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Events Span A Wide Range From Aspiring Directors To Lauded Director/Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, From The "Good Enough" Revolution To The High-End Tech Wave

NEW YORK, May 14, 2010, A SHOOT Staff Report --- There was a coming together of two events this past Tuesday (May 11) at the DGA Theatre in New York City--one very much established, the evening's SHOOT eighth annual New Directors Showcase, and the other being a daytime agenda of sessions during the course of SHOOT's first Directors Symposium. Overall there was a wide span of schools of thought, talent, technology and content represented at the two sister events, with a common thread being opportunities emerging in varied sectors, from the crossroads of advertising/marketing and entertainment, to the integration of digital and traditional forms of communication, to accessible technology, to mentorship and competitions, to straight-up advice for aspiring directors and DPs.
     The latter came from Caleb Deschanel, ASC, during an "In The Director's/Cinematographer's Chair" one-on-one Symposium interview session with SHOOT editor Robert Goldrich. Deschanel, a five-time Best Cinematography Academy Award nominee (The Right Stuff, The Natural, Fly Away Home, The Patriot, The Passion of the Christ) advised aspiring artists to look and listen, noting that it's been said that a writer cannot become great unless he or she is a great reader, learning from other's work.  Similarly an aspiring director or cinematographer must be a great observer--of human behavior, of nature, of artwork in all its forms. Deschanel noted for example that studying the great painters, the decisions and sensibilities reflected in their work done over months, if not years, is a rich reservoir for creative artists to tap into and learn from.
     Deschanel also sought out mentors early on his career, including such luminaries as Haskell Wexler, ASC, Conrad Hall, ASC, and Gordon Willis, ASC. All three are past American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Lifetime Achievement Award winners, an honor which Deschanel received earlier this year. Deschanel recalled Wexler telling him that up-and-coming DPs weren't getting the proper foundation to build upon because most had never worked in black-and-white film. This spurred Deschanel to pursue a black-and-white project as he gained a grant to produce, direct and shoot a short film called Trains. Wexler loaned Deschanel his black-and-white filters for the film, which was an education in separating images with contrast rather than just color, and in realizing that color couldn't be relied on, for instance, in a Trains scene in which a red light shone from the rear through a foggy, shadowy foreground.
     Deschanel's directorial credits span the feature, short and TV commercial realms. He co-founded spot production house Dark Light Pictures in 1994. And while he's experienced in and values digital cinematography, Deschanel remains an avid believer in the film medium, particularly for features. He noted that there have been assorted examples in which a scene plays like it will be memorable and impactful yet is anything but upon seeing the dailies. Conversely a mundane scene turns out to be wonderful in dailies, leading Deschanel to observe that putting some distance between the shoot and seeing what you've captured can lead to wondrous discoveries regarding what was shot. The immediacy of seeing what you shot--and thinking you have it when you might not upon reflection later--can lead to losing out on some amazing "discoveries" which reflects the "magic" of film.
     Deschanel also shared some memorable anecdotes with the Symposium audience, including his recollection of the guy who painted his house, Ed Harris. Deschanel later heard director Philip Kaufman talk of his wonderful discovery in casting the role of astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff (for which Deschanel received one of his Oscar nominations). It turned out to be Harris. Upon seeing Harris years later coming off of directing and serving as lead actor in the title role of the acclaimed film Pollock, Deschanel quipped that he could safely claim that Jackson Pollock painted his house.

Education, Mentorship
     In contrast to the accomplished artistry of Deschanel, the eighth annual SHOOT New Directors Showcase gave exposure to emerging artists looking to develop their creative signature and make their industry mark. In addition to showcasing work from all 39 directors filling 32 slots (26 individual directors, five duos and a three-director team) during an evening screening, proceedings at the DGA Theatre included a panel discussion with six of the directors as well as a pair of industry pros--one from the ad agency side of the business, the other a production house entrepreneur. (See separate story for coverage of the Showcase event. The SHOOT 8th Annual New Directors Showcase Reel is now available for viewing).
