Company principals pass baton to talent on their rosters
By A SHOOT Staff Report
Sounding out SHOOT New Directors Showcase alumni to give advice to the next generation of up-and-coming talent has been a mini-tradition of sorts. But this year, a new dimension takes hold as not only are the alumni we sought out now principals in their own production houses but they also have directors on those company rosters who made the cut for the 2019 Showcase.
The Docter Twins, Jason and Matt Docter, earned a Showcase slot in 2008. Fast forward to today and Mackenzie Hilton of Thinking Machine, the Docter Twins’ shop, has been selected for the 17th annual Showcase.
In a parallel universe with the Docter Twins is Martin Rodahl, a 2012 Showcase director who heads production company Picture North where Jake Zalutsky has now made the grade for this year's Showcase.
The Docter Twins
Since that night they were included in the 6th annual NDS in 2008, the Docters have been directing spots for major brands and agencies. The brothers started their company three years ago to have more hands-on control over their careers. "We believe work begets work, and we wanted to be available for creatively fulfilling projects, no matter the budget. Having our own company allows us a lot more freedom and flexibility," they jointly stated. "We are just now bringing on directors who we believe in and share like-minded creative interests. We’re taking a very slow approach to building out the roster as we want to make sure we’re able to give any director we bring on 100% commitment and support."
As for advice they would offer new talent, the Docters shared, "Don’t listen to anyone else except yourself–believe in your instincts and your vision. Study the business. Read SHOOT and get to know the landscape so you can decide where you want to fit within it. Always be making new work. Push yourself to find moments you’re proud of–even when they’re not on the page. And knock on doors–until one opens."
Martin Rodahl
Rodahl noted that since making the NDS grade in 2012, he's directed spots for such brands as Google, American Express, and Chevrolet, "but also enjoyed tiny projects in weird corners of the U.S. that have been just as valuable for the reel."
Picture North has also shot in places like Kenya, Egypt, Norway, and Austria in the past year. Rodahl said he started Picture North in 2008 because no one was signing directors during the recession. "After graduating from Northwestern University with a reel consisting of spec spots and a few legit productions, I met with a bunch of production companies about representation. They told me to come back when the economy had stabilized. But I didn’t want to wait, so I started my own production company instead. Today we roster six directors and we’re excited about expanding!"
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More