SHOOT® Magazine, the leading publication for Film, TV & Commercial Production and Post, today announced the names of the 34 individual directors and the directing duo who made the final cut to be included in the SHOOT 2020 18th Annual New Directors Showcase.

The NDS2020 Showcase Reel will debut on SHOOT NDS website on Tuesday, October 20. Compiling the SHOOT New Directors Showcase and producing the New Directors Showcase Event represent one of SHOOT's most anticipated annual highlights. This would have marked the 16th year holding the Showcase Event at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Theatre in NYC in May. When the pandemic first hit, the Search entry period was extended from March to June, and a revised event date of Oct. 22 was set at the DGA. SHOOT has been holding out hope, as has the DGA, that the in-person event would be able to go forward. SHOOT waited as long as possible in hopes that the DGA Theatre would receive approval from the State to reopen for events but since it had not before we had to make a final decision, the event won't be held this year.  While the industry cannot convene at the DGA Theatre to debut the Showcase as in years past due to the pandemic, the reel remains a major means of exposure for new worthwhile talent and is scrutinized by the advertising and entertainment communities which are becoming increasingly interconnected. The industry at large will still be able to enjoy the reel, and generate word of mouth for others to check out the work and the individual director profile pages. SHOOT and the DGA plan to get back on schedule for next year's in-person Showcase Event and we will incorporate something special into the program to celebrate this year's NDS Directors.

SHOOT is pleased to announce the lineup of directors for the SHOOT 2020 18th Annual New Directors Showcase:

  • Tayo Amos
  • Emma Bell
  • Sage Bennett
  • Merlin Camozzi
  • Rae Ceretto
  • Jess Dunn
  • Quinn Else
  • Jazeel Gayle
  • Danae Grandison
  • Victoria Granof
  • Blythe Haaga
  • Foley Ellis Ibidapo
  • Andrew Madsen Jasperson
  • Rachel Knoll
  • Brandon Lavoie
  • Michael Leary
  • Graham Mason
  • Thessa Meijer
  • Samantha Michelle
  • Rich Millard
  • Jing Ai Ng
  • Robert Nyerges
  • Justyna Obasi
  • Cody Mathieson Packer
  • Dana Richie
  • Diane Russo
  • Aisultan Seitov
  • Daniel Sorochkin
  • Stephen Steelman
  • Jedediah Thunell
  • Mikko Timonen
  • Tourist (Mitch Green & Louis English)
  • Lacey Elizabeth Uhlemeyer
  • Taylor Washington
  • Em Weinstein

As is the tradition, we're keeping company affiliations and selected work under wraps until the October/November Issue is published on October 19th and the NDS website goes live on October 20th. We can tell you that this year's NDS Class of 2020 is a fantastically diverse group of directors with backgrounds that include fashion, cinematography, acting, still photography, savvy producers turned filmmakers, former ad agency creative talent, recent film school grads and those who are self-taught through in-the-trenches experience. Their directorial work spans commercials, major promo fare, public service and spec advertising, short films, documentaries, branded content, music videos, web series, comedy, drama, dramedy, even the food/tabletop discipline. There are 19 male, 16 female and 1 non-binary directors in this year's lineup; 22 have production affiliations and 14 are currently unaffiliated. Each year the mix of work on the SHOOT New Directors Showcase Reel is a reflection of the industry at large--as is SHOOT itself as exemplified in our multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary, multi-platform coverage, perhaps most notably our Directors Issues in which profiles of feature, TV and commercial directors reside side by side. As embodied in our coverage and underscoring the relevance of our NDS competition and event, SHOOT's mission is to connect the worlds of advertising and entertainment while also bringing content creators together with the collaborators who can hire them. On October 20, SHOOT's New Directors Showcase website will go live where the industry will be able to view the NDS Reel along with individual profile pages on each director with headshot, video of selected work, additional Q&As, and contact information.

NDS Marketing Final Deadlines Are Fast Approaching...

10/12:  Deadline to Reserve "NDS Congratulations" & regular Ad Space in the Special Oct/Nov New Directors Showcase PDF Issue 

Click Here for SHOOT NDS  "Congratulations" Advertising info for the Oct/Nov PDF Issue with digital distribution + bonus email newsletter banners.
High Profile exposure for the director in the Showcase, companies that represent them or companies that have worked with them. The Issue has always been an important way for the industry to find out about the directors.  Since we aren't able to hold the NDS Showcase Event this year, the issue will be more important than ever.  We are offering a 50% discount off our regular rates + bonus banner on the Special NDS custom email blast and/or SHOOT>e.dition email newsletter.  The offer is ideal for production companies and talent agencies representing a director in the Showcase.  Also, great for any production and post-related company to promote their company, roster and services. 
Deadline to Reserve Space is 10/12 and Ad PDF File due by 10/14 

10/13:  Deadline to Join "We Support New Directors" Logo and Banner Packages!

Click Here for SHOOT NDS "We Support New Directors" Logo & Banner Package Info.  
Logo Package: Logo will appear on NDS website Home Page that will stay live for 6 months and in SHOOT's Oct/Nov Print & PDF Issue under the column "We Support New Directors.
Banner Package: Banner to run on SHOOTonline, The SHOOT>e.dition email newsletter and special "Meet the NDS Class of 2020" Custom email blast. The offer is also ideal for production companies and talent agencies representing a director in the Showcase.  If you are an unaffiliated director, you may want to pass this information along to companies you have worked with; they often want to take advantage of a special opportunity such as this. 
Deadline to Reserve Space is 10/13 and provide your logo or banner is 10/15. 

For Space Reservations & more info, please contact Roberta Griefer via email or 203-227-1699, ext 701.

About The New Directors Search / Showcase Reel
Each year SHOOT conducts a worldwide search to discover the best up-and-coming directors who, based on their initial work, show promise to soon make major positive contributions to advertising and/or entertainment in its traditional and emerging forms. This year's search entry period was originally January-March 2020 but due to the pandemic the entry deadline was extended to the end of June 2020. Criteria for entry is directing any type of advertising or entertainment content professionally less than 3 years and submitted work must have been produced between January 2019 and March 2020.
Categories of entry:

  1. Traditional Broadcast: TV Spots, spec work, cinema ads, branded content, music videos, trailers, broadcast promos
  2. Alternative media content: webisodes, spots created for online, mobile phone content, in-game advertising, advergaming, virals, alternative reality gaming, ads created for PDAs
  3. Film/TV Entertainment: Feature films, independent films, short films, TV programs.

About SHOOT Magazine / SHOOTonline
SHOOT® Magazine and SHOOTonline are the leading publication and website for film, TV & Commercial Production & Post; edited for agency, cable/TV/Online/Mobile networks and movie & studio creative and production executives, executives at commercial and entertainment production/post companies, brand marketer production executives, independent filmmakers and artisans including directors, cinematographers, editors, colorists, vfx supervisors/artists/animators, composers, sound designers & mixers. Through its "News" and "ScreenWork" sections, "Columns" and in-depth "Features", SHOOT publishes timely news, relevant information and a behind-the-scenes look at the best new work and profiles/interviews with industry news makers. In addition, SHOOT reports on the latest cinematography, post & editing technology and equipment. If the work involves advertising and entertainment motion picture content that consumers view on a screen---a TV screen, Cinema screen, Computer screen, Mobile screen or Game screen, SHOOT is searching out who's doing the most innovative work and what's coming next. For further information please visit www.SHOOTonline.com®. Follow SHOOT on Twitter #SHOOTonline

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