January 12, 2006
LOS ANGELES, CA - Directors Guild of America President Michael Apted today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2005. The winner will be announced at the 58th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
“It takes great skill to tell a compelling story in under sixty seconds,” said DGA President Michael Apted. “These five directors have mastered the format, using their talent, craft and imagination to provide us with some of the most innovative filmmaking out there today. My congratulations to them all.”
The nominees are (in alphabetical order):
CRAIG GILLESPIE
Production Company: MJZ
Surprise Dinner, Ameriquest
Mini-Mart, Ameriquest - DDB Direct LA
- Unit Production Manager: Deborah Tietjen
- First Assistant Director: Ken Gilbert
- Second Assistant Director: Christian Van Fleet
People of Pain, Altoids
Fable of the Fruit Bat, Altoids - Leo Burnett, Chicago
- Unit Production Manager: Deborah Tietjen
- First Assistant Director: Ken Gilbert
- Second Assistant Director: Christian Van Fleet
This is Mr. Gillespie's third DGA nomination in this category. He was previously nominated in 2001 and 2002.
SPIKE JONZE
Production Company: MJZ
Hello Tomorrow, Adidas - TBWA Chiat Day
Penguin, Miller Beer - Young & Rubicam
- Unit Production Manager: Vincent Landay
- First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
- Second Assistant Director: Greg Smith
Pardon Our Dust, Gap - Crispin Porter & Bogusky
- Unit Production Manager: Vincent Landay
- First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
- Second Assistant Director: Greg Smith
- Second Second Assistant Director: Erv Gentry
This is Mr. Jonze's first DGA nomination in the Commercial category. He was previously nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award for Being John Malkovich in 1999.
ROCKY MORTON
Production Company: MJZ
Kung Fu Clowns, Bell South
Dance Fight Plumbers, Bell South - West Wayne
- First Assistant Director: Chris Blanch
- Second Assistant Director: Ryan Lippert
- Second Second Assistant Director: Robert Torres
Office, Cheese Nips - JWT
- First Assistant Director: Chris Blanch
- Second Assistant Director: Ryan Lippert
Take Me Home, CSI - The Martin Agency
- First Assistant Director: Chris Blanch
- Second Assistant Director: Robert Torres
This is Mr. Morton's third DGA nomination in this category. He was previously nominated in 1998 and 1999.
NOAM MURRO
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Monsters, Hummer H3 - Modernista
- First Assistant Director: Mike Dignum
- Second Assistant Director: Michael Saffie
Black Out, Orange - Mother, London
- First Assistant Director: Robert Jackson
- Second Assistant Director: C. Duncan Sutherland
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Doug Webster, Watari Nishida, Gary Rake
Run Barefoot, Nike - Wieden & Kennedy
- First Assistant Director: James Giovannetti, Jr.
- Second Assistant Director: Trey Batchelor
This is Mr. Murro's fourth DGA nomination in this category. He was nominated in 2002 and 2003 and won the award last year in 2004.
RUPERT SANDERS
Production Company: Omaha Pictures
Made to Perfection, Adidas - TBWA Chiat Day
- First Assistant Director: Gary Marcus
- Second Assistant Director: Peter Hollocker
Production Company: MJZ
Joy, Xbox - McCann Erickson SF
- First Assistant Director: Haze Bergeron III
This is Mr. Sanders' first nomination.