Production company Eleanor has added director Anthony Leonardi III to its roster for representation in the U.S., U.K., Netherlands, and Germany. His commercial directing credits span such brands as Coca-Cola and Mike’s Hard Lemonade in addition to inventive tie-ins to major feature films such as this year’s Super Bowl comedy spot for Heineken 0.0 starring Paul Rudd as Ant-Man heralding the release of Ant-Man-Wasp Quantumania, and a Tide ad with a humorous take on the cloak of Doctor Strange, doubly serving as a promo for 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
“There’s always beautiful creativity brewing in his mind,” said Eleanor president Sophie Gold. “He’s a unique voice in film, a word builder, a true artist.”
Eleanor managing director Dan Duffy cited Leonardi’s character. “The quality of a person, that’s a big one for me,” said Duffy. “People who worked with him, who I really respect, spoke so highly of not only Anthony’s talent but also his character. I could not be more excited for the opportunity to work together.”
Leonardi has had the ability to instantaneously envision rich storyscapes since childhood. “As a kid I would draw movies,” said Leonardi. “I would draw characters, because that was the fastest way I could create stories. I could draw faster than I could talk.” Radiant faces, gleaming cars, sparkling bottles–his fine art background informs the attentive artistry he brings to every shot, “As a director, you’re framing everything. Everything is a character. I think crafting shots and seeing how they go together is something people take for granted.”
The groundwork of storyboarding becomes Leonardi’s creative sandbox on set. He celebrates the collaborative nature of film and the chance to work closely with actors to find the right performance for each piece, “Every creative is so different. My job is to find that uniqueness and amplify it. Once you can show an actor you’re worthy of their trust, it’s just about putting them on a stage and allowing for play.” Film has been his lifelong passion, “I never thought of doing anything else. It’s always been my fascination. It really came to being the shy kid sitting in theaters and seeing a reality that was not your reality. I was ditching class to go to sets, watching the machine behind the story. I still show up with the wonder of a kid.”
Going on set is part of Leonardi’s family lineage as SHOOT chronicled in a feature about up-and-coming directors back in 2019. His great grandfather, grandparents and parents were all in the entertainment industry in one form or another. His dad, for example, served as a scenic painter turned stand-by painter. In the latter capacity, he’d be on set to paint in a shadow at a DP’s request–or in Jurassic Park change the color of a cow before it was dropped into a raptor cage. As a lad, Anthony Leonardi III would hang out and watch his father at work. He developed a deep love for the arts and crafts of filmmaking, which he felt almost led him invariably to the director’s chair.
Early on in his career, Anthony Leonardi III drew storyboards and conceptual art. He helped to design sequences for various Gore Verbinski films including Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Rango. Meanwhile Leonardi diversified into directing, taking on music videos, most notably Imagine Dragons’ first clip, “It’s Time,” which went on to earn an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Rock Video. Leonardi also served as a storyboard/concept artist for such series as Game of Thrones and Cosmos.
All this helped to hone Leonardi’s visual sensibilities as a director, in tandem with a light-hearted comedic touch as evidenced in such projects as an Infiniti QX50 tie-in with Avengers: Infinity War in which the SUV’s hyper speed run is interrupted by an elderly woman crossing the street. Leonardi directed this work via production company Bullitt which has since evolved into Magnetic Field, his commercialmaking home prior to now joining Eleanor.
“My work is very curious. It comes from the way I see the world,” said Leonardi who, upon first seeing a project, begins envisioning how to bring the story to life. “I can instantly see it. It’s like I have VCRs in my head. If I can watch it, I can build it, amplify it, and do it. But I’m always breaking away from the generic. Fighting mediocrity is an everyday battle.”
Leonardi said of Eleanor, “I really couldn’t be more excited to join the amazing team. Eleanor truly champions artists, imagination, and creative individuality.”
