Directors Zack Resnicoff and J.C. Khoury–who made their first mark in the industry as the team Zack & J.C.–are each embarking on solo helming careers. Resnicoff has exited Lost Highway Films while Khoury is staying on board that New York-based company’s roster for commercials and branded content.
At press time, Khoury noted that he and Resnicoff recently co-directed what will likely be their last commercialmaking assignment together, a four-spot comedy campaign for The Washington Post out of D.C. agency Adworks.
Both directors felt the time was right to go solo. As an individual director, Khoury has wrapped The Plagiarist, a self-financed short film that he is looking to place on the festival circuit. The dry comedy centers on a grad student who gets expelled from college for writing papers for other students. Additionally, Khoury has a pair of feature-length projects in development. On the spotmaking front, Khoury said he will continue to pursue both visual and dialogue/performance-based comedy via Lost Highway.
Resnicoff meanwhile has launched his own New York shop, Impressionista Films, where he just completed his first job: a multi-faceted web campaign starring Hilary Duff for DKNY Jeans.
According to Resnicoff, DKNY Jeans approached him because he had directed both fashion work as well as “some darker film projects,” alluding to his 2003 film, The Clearing.
“Hilary wanted someone who could show her darker/sexier side so they hired me to write [with his writing partner Sonny Calderon], direct, and produce the piece.” The short stars Duff along with actor Norman Reedus (perhaps best known for his role in The Boondock Saints).
Resnicoff also shot, directed and produced six teasers to build excitement for the DKNY web content.
Extending his reach
“Being part of a team [with Khoury] was a great experience,” said Resnicoff, “but I felt I could expand the type of work I do, and bring my past experiences in film, fashion, and cinematography to my ongoing work in advertising.” He said that Impressionista Films, will do a mix of commercials, fashion/beauty, and music videos.
Currently Resnicoff is prepping a music video to be shot this month in Los Angeles, and a two-part web series for an undisclosed clothing line.
In addition to the DKNY Jeans project, Resnicoff–while still half of Zack & J.C.–branched out on his own over the past year to individually direct some select branded shorts, including one for Ford Mustang, Numskull, which earned finalist status in a 2010 Ford Mustang competition facilitated by online global creative community Filmaka (SHOOT, 10/8/08). A 45-second excerpt from Numskull was selected by JWT Team Detroit for airing as part of a :60 promo during the Sept. ’08 debut of NBC primetime series Knight Rider. The promo drove traffic to a Ford Mustang website where the entire Numskull five-minute short could be viewed along with other web films in which the 2010 Mustang was part of the storyline.
Initial splash
Zack & J.C. made their first splash when they were selected for SHOOT‘s fourth annual New Directors Showcase in 2006. The directing duo’s spec spot, Mountain Dew’s “Foley,” was screened at the SHOOT event in May of that year at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Theatre in New York, where it was also announced that @radical.media had just signed them. “Foley” went on to win an AICP Show honor the following month.
During their @radical.media tenure, Zack & J.C., who are best known for their comedic prowess, directed assorted projects, including a pair of web campaigns for Avaya via R/GA, New York; an in-house Guinness Beer project out of BBDO New York; a video-on-demand piece for Comcast to promote the HD release of the six Star Wars films; and a Time Warner web campaign.
Additionally, @radical.media landed an Orange Julius web film for Zack & J.C. who produced the limited budget project independently. The film was the first live-action advertising ever done by Orange Julius and was an offbeat look at Julius Freed, the inventor of the frothy orange beverage, which was introduced in the 1920s. Titled Julius Freed: An American Original, the viral film was the centerpiece of an ambitious campaign from agency space150, Minneapolis.
Zack & J.C. then signed with Lost Highway in early ’08.
Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey Launch Production House 34North
Executive producers Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey have teamed to launch 34North. The shop opens with a roster which includes accomplished directors Jan Wentz, Ben Nakamura Whitehouse, David Edwards and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles. Nakamura Whitehouse, Edwards, Feil and Fowles come over from CoMPANY Films, the production company for which Cicero served as an EP for the past nearly five years. Director Wentz had most recently been with production house Skunk while Stewart now gains his first U.S. representation. EP Clancey was freelance producing prior to the formation of 34North. He and Cicero have known each other for some 25 years, recently reconnecting on a job directed by Fowles. Cicero said that he and Clancey “want to keep a highly focused roster where talent management can be one on one--where we all share in the directors’ success together.” Clancey also brings an agency pedigree to the new venture. “I started at Campbell Ewald in accounts, no less,” said Clancey. “I saw firsthand how much work agencies put in before we even see a script. You have to respect that investment. These agency experiences really shaped my approach to production--it’s about empathy, listening between the lines, and ultimately making the process seamless.” 34North represents a meeting point--both literally and creatively. Named after the latitude of Malibu, Calif., where the idea for the company was born, it also embraces the power of storytelling. “34North118West was the first GPS-enabled narrative,” Cicero explained. “That blend of art and technology, to captivate an audience, mirrors what we do here--create compelling work, with talented people, harnessing state-of-the-art... Read More