Tom Routson got his second directing gig in 1997, and he handled it with surprising ease, given the magnitude of the project: a 10-day shoot for a multi-million dollar Budweiser campaign out of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), San Francisco, featuring the now famous Budweiser lizards, which ran during the Super Bowl. "At that stage you just have to have good opinions," he says.
Six years later, he has proven that he does have good opinions, as his directorial career continues to flourish—two spots he directed were honored at this year’s Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Show. Pohjola Insurance’s "Rock Star," via TBWA Finland, Helsinki, was honored in the talent/ performance category, while Nestlé Milkybar Munchies’ "When Kids Attack" via Lowe, London, was honored for humor. Both spots were produced through bicoastal Tool of North America and now defunct Harry Nash. The director has also helmed spots for Heineken, Match. com and HBO, and recently completed work for the Propane Education & Research Council, Value City and Reese’s Pieces.
One of the director’s best decisions thus far was casting John Ennis in "Rock Star." Routson met the actor, known for his work on HBO’s Mr. Show, on a previous job and felt that he was better for the role than any of the real-life, past-their-prime rock stars who auditioned for the part. "John Ennis made that [spot]. I would have been dead without him," Routson says. "He became that part."
Provided with a simple treatment describing a washed-up rocker—who still has groupies and doesn’t realize he’s a has-been—the director had a great deal of creative freedom on the set. While some of the jokes were scripted, Routson also improvised during the shoot. For example, a scene that shows the rock star’s manager (played by Lionel Ames) seemingly naked in bed with the singer and a groupie was ad-libbed. But a hilarious shot of the aging musician using a large spoon to slide his backside into his tight pants was scripted. We also see the gluttonous character eating throughout the spot (steak and eggs, Chinese take-out, a hamburger and something that resembles chicken), and drinking so excessively that he rinses his mouth with liquor instead of mouthwash. But as the end tag—"You’ve got a mission: To live. We’ve got a mission: To make sure"—implies, he can bask in his recklessness because he has insurance.
"That was about as much fun as I’ve ever had in one day," relates Routson. "Nobody from the insurance company came, no account people—nobody. Just two creative guys with big smiles on their faces."
According to the director, his sets are light-hearted and relaxed. "I think it is a good practice to have everybody talking, hanging out and laughing, and to always try to have fun on the set," he says. "The tone of everything comes from the director and if that guy happens to be a fun, mellow guy, then that seems to go through the ranks."
Although working with infants and small children can be challenging, Routson said that he still had fun on the Milkybar Munchies shoot. The spot features youngsters playing pranks and inflicting pain on adults who are eating the Munchies. The opening scene shows a man pushing a young girl on a swing. The girl sits facing the man, and as she glides toward him, she kicks him in the groin, causing him to fall to the ground. We also see a baby in a bouncy chair who bounds up to turn off the lights and causes the father to miss the nail he is hammering and hit his hand instead. A voiceover announces, "New Milkybar Munchies are made for adults, but try telling that to kids."
Funny business
At this point in his career, Routson works mainly on comedy-based spots, but notes that he would entertain something in a more serious vein someday. "I’ll always stick with comedy because I feel comedy is—as stupid as this sounds—a noble cause," he explains. "I think if [we do] nothing more than … make people laugh when they are watching these commercials, then we’ve somehow made their day a little better or touched them in some way. Anytime you can give people that it’s a good thing."
Routson developed his comedic sense on the agency side of the business. In ’92, he joined GS&P as an art director. Three years later he moved to Fallon and worked as an art director for a year, until returning to GS&P as an associate creative director. It was while at GS&P that Routson first started directing. "Those guys made me," he relates. "Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein [co-chairmen/partners at GS&P] really taught me the business, and were people who allowed me to do what I do. That’s really where it all happened. Through them and the culture that they created, they gave me the idea that I could do bigger things. That’s a really wonderful place."
In ’99, Routson decided to pursue directing full time, and signed with Tool of North America. Having worked on the agency side, Routson knows first-hand how hard creatives have to work to get something produced, especially with an edgy spot, and he takes seriously the responsibility for realizing their visions. "I know it is hell to get something into production these days," he notes. "I know people’s careers and passions are in [the work]. So I really feel like it is in my hands—I don’t want to let anybody down. I want to make it great every time."
Routson participates in production, from the preliminary stages of casting through editing. Since another spot he did for Pohjola called "Cheerleader" was going to run in Finland, the director wanted the women to have Finnish features, and he cast members of a Finnish church in Los Angeles. The spot shows elderly women participating in a cheerleading camp with a young, athletic, male coach. For Milkybar Munchies, an ad for the U.K., the director cast actors with British features.
The extent of his involvement in editing varies according to the agency and scheduling. In his experience, European agencies expect him to produce a rough cut of the spot, while American agencies generally handle the editing with input from him. Both "Rock Star" and "When Kids Attack" were shot in Los Angeles and cut in San Francisco.
Although his spots often showcase mischievous characters, Routson manages to make them likable to the audience. "I always try to put some humanity in my work," he says. " I always want there to be some humanity, some heart."