     Several of the directors selected for the New Directors Showcase had spent the day at the SHOOT Symposium where they not only got to hear from and interact with Deschanel but also artisans and executives from other sectors of the business.
     Offering inspiration during a Goldrich-moderated morning session--In The Classroom Chair/In The Director's Chair--were directors Bob Giraldi of Giraldi Media and Laura Belsey, who is handled for commercials by C-Entertainment and maintains her own Shadow Pictures for other projects. Both Giraldi and Belsey share the bond of being established directors as well as educators. Belsey developed and teaches the commercial directing class at the Graduate Film School of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Giraldi has been teaching two undergrad classes at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York--The Project Class, and Evolutionary Dynamics in Advertising--and is chairing SVA's newly formed MPS Independent Short Film Program, which begins this fall.
     In some respects, Giraldi's longevity as a director encompassing features, shorts, commercials and music videos parallels his undergrad teachings--classic storytelling yet staying contemporary and reinventing oneself accordingly. On one hand there's the Project Class in which students make a narrative short film with a story arc, human relationships and characters. While shorts have become a hot property because of the web, other new media and the festival circuit, Giraldi focuses on the form because crafting an emotional, character-driven short film represents a prowess in storytelling that is "still a foundation of what we do."
     On the flip side, Giraldi's Evolutionary Dynamics class is completely contemporary, centering on what he described as social media, the new media, any media--wherever a brand needs to market itself outside of traditional media. Giraldi recently introduced his class to an Israeli folk singer looking to establish himself stateside. The class put together a new media initiative--sans any substantive budget--to help that singer's new album make a splash in the U.S.
     Belsey's commercial directing class at NYU has yielded dividends for assorted students, including Nat Livingston Johnson and Gregory Mitnick (a.k.a. the directorial duo Peking) whose work at NYU included Apple iTune's "Lost" and Slim Jim's "Champs," which were the two honorees in the Student Commercial category at last year's AICP Show. In fact, they and two other Belsey students, Lapo Melzi and Harry Mavromichalis, accounted for half of the 10 finalists for AICP Show honors in that category. And Melzi was included in SHOOT's 2009 New Directors Showcase largely on the strength of his African American Planning Commission's "Paper Child" spot.
     Peking is now handled by Station Film and Johnson said of Belsey, "She was an incredible influence and presence in our segue into the industry. She was always available and mentored us, taught us most everything we know about film. And most of her guidance was outside of the classroom, She is a loyal, helpful guide and a close friend. She introduced us to people, prepared us for what to expect in the real world, how to approach meetings with production companies, how to approach conference calls. She has offered us sage advice all along the way."
     Belsey told the Symposium audience that she find her mentorship role time consuming yet personally gratifying, adding that she in turn has learned from her students.
     On that same front, Giraldi noted that his latest short film, The Grey Coat, which will hit the festival circuit this year, was inspired in part by his Korean students. Giraldi put a Korean angle into this mob/organized crime storyline, making that genre fresh and new for him to explore.
Bearden is represented for commercials in the U.S. via production house Skunk, is handled in the U.K. by Annex, and in France by Big Productions.
Showcase Perspective
     Also inspiring to new talent was a session featuring recent past New Directors Showcase honorees, as well as Bonnie Goldfarb, CEO, exec producer and co-founder of leading production house harvest. The directors were Keith Bearden whose stateside roost is Skunk, and Kevin Kerwin who maintains his own Authentic Films in Cleveland. Moderating this session was SHOOT publisher and editorial director Roberta Griefer. Bearden is represented in the U.K. by Annex, and in France by Big Productions.
     Goldfarb--who's had a hand in breaking assorted new directors into the business--offered counsel on how directors need to brand themselves in order to stand out in a fiercely competitive marketplace.
