Robb Fischer has signed with STORY for exclusive national representation as a commercial director. Fischer is known for directing spots that feature emotional storytelling, and for strong visuals. He has already wrapped his first two projects for STORY, a Kemps ice cream commercial and a seven-spot package for healthcare educator Sanford-Brown.
Joining STORY marks the first time that Fischer, who is also an established cinematographer, has had a formal affiliation with a production company for directing work. Previously, he was an independent director and DP. His credits include recent campaigns for Citgo, Element Mobile and Wisconsin Tourism (with Monk star Tony Shalhoub), as well as a PSA for the Candies Foundation featuring Bristol Pailin.
Fischer also directed a campaign for the Belize Tourism Board that included a 14-day shoot in the Central American country. A public service announcement that he directed for the City of Milwaukee Health Department on the dangers of mothers “co-sleeping” with their infant children was recently featured in Communication Arts magazine. Fischer also has an extremely extensive list of DP credits including several Super Bowl spots for Go Daddy.
As a director, Fischer’s strength is in recreating real-life situations, often while working with real people. His work for Citgo, for example, presents an affectionate portrait of Milford, Connecticut, and includes vignettes involving a Café, a barber shop and a high school football game.
Fischer calls his style “controlled documentary.” “I like the feel and the magic of home movies, things that are found and not staged,” he explained. “I’m always striving for that.”
The Kemps Ice Cream spot that he directed for STORY and Minneapolis agency Periscope features a cow taking a tour of Lambeau Field in Green Bay. A trained bovine was brought into the stadium and, after touring a sky box, viewing the Packers’ four Super Bowl trophies and Hall of Fame memorablia, grazes on the perfectly manicured sacred grass of Lambeau.
The seven spots for Sanford-Brown tell the personal stories of seven individuals whose lives were transformed after attending the college. The spots were cut at STORY’s edit arm The Whole Story with editor Brian Clark.
For Documentaries At Sundance, Oscar Nominations (and Wins) Often Follow
The Sundance Film Festival welcomed back three Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers to help kick off the annual independent film showcase in Park City, Utah.
On Thursday night at The Ray Theater, "20 Days in Mariupol" filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov, who won the Oscar last year, debuted his latest dispatch from Ukraine, "2000 Meters to Andriivka," a harrowing journey to the front lines of a 2023 counteroffensive. A few hours later, at the Eccles, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, who won an Oscar for "Summer of Soul" in 2022, unveiled his Sly Stone portrait, "SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genuis)." Earlier, "One Day in September" filmmaker Kevin MacDonald also showcased his film "One to One: John & Yoko," which debuted last year at the Venice Film Festival and will get an IMAX release on April 11 before hitting Max later this year.
Some critics reflected that "2000 Meters to Andriivka," a joint production between The Associated Press and PBS Frontline, was even more powerful than "20 Days in Mariupol." "SLY LIVES!" (on Hulu Feb. 13) was called "sublime" and "illuminating" in its examination of an underappreciated, shapeshifting genius.
"I've been coming here since 2000 and I thought the coolest thing you could do would be to DJ an after party," Thompson said before the screening. "I never dreamt this for my future, so this is really humbling."
It was a full-circle end to a day that began with a slate of documentary Oscar nominations all connected to the Sundance Institute in some way. Some were supported by the Institute, some debuted at the festival as recently as last year.
"Black Box Diaries," in which a Japanese filmmaker investigates her own sexual assault, had its premiere in Park City last year and was supported by the... Read More