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.
AICP’s Matt Miller Looks To Build Support For Production In L.A. After Devastating Wildfires
Editor’s note: AICP president and CEO Matt Miller issued the following statement addressing the wildfires in Los Angeles and how the industry can help this key production market--a hub of major resources essential to the health of the overall commercialmaking industry:
Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
By Matt Miller, AICP president and CEO
One doesn’t have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent.
But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather.
The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the L.A. area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living.
Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community.
Production is needed in L.A., now!
Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the... Read More