Spring is the season for new things– whether they be green grass, tulips, or directors. In "Two Guys, Two Girls And A Camera," SHOOT associate editor Sandra Garcia looks at four up-and-coming directors. Comprising this spring’s crop of new spot helmers are: Whitey Bel-Air III of Space Program, Hollywood; Shawn Driscoll of bicoastal Coppos Films; Lizelle Mes of Velocity Afrika, Johannesburg, South Africa; and Jordan Scott of bicoastal RSA USA. These directors used diverse means to break into the business. For example, Bel-Air pulled a prank on a high-profile agency creative director, and Driscoll found Coppos through regular visits to his bank’s ATM.
Also included in this issue are 24 profiles representing a cross-section from the field of leading commercial directors. These are artisans who combine art and commerce to create memorable viewing and increased market share. Included in SHOOT’s roundup of spot helmers is Leslie Dektor of Dektor Film, Hollywood, the winner of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for best commercial director of 2000. Dektor’s fellow DGA nominees– Dante Ariola of bicoastal/international Propaganda Films, Bryan Buckley of bicoastal/international hungry man, David Cornell of bicoastal Headquarters and Lenard Dorfman of bicoastal/international @radical.media– are also profiled.
Two of the directors SHOOT talked to– Federico Brugia of bicoastal/international Partizan and Pucho Mentasti of Palomar Pictures, Los Angeles– are attempting to break into the U.S. market after successful stints in, respectively, Europe and South America. And the issue once again includes some directing teams– comprising anywhere from two to eight members.
We hope you enjoy the spring directors issue; and, as always, we welcome your feedback.
