CoMPANY Signs Director Michael Shapiro

Michael Shapiro, who started his storytelling career directing on off-Broadway theater, has joined CoMPANY for exclusive commercial representation. The announcement was made by Executive Producers Robin Benson and Richard Goldstein. Shapiro complements a directorial roster that includes Josh Franer, Larry Frey, Brendan Heath, Stewart Maclennan, David McNally, Alex Ogus, Harry Patramanis, Jeff Thomas, Harald Zwart and The Coen Brothers.
 
Emotive, Truthful Storytelling: "We are so excited about Michael and his work,” says Benson. “There is an authenticity to Michael’s film and whether funny, or moving, the characters and stories strike an emotional and honest chord. He fills a unique niche for us at CoMPANY and he complements our roster beautifully.  We couldn’t be happier about joining forces with him and we look forward to sharing his work.” For his part, Shapiro says he was “looking for normal”, wanting to join a company that shared his sense of humor and approach. “Right away, I knew that “Robin (Benson) and Richard (Goldstein) would represent me with class and character.”
 
“Humanous” Stories: Through CoMPANY, Shapiro intends to continue to evolve his brand of capturing humans placed in humorous instants. “Vignettes need direction, sequences that head a particular way,” he says. Shapiro points to recent spots for GAP and Goodyear, in which he augments storylines while adding a dash of humor. “My spot for GAP, “Get Dressed”, started as vignettes showing kids getting dressed. I extended the story, showing the everyday challenge parents have just getting their kids up and ready to face a full, stressful day.” Shapiro concluded the spot with the children coming together for a class picture. In the just wrapped spot for Goodyear titled, “No More Flats,” Shapiro creates a teaser for the company’s soon-to-be-released flat-proof tire technology, showing the escapades drivers will soon miss. “First, there’s recognition that you have a flat tire,” says Shapiro. “Then comes the adventure.”  In the spot, we see drivers pulling over to the side of the road, accessing their spare tires, rediscovering how a jack works, changing tires as cars ominously whiz by, heaving the old tire back into the trunk and finally, getting back into the cars, hands dirty with no towel to be found.

Maniacal Short Film: Shapiro has long loved what comedy can do, applied to even the most serious of subjects. His short film titled, “JIHAD” landed him an award from the Tribeca Film Festival. “JIHAD” features a hilarious conundrum facing two would-be terrorists. As they head to the nearby airport with a bomb, one of the men finds himself an instant millionaire via a recently purchased lotto ticket. Humor with a dash of karma end the story.

Unconventional Start: Shapiro is a graduate of both Wharton School of Business and the Graduate Film Program at the University of Michigan. “I went to business school, then to see things differently I attended film school,” says Shapiro. After directing theater in New York, Shapiro started helming commercials. Spots for Nike, Jeep, AT&T, Starbucks and Energizer among others soon followed. Recent work includes spots for the aforementioned GAP and Goodyear, as well as for SIRIUS, JCPenney and Bank of America.