If you asked director/cinematographer Lance Acord five years ago where he would be today, it’s unlikely he could have predicted the outcome. As far back as 1998, Acord was working primarily as a DP on commercials, features and music videos, out of his company, Park Pictures, New York.
While directing the occasional commercial, he made a name for himself as a cinematographer on popular features, including Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, both directed by Spike Jonze—also a frequent spot collaborator—who is represented for spots by bicoastal/ international Morton Jankel Zander (MJZ). Acord had also put his visual mark as a DP on notable spots, including Volkswagen’s "Milky Way," directed by Dayton/Faris of bicoastal Bob Industries, and "Crazy Legs" for Levi’s, directed by Jonze for TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco. In ’01, the Jonze-directed music video "Weapon of Choice," for Fatboy Slim, and DPed by Acord, won for best cinematography at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Fast forward to January ’04, where Acord has found himself on the receiving end of some important accolades. First, there was that little known film, Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola, and shot by Acord. The film earned Coppola an Academy Award for original screenplay, and Acord’s cinematography scored the DP a nomination in the cinematography category at the British Television and Film Awards (BAFTA) in London.
In addition to his DP work, Acord has remained active in directing, and was one of the nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for best commercial director, calling attention to what has become a notable shift in his career. He earned the DGA nomination based on three spots: Nike’s "Cross Country Spirit," out of Wieden+ Kennedy (W+K), Portland, Ore.; adidas’ "Wake Up Call" via 180 Communications, Amsterdam; and Mitsubishi’s "Part Car/Part Religion," for Deutsch LA. (Director David Fincher of bicoastal Anonymous Content won the honor.)
"In the last couple of years, I’ve really focused more on directing commercials, and my work as a cinematographer is pretty much exclusively on film now," notes Acord. He says he’s able to divide his time effectively between directing spots and shooting films because the feature projects he gravitates toward tend to have shorter shooting schedules (Lost in Translation was shot in 27 days), allowing him time to work on ads.
Acord’s reasons for the shift toward helming more spots vary—from wanting more time at home in Los Angeles with his wife and two young children—to the fact that he likes being a part of the filmmaking process from beginning to end. "The thing that I have grown to appreciate as a director is the ability to see a project through," relates Acord, who serves as his own DP. "Being involved in the editing process is more fulfilling because I learn more, and I see what works and what doesn’t work,"
Acord also says that directing allows him more control in general. "You’re part of choosing the locations, the wardrobe, casting and everything," he relates. "I like that involvement in the prepping and earlier stages because that’s so much a part of the look of the film."
Acord’s move toward more spot directing reflects a long-term strategy he and executive producer Jackie Kelman Bisbee had for Park Pictures. Acord initially opened Park Pictures in ’98, when he started getting some directing gigs in New York. He envisioned a production company for cinematographers who were primarily interested in shooting, but wanted a facility they could work through as directors. "The original company involved myself and several other DPs, but it didn’t really work," he recalls. "We were all off shooting different film projects. As a new director, you need to be accessible. Opportunities were coming up, and no one was here to take them."
Knowing he couldn’t sustain the company, Acord partnered with Bisbee, and the two proceeded to bring on full-time directors. The roster at Park Pictures now comprises Neil Abramson, Alison Maclean, Ramaa Mosley and Carter Smith. The company also represents director Ringan Ledwidge in the U.S.; per the agreement, Ledwidge’s U.K. company, Small Family Business, London, reps the Park Pictures roster in the U.K. market. "We changed our focus, and since then it’s worked out," Acord says.
FOREVER SPORT
SHOOT caught up with Acord as he was driving to one of those coveted editing sessions. He’d just come off a stint of back-to-back directing jobs for adidas via 180 and TBWA Worldwide, New York; ESPN for W+K, New York; and Audi out of McKinney & Silver, Raleigh, N.C.
The ESPN spot, which at press time has yet to break, is a continuation of the "Without Sports" campaign the agency began last year. Acord says it’s a more dialogue-driven piece, and represents a nice departure from the sports-intensive year he’s had. "Through the fall and into the first of the year, I’ve done a lot of sports-performance related things, so it’s just nice to switch gears," he says.
Acord directed a series of spots for adidas out of 180 and TBWA for the "Impossible Is Nothing" campaign; the package broke last month. "Laila," "The Long Run" and "Stacy" are stories about athletes who have faced seemingly insurmountable physical feats or turned a blind eye to criticism. Via the magic of visual effects, "Laila" features legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in the ring with his daughter, Laila, also a boxer. Laila Ali’s voiceover states that when the critics say women can’t box, she follows her own path, just as her father did in his day.
Acord followed up the package with two more spots for adidas, "Nowhere" and Shout Out," via TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco, which have more of a general, montage feel to them. "Nowhere," for instance, intersperses footage of basketball players Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tracy McGrady (Orlando Magic) and Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) playing in the NBA, with shots of the unknown towns they come from.
Four additional adidas spots out of 180 are due to break closer to the Summer Olympics, and carry a similar "Impossible Is Nothing" theme. According to Acord, they will feature somewhat lesser known Olympic celebrities.
While Acord’s recent work has mostly dealt with sports, he shows a range when it comes to treating the subject from different angles. For instance, "Laila" was a large-scale production that takes place in a huge stadium with thousands of people, while "The Long Run" is pared down to handheld footage of Muhammad Ali and a half-dozen other athletes jogging down a desolate road. The forthcoming ESPN work will highlight Acord’s ability to direct a dialogue and performance-based script.
And then there are those directing projects that are tailor-made for someone with a background in cinematography. For Acord, it’s the aforementioned Audi commercial, titled "Progressions." The spot features milestones in invention and how building on an idea yields a multitude of engineering feats. The advent of the wheel led to the wagon, the bicycle and now the automobile. Phonograph led to tapes to CDs to MP3 players. These progressions are shown on the screen in boxes of various sizes that move to a rhythmic beat.
But what’s most impressive is that several of the shots look like archival film. They were actually shot in camera and treated in various ways to look like historical footage, a true testament to Acord’s skill as a DP—and director.
