Form Follows Function

Form Follows Function

In 1910 the principal that ‘form follows function’ was effectively adopted by the designers of the Bauhaus and applied to the production of everyday objects.  Interestingly enough, their principal still constructively influences the look, feel, and function of consumer goods today.  With that in mind, how fortuitous to find a director who has found his niche by influencing consumer consciousness through his production company -- appropriately named Form.  Meet Jesse Dylan...

A prolific commercial director, Dylan began his career directing music videos for a diverse collection of groundbreaking artists that included Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, and Lenny Kravitz.  His foray into the feature film arena, based on his formidable talents, have to-date included How High, American Wedding (the third installment of the American Pie franchise), and Kicking & Screaming.  Today, his commercial expertise, along with Form partner Craig Rogers, includes such domestic and worldwide accounts as American Express, Anheuser Busch, Nintendo Wii, EA Sports, NFL, and Toyota, just to name a few.  

Defined by the opportunities he acts upon, Dylan’s choices have avoided pigeon-holing him into one definitive style.  It is his visceral reaction to boards that leads him to take on diversified projects.  “It is important to me to identify the first response I have to them,” says Dylan.  “I always have a reaction – good or bad – and there have even been times that I couldn’t connect.  I only do things that I think I can do really well.”  Drawn to a variety of different media, it is Dylan’s aspiration to be a ‘generalist’ in a sea of ‘specialists’ that sets him apart from the herd.  “There used to be a time when agencies would call only the best of the best directors – not just because they were great directors – but because they knew how to solve problems in interesting ways.  That’s what I like to think I aspire to; get the boards and then conceptualize the best imaginative approach.”  

With a plethora of experience in an assortment of genres, Dylan sees the challenges as the same across the mediums.  “You either succeed or fail,” states the director.  “All of us have advantages and disadvantages we’re faced with, whether shooting a film or shooting a commercial.  The challenge is getting across the message.”  Still with his expanded background, Dylan holds his commercial work in high esteem.  “I love commercials,” states the director.  “They always present interesting opportunities to better hone your craft.”  Even his work on the Sony Dreams project provided another outlet for Dylan to develop his talents.  Written by Doug Copeland, Dylan excelled at the short format with his contribution to the theme-driven “Flight” series, further solidifying his storytelling abilities.  
 
Now as the advertising landscape enters yet another incarnation – and as the evolution of the 360 gains momentum, the climate makes an even more radical turn towards the cutting edge.  “With advertising taking more aggressively to the web,” says Dylan, “directors and creatives alike will need to find more unusual ways to tell stories; the narrative in a conventional sense or otherwise.”  Driven by the expanded creative, the director is aware that the new forum also presents monetary constraints, yet remains optimistic that internet budgets will increase as the demand for content grows.  Whether television or web, Dylan remains firm that both mediums will still require that very specific things are conveyed.  “The commercial business is still healthy – online or offline.  Both arenas demand that the consumer is tapped into, so all the rules must apply to commercial and web alike.”

But the extent of Dylan’s involvement with the web goes far beyond the advertising component.  “What the internet offers is the amazing ability to get communities to talk to one another.  The promise of the web is that it holds so many variables to make things better.”  It was a personal matter that drove Dylan to the internet, and ultimately assessing the sheer ability to hook groups together with like-minded interests.  “There are such fascinating things with open source information on the web,” says Dylan, “the skills you learn from advertising – details, ideas, disciplines – all carry over on the internet in a ‘real’ way.”  Case in point is Dylan’s work on his medical website Lybba, whose mission is based on the premise that the world’s medical knowledge should be available free-of-charge in simple easy-to-understand language.

With the internet, according to Dylan, still perceived as ‘individual,’ it is his vision about the ‘semantic’ web that has him pondering his future opportunities.  “Once the convergence happens, it will be about one machine,” muses the director.  “Then our interaction with all of our technological devices will change exponentially.  And the need for directors to contribute in a whole new way will start to take shape.  The emotional story quotient will still be important, but the combination of