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Commercial Directors and DGA Reach Out at N.Y. Luncheon to Protect Creative Rights
The DGA's New York office hosted a luncheon for commercial directors at The Tribeca Grill on March 22. Nearly one-fifth of the approximately 245 DGA commercial directors feasted, networked and shared ideas about their work at the luncheon.
To gather 41 busy DGA members together on a Friday afternoon was an accomplishment, of which the DGA
East office, including Acting Eastern Executive Director Russell Hollander, Assistant Executive Director East Fern Wakneen and Commercial/Film Field Representative East Bart Daudelin, was justly proud. Special Assignments Executive Jon Larson also attended the event from the West Coast.
Six distinguished DGA commercial directors helped the Guild organize the luncheon: Edward Bianchi, Bryan Buckley, Rick Levine, Michael Somoroff, Neil Tardio and Mark Tiedemann. On hand to greet the guests were Bianchi, Levine, Teidemann and Tardio.
In her opening comments, Wakneen said, "We're really pleased that so many of you came out for this event. It's the first one of its kind on the East Coast for commercial directors. We hope there will be others in the future, and that you'll feel free to contact us about anything that you feel is of importance to you."
Keynote speaker Edward Bianchi, won the DGA Award for Commercials in 1985, was gratified by the DGA's decision to have a luncheon that focused on commercial directors and said, "Historically the Guild has never known what to do with us and how they can help us. There was even a perception among some commercial directors that many of the things that the DGA fights for, such as creative rights and the director's cut, didn't pertain to them. Things change rapidly in commercials, and more and more of us are crossing over into other areas of filmmaking. Maybe it's the right time for us to become more involved in the Guild and for the Guild to become more involved with us, which they are."
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Neil Tardio, Rick Levine, Mark Tiedemann and Ed Bianchi
(Photo: Elisa Haber).
click image for larger view |
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Following his keynote speech, Bianchi elaborated saying, "Creatively, directors of commercials don't have a lot of the rights that other directors have in films and TV — editing rights and being able to make a first cut and have some control of the editing. The DGA and directors should work together and do some things creatively that will make our job a little bit more rewarding."
"It's always a challenge to balance the creative rights and working conditions of our members — directors as well as assistant directors — against the economic backdrop of the advertising industry," added DGA Special Assignments Executive Jon Larson.
"In the last negotiations between the DGA and the AICP," he said, "we agreed to establish a joint creative rights committee for commercial directors. The goal of the committee is to examine how to maximize the director's participation in the editing process. Recommendations will then be presented to the advertising agencies to allow them to reap the greatest benefits from the director's involvement as well. Just as in features and television, we believe the more the integrity of a director's vision for a commercial can be maintained, the better the outcome for the company, director and the audience. It is appropriate the Guild's commercial directors be recognized for the vision they bring to the table — and assured a hand in preserving the integrity of that vision in the process."
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