     As for Bearden, he gained inclusion into the 2008 Showcase largely on the basis of his Brandt Washing Machines' spot "Apartment Sharing" for DDB Paris, while Kerwin made the 2009 Showcase for his Akron Children's Hospital campaign, including the spot "Nick," out of Cleveland agency Marcus Thomas.  In addition to being Showcase selections, both spots were featured in SHOOT's "The Best Work You May Never See" columns.
     In a relatively brief span, both directors' careers have advanced significantly, with Bearden seeing his feature film directing debut, Meet Monica Velour, make its worldwide premiere at the recently concluded Tribeca Film Festival (SHOOT, 4/16), and Kerwin breaking into features with his documentary Running America which follows ultra-runners Charlie Engle and Marshall Ulrich as they attempt to break the Transamerica running record during the six weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election. The run from San Francisco to New York required the runners to average close to 70 miles each day in order to break the record. The film is currently in theatrical and DVD release.
     Meanwhile Bearden was gratified by the Tribeca experience, noting that reviews have been favorable as he seeks distribution for the film. Meet Monica Velour was one of just 14 films selected for Tribeca's Encounters section, which offers original movies that reflect pop culture and contemporary issues.
     Kerwin noted that Cleveland has proven to be a good market for him to establish himself as a director, noting that his locale differentiates him from the N.Y. and L.A. crowd, and that a major filming incentives program in Ohio has spurred on not only his aforementioned feature but other long-form projects currently in discussion and for which he is in the running.
     (See below to view Bearden and Kerwin's work included in past SHOOT New Directors Showcases and excerpt or trailer of recent work discussed at the Symposium)

Advertising/Entertainment
     The opportunities afforded by new forms of content, including the coming together of advertising/marketing and entertainment, were explored in a Goldrich-moderated session which featured a panel comprised of: Wayne Best, executive creative director of JWT New York, Kristi VandenBosch, CEO of Publicis and Hal Riney, Allison (Ally) Polly, head of strategy and brand partnerships at Filmaka Entertainment Studios, Stacey Mokotoff, president of production consultancy Bird Bonette Stauderman, and attorney Jeffrey A. Greenbaum, partner in the law firm Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.
     Best discussed Yes, Virginia, the primetime animated Xmas special which debuted this past December on CBS, garnering around 4 million viewers, critical acclaim and most recently a Gold Pencil from the 2010 One Show Entertainment Awards. The half-hour special was created and produced by JWT for client Macy's in conjunction with The Ebeling Group and MEC Entertainment (a division of Mediaedge:cia). The animated special was directed by Pete Circuitt who was first recognized in SHOOT's 2008 New Directors Showcase as part of the Bitstate team. Circuitt now individually directs under the Bitstate moniker and maintains a studio of that same name in London.
     Yes, Virginia is based on the story of eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlan, a girl growing up in late 1800s New York City who started to have doubts about Christmas when a bully insists that Santa Claus doesn't exist. The TV special takes us on her quest to find out the truth, culminating in her writing a letter to the New York Sun's editor, prompting arguably the most famous editorial ever when the newspaper's curmudgeonly editor Francis Church pens a response which includes the line, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!"
     The special--which has a hand-drawn stop motion look though it deployed CG resources at Starz Animation, Toronto--evolved from the 2008 "Believe" holiday campaign conceived by JWT for Macy's. JWT had turned out a commercial in '08 based loosely on the O'Hanlon story. The spot, which showed a little girl on her way to Macy's to mail a letter, was in line with the "Believe" theme reflected in every Macy's store having a mailbox for letters to Santa. For each letter, Macy's donates to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. To date, $2 million has been raised for Make A Wish.
     Best said the success of the special--and Macy's natural tie-in to it with a select few subtle appearances that don't smack of product placement--has since spawned a children's book (which Best was slated to approve the cover for during an afternoon meeting after his Symposium session), and a Virginia balloon in the Macy's Parade. And Yes, Virginia appears to be headed for annual Xmas time airing, starting what could end up being a yuletide tradition akin to such perennial TV special favorites from the 1960s as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty The Snowman.
