Director Kevin Dole has signed an agreement for exclusive representation with Tag Team, a Los Angeles-based production house specializing in kids and toy spots. Best known for his ad work promoting toys that appeal to boys, Dole has a wide range of client credits, including Mattel, Lego, Hasbro, Tyco, Galoob and Matchbox. He has also helmed a majority of the spots for K’NEX, from the product’s launch in 1992 through its current presence in 50 countries worldwide.
Dole joins a Tag Team directorial roster that also consists of Brian O’Connell, Steve Jarvis, Mustapha Khan and Larry Bessler. The shop is headed by founder/executive producer Cynthia Wright-Banks.
For his part, Dole, who has recently been freelancing, said he felt that he could best be served by associating himself with a company whose primary focus is advertising for children. "Cindie [Wright-Banks] knows toy work inside out," he explained. "She has great instincts for adding details and nuances that make me look better and result in better commercials."
Prior to formally joining Tag Team, Dole benefited from a trial run at the company, freelance directing three campaigns there for Max Steel, a line of Mattel action figures. With their high-energy camerawork, the commercials, paced like a white-knuckle theme park ride, are typical of Dole. "I rack my brain to come up with ways to make each spot better, to find cool places to put the camera," said Dole of his approach. "Particularly for boys’ toys, a lot of it is about action, finding ways to move the camera, finding ways to lend excitement."
Wright-Banks said of Dole, "He truly enjoys the products and has the ability to translate that enthusiasm onto film. He loves kids and he never loses sight of the fact that the toy needs to be fun and the spot has to be dynamic."
Before his freelance stint, Dole was repped via Hollywood-based production house SunSpots. Well versed in postproduction and special-effects techniques, Dole specialized in visual-effects work early in his career and often designs and builds special rigs to capture unusual shots. He was animation and special-effects director for the television series Pee Wee’s Playhouse. He also invented the patented RadCam miniature camera car that has been used in commercials, music videos and such feature films as The Big Lebowski, Small Soldiers and Mouse Hunt.
Recently, Dole has pioneered the use of a proprietary digital camera system dubbed DigiCam. The tiny, four-pound camera records D1 digital imagery with the clarity and look of 35mm film. Dole notes that DigiCam simplifies set-ups, creates incredible camera action, allows for shots to be instantly reviewed, and performs flawlessly in situations where it would be impossible to use a standard 35mm motion picture camera.
"I have used DigiCam on dozens of productions, many times intermixed freely with 35mm or 16mm," Dole reported. "Thus far no one has been able to identify which scenes are film and which are digital." He claimed that DigiCam also results in production cost savings, a significant plus for budget-sensitive toy shoots.
Dole began his career directing commercials and music videos in Chicago. After moving to Los Angeles, he joined now defunct Apogee, where he gained a reputation for effects work. A European campaign for Lego helped to establish Dole’s skills for directing young talent, and sent him along his current career path. Dole directed for several years through his own production shop venture before landing at SunSpots.–Millie Takaki
