Bicoastal RSA USA and London-based RSA Films have launched Top Dog, a division specializing in garnering spot assignments for select feature filmmakers. The new venture is headed by Kate Driver, whose producing experience spans commercials in the U.K. and, most recently, theatrical motion pictures stateside.
The Los Angeles-based Driver has teamed with RSA to assemble a Top Dog directorial lineup consisting of Oliver Stone (Platoon, Wall Street, The Doors, JFK); Diane Keaton (Unstrung Heroes, Hanging Up); Anjelica Huston (Bastard Out of Carolina, The Mammy, Agnes Browne); John McTiernan (Hunt for Red October, Medicine Man, The Thomas Crown Affair); Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, My Own Country); Renny Harlin (The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Die Hard 2, Deep Blue Sea); Tim Roth (The War Zone), Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider, Colors); Stephen Hopkins (Lost In Space, Under Suspicion); Gary Oldman (Nil by Mouth); Stephan Elliott (Eye of the Beholder; The Adventures of Priscila, Queen of the Desert); Casey Affleck (The Big Idea); and Kevin Allen (Twin Town, The Big Tease).
While most of these filmmakers have not yet helmed commercials, Driver believes that their talents will translate well into the ad discipline. And some have had previous tastes of spot directing, demonstrating prowess in shortform. Last year, for example (SHOOT, 7/7/00, p. 7), Stone directed spots for Heineken via Bates China, Hong Kong (co-produced by Shooting Stars Productions, New York, and Saville Productions, Los Angeles); and Motorola, out of McCann-Erickson, Singapore (produced by Saville). Similarly, Allen is no stranger to the ad arena. He has directed several U.K. spots, including some comedy work for the BBC.
At press time, a couple of storyboards for prospective spot projects had already come in, according to Driver, who will executive produce Top Dog jobs. Driver and Jules Daly, managing director of the RSA USA commercial production operation, plan to further build the Top Dog roster, adding not only other filmmakers but also artists from varied fields, such as music and photography. Driver explained that Top Dog is trying to bring a mix of different directorial talents and sensibilities to the advertising community.
Prior to Top Dog, Driver ran Two Drivers, a Los Angeles-based feature production company which she formed with her sister, actress Minnie Driver. Two Drivers has turned out several films over the past three years, including Beautiful, directed by Sally Field, and At Sachem Farm, directed by John Huddles. Distribution is currently being sought for the latter.
Before the launch of Two Drivers, Kate Driver was a freelance commercial producer in the U.K., working on European spots with such notable directors as Michel Gondry and Doug Nichol of bicoastal/international Partizan.
While she is still involved in Two Drivers as a founder, Kate Driver has shifted her day-to-day responsibilities at the company to another staffer so that she can fully focus on Top Dog.
Driver related that she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with directors Ridley and Tony Scott, the principals in RSA. And the proposition of collaborating in relatively short bursts on commercials with leading feature directors proved particularly appealing. "Being able to work with an Oliver Stone for three weeks, or an Anjelica Huston—and to work, grow and learn with the people at RSA—is what attracted me," related Driver. "In a sense, I’m combining my feature and commercial experience here."
Top Dog will be able to tap into RSA production and sales resources. In fact, Top Dog will be repped at this juncture by the RSA USA sales force, which consists of Andrea Marcucci and Michelle Thibault, who handle the East Coast; Stacey & Annie on the West Coast; and Nikki Weiss & Co., which covers the Midwest. Daly explained that Top Dog might take on its own representation at some point, if warranted. "Until you get things going, it’s tough to tell when or if we’ll need that," said Daly. "Five of the feature directors might be available one month, then ten another month. We’ll keep our sales options open."
Driver observed that Top Dog is a natural extension of RSA, which has long been known for cultivating opportunities in short and longform for its directors. Ridley and Tony Scott are prime examples of crossover directors, and appropriately enough, RSA’s Tom Dey—a commercial director who made his feature debut last year with Shanghai Noon—introduced Driver to Daly socially, setting the stage for what eventually turned out to be the formation of Top Dog.
Daly, who co-produced Shanghai Noon, had been seeking someone to head a division that would facilitate and procure commercialmaking opportunities for feature directors. RSA USA had such an operation in place, RSA Independent, for a good portion of last year. However, RSA Independent executive producer Susanne Preissler and RSA USA ended their relationship last summer, with Preissler retaining her ensemble of feature helmers for ad assignments (SHOOT, 8/25/00, p. 1). At that time, Daly said that RSA USA would likely form a newly named division and directorial roster to continue in the same vein.
"This is something we wanted to maintain," related Daly, "because it’s a natural part of what we’re about—providing directors with different creative avenues. And because RSA is a director-owned company with [founders] Ridley and Tony, I think directors of this ilk will find it easier to make the transition [to commercials], if they choose to do so, through Top Dog."
That transition may become more prevalent in the months ahead, with the looming possibility of strike action by writers and/or actors against feature/TV studios. Daly noted that this prospect has prompted many longform directors—via their agents—to look for other sources of work, particularly commercials. "It [a possible strike or strikes] is definitely opening some doors involving directors who otherwise might not have been receptive to the idea [of diversifying into spots]," related Daly. "It’s a dynamic that figures to help us at Top Dog and stimulate further interest on the part of ad agencies."
The "Dog" moniker is a familiar one within RSA. The company has a longstanding bicoastal music video shop, Black Dog Films, with its own lineup of helmers. Additionally, some of the spot directors at RSA USA often find themselves involved in music clips via Black Dog.
