Bicoastal production and post company Original has signed director Tom De Cerchio whose longstanding production house Incubator now becomes a satellite of Original. De Cerchio is known for his comedy and storytelling chops; over the years his work has earned three AICP Show honors, among other industry awards such as One Show Gold and D&AD recognition. His Bud Light spot, “Limo,” is in the Advertising Hall of Fame.
In his first project with Original, De Cerchio has directed a multi-spot package for game-maker Spinmaster and its titles Logo and Quelf. Created out of the client’s in-house agency, the spots reflect De Cerchio’s penchant for understated humor and surprising twists. One of the Logo spots, for example, shows the unusual way a man became familiar with Ford’s branding–as a youth he was busted by his girlfriend’s cop father, who had him spread-eagled over his car’s name plate.
De Cerchio has been directing via Incubator since 2002 and through it has produced notable work for such brands as Sony, Burger King, Kia, Bud Light and Renault. One of his most recent projects was a viral campaign for the comedy series Scott and Zander’s Crazy Night. In one spot, actor Tony Danza tries to convince the comedy duo that a certain Elton John song was not written about him. They insist the lyrics are “Hold me closer, Tony Danza.” The spot reached “immortal” status on the website Funny or Die (meaning it attracted more than 100,000 hits) and was also recently featured on the AOL home page.
De Cerchio, who began his career as a creative with TBWA/Chiat/Day, also has a long-form filmography as a feature director and screenwriter. His credits as director include Celtic Pride, starring Damon Wayans and Dan Aykroyd. He also directed the short Nunzio’s Second Cousin, a black comedy about hate crimes, which earned a spot in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection, and screened at the Sundance and Telluride film festivals. He is represented for features and television by Dan Farah of Farah Films Management and Trevor Astbury at Paradigm.
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More