Synthetic Pictures has signed director Erik Anderson whose specialities include docu-style, lifestyle and automotive content. His clients include Microsoft, Riddell, Maria Stopes International, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Anderson’s new Riddell spot was recently shortlisted for the Clio Sports competition.
Anderson’s first projects with Synthetic include co-directing with Justin Corsbie a real people campaign for Williamsburg, Virginia Tourism through Luckie & Co., and collaborating with Team
Detroit on a potential docu-style campaign for Ford.
Anderson earned inclusion into SHOOT’s 2013 New Directors Showcase largely on the basis of his Chevrolet spec piece titled “Heirloom.” While at Art Center College of Design, Anderson directed his speculative work for Chevrolet, as well as the documentary, Hands in the Mist.
Anderson said he was drawn to Synthetic by company founder Corsbie and executive producer Allison Smith and their ability and commitment to nurture and steer his career.
Founded in 2002, Synthetic Pictures has offices in L.A., Austin and New York. In addition to a roster of live-action directors, Synthetic has a visual effects division, SP/FX. Synthetic specializes in commercials, branded content and filmed entertainment. The company has worked with agencies including BBDO, Leo Burnett, Doner, Pitch, Agencies of Change, Pereira & O’Dell, Publicis, JWT, R&R, Loomis, Ramey, Integer Group, White & Partners, and Wunderman on projects for clients such as Chrysler, Dell, Vegas Tourism, Dodge, HBO, Jennie-O, Shell, MasterCard, Procter & Gamble, Special K, Land Rover, Dairy Queen, Burger King, Reebok, Sony, Wal-Mart, DreamWorks, and the American Red Cross.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More