     Just as Yes, Virginia, reflects the successful coming together of a brand and entertainment, in a sense VandenBosch of Publicis and Hal Riney reflects the coming together of digital and traditional agencies. She is a member of a self-described "small club," breaking new ground for digerati when she became one of the first to transition from leading a digital agency, as North American president of Tequila\, to taking the helm of a "traditional" ad agency, the venerable Publicis & Hal Riney where she has served as CEO since May 2009. VandenBosch has worked to erase the siloed agency approach separating traditional and digital, and is proactively integrating the two to make for creative and content that can help a brand become more relevant to people, taking heed of how people are connecting and playing with brands today in the real world on such fronts as retail, in packaging and digitally, and how to best build on and bring new dimensions to these interactions.
     She also observed that social media goes beyond Facebook and Twitter. Having a Facebook page and getting some people signed on hardly fits the need of a brand nor is compelling enough for prospective consumers. A key part, she observed, is listening, noting that social media is a consumer-controlled conversation which can be reflected in Twitter feeds, blog comments and assorted other forms. Failing to listen to these conversations and providing valuable, relevant creative, content and contributions to those talking about your brand can be damaging. She cited as an example Toyota's much publicized problems with vehicle safety, conjecturing that if the company had been keeping an ear to the ground to see what was on customers' minds based on chats, blogs, Tweets and forums, the auto manufacturer might have been in a better position to respond to the situation as compared to its current defensive stance of damage control.
     Meanwhile panelist Polly of Filmaka is looking to connect filmmaking talent with brands and other opportunities, including TV and features. Filmaka is an online entertainment community started by noted producer Deepak Nayar (Bend It Like Beckham, Buena Vista Social Club) who wanted to nurture and groom new talent but didn't have the time to do so through conventional means. But via Filmaka as well as its online competitions spanning short and long-form content, emerging filmmakers are getting the chance to showcase their creative vision, in turn leading to opportunities. For example, director Jonathan Newman gained inclusion into SHOOT's New Directors Showcase last year based on a short entitled Father's Day which he created for a Filmaka contest done in conjunction with JWT Detroit seeking branded films to introduce the 2010 Ford Mustang. Newman wound up winning the contest and the opportunity to direct real-world spot work for the Mustang. He also is making his feature directorial debut with an upcoming theatrical motion picture (Swinging with the Finkels) via Filmaka.
     Also involved in Filmaka projects are a couple of directors from this year's New Directors Showcase--Varda Hardy of CurrentContentCreation and Ian Allen Lim, who is not yet affiliated with a production house. Lim's most recent project is Joyride, which is currently in competition in the jury round of a Filmaka feature contest.
     Bird Bonette Stauderman president Mokotoff noted that a number of clients have heightened interest in branded entertainment and other content forms in addition to traditional spotmaking. She differentiates Bird Bonette Stauderman from other "dreaded" consultancies in that her firm has far reaching experience in production. She herself was an exec producer at such commercial production houses as Michael/Daniel and Jenkins Covington Newman, and president of Gerard Hameline Productions.
     As for different ways of doing business emerging from new content forms such as branded entertainment, SHOOT asked attorney Greenbaum about production houses moving from a work-for-hire proposition to one that might include less guaranteed money in exchange for an equity stake in a property they developed or helped to get off the ground. Greenbaum said this is a valid option but that often production companies bring it up awkwardly or at the wrong juncture. He offered the general advice that it can prove best to talk early on about such issues, with production houses discussing what they can bring in terms of creation, development and execution of a proposed project, helping to justify their becoming risk-taking partners in a piece of intellectual property.

Creative Tools
     Another prime Symposium session was titled Creative Tools--And How They've Opened Up Opportunities for Directors. Panelists were cinematographers Bill Bennett ASC, and Sam Levy; Nick Iannelli, VP, Deluxe Postproduction, Toronto; Craig Leffel, partner/ senior colorist at Optimus; and David B. Perry, executive VP/head of TV production, Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, and chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies' Broadcast Production Committee. SHOOT's Goldrich moderated the discussion.
