’s Cannes International Film Festival, including three ads for Fosters via M&C Saatchi, London ("Rio," "Kiss" and "Millionaire"); two ads for Holsten Pils out of TBWA London ("Czech" and "Cough"); and a campaign for Supernoodles via London agency Mother, consisting of "Shirt," "Wasted Away" and "Shaolin." In "Shirt," a man eating Supernoodles mistakenly uses one of his wife’s blouses as a napkin. When she calls out "Have you seen my blouse?", he realizes the gravity of his error. Desperate, he frames his infant son by putting the blouse in his lap and a spoonful of noodles in his mouth.
Kleinman also directed a comedic effects-laden ad for John Smiths ale via TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, London. In "Jeopardy," a spokesman explains that his marketing gurus continually urge him to fill his commercials with lots of high stakes action, while he wants to keep things simple with a pleasant discussion about the refreshing taste of John Smiths ale. Meanwhile, the spokesperson is superimposed on footage that continually places him in harm’s way. He crosses a busy freeway, traverses a construction site, and eventually finds himself several stories up in the air, standing on a beam that is suspended by a giant crane.
Kleinman’s other credits include ads for Volkswagen and BMP DDB, London; and Audi via BDH Communications, London.
In addition to his spot endeavors, Kleinman has worked in television and film. He directed several concert films for artists such as Madonna, Van Halen and Prince. He helmed a special program for BBC1 called Smashie & Nicey—The End of an Era, which won a Silver Rose for best comedy at the Golden Rose of Montreux TV festival in Montreux, Switzerland. Kleinman has also directed the title sequences for the past three James Bond films: The World is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies and Goldeneye.
Kleinman joins a Ritts/Hayden directorial roster that, in addition to Easton, includes partner/director Herb Ritts and directors Stuart Douglas, P.E. Goldman, Lance Kelleher, Sharon Maguire and Jon Hollis. Ritts and Kelleher are based in the U.S. Goldman is based in Australia, where he is repped by 8 Commercials, Sydney. Douglas, Maguire and Hollis are based in London, where they work out of Douglas’ production house, 400 Films, London.
Ritts/Hayden is represented by Holly Ross of Los Angeles-based Red on the West Coast; Rich Newman and Sue Rosen of Chicago-based Rich Newman & Associates in the Midwest; and Peter McCann and Kathy Misrock of CMP, New York, on the East Coast.