     Bennett was the first DP to put Arri's ALEXA digital camera and system through its paces on a spot project. He recently did a 35mm film shoot for Honda automobiles via agency RPA. He received permission from Honda, RPA and Arri to bring an ALEXA camera onto the shoot. The ALEXA served as an additional camera, not the primary camera, and was deployed whenever it fit well into the film lensing schedule. Working with a DP colleague, Kees van Ostrum who served as an operator, Bennett got a first-hand look at the ALEXA's capabilities, adding to his digital experience which has spanned shooting projects with such cameras as RED, the Sony F900 and F950, Thomson's Grass Valley Viper, the Sony F23 and F35, and the HVX 200 Panasonic prosumer cameras. Bennett has additionally done test work on Panavision's Genesis.
     Bennett shared with the Symposium audience images captured by ALEXA spanning his Honda work, as well as from a feature titled Anonymous shot in Germany by another cinematographer.  These are believed to be the first ALEXA images shown publicly on the East Coast.
     Bennett gave the ALEXA favorable reviews based on his experience and the camera's performance in capturing new Honda models in varied light situations motoring through different environments.
     Meanwhile Levy, who's repped by Dattner Dispoto and Associates, screened his work on the second season of the Sundance Channel series Green Porn, directed by and starring Isabella Rossellini. Levy also shot season one of the series as well as this year's third season as the show is now under the moniker Seduce Me. For each of these three seasons, Levy has deployed a different digital camera, most recently the Canon 5D Mark II, a hybrid HDSLR that shoots still work and HD video. Levy's credits also include shooting with HVX 200 cameras the lauded mini documentary Oasis Dig Out Your Soul In The Streets directed by The Malloys of HSI Productions for BBH New York. Levy additionally has extensive experience shooting film. His Symposium input gave attendees a feel for the digital lensing options that are readily available for filmmakers.
     Also among Levy's credits is a Head Apparel viral spot titled "Speed" for Berlin agency A&S and which helped helmer Paul Iannacchino, Jr., of Creative Bubble, New York, gain inclusion into last year's SHOOT New Directors Showcase.
     Meanwhile providing a handle on the workflow into postproduction for the growing generation of digital cameras was Optimus' Leffel. And sharing his insights into 3D was Iannelli, a key member of a Deluxe Toronto team that has launched a range of 3D postproduction services, from dailies through the DI process, re-recording and deliverables. Iannelli is currently overseeing the post of two 3D stereoscopic feature films, Saw VII 3D and Resident Evil: The Afterlife.
     On the receiving end of all these new technologies, including the range represented on the Symposium panel, is Perry who has to sift through what makes sense for Saatchi and their clients to deploy. He noted that the current market is pulling in two decidedly different directions. On one hand, there are the high-end breakthroughs in 3D and HD, while conversely we live in the time of the YouTube, small screen (lap tops, cell phones, PDAs, etc.) generation. The latter, he observed, has clients asking for Flip video camcorder shoots and inexpensive guerrilla style filmmaking.
     So while there's a technological revolution on the high end, Perry said that there's a concurrent "good enough revolution" with clients more frequently looking for solutions that don't call for state-of-the-art, pristine quality images and sound.
     While digital television has been government mandated, not so 3D, noted Perry who isn't convinced that 3D will take hold like HD TV sets have. At the same time, he noted, that if sporting events gravitate down the road to 3D presentations, there will be increased onus on advertisers to have their commercials and related content fit into that 3D environment.
    Sponsors of the SHOOT Directors Symposium and New Directors Showcase event included Lead sponsors harvest, One at Optimus, Deluxe and the DGA. Silver sponsors were Kodak, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, and ARRI.
    To see the SHOOT 2010 8th Annual New Directors Showcase reel and individual profiles on each director/directing team, please click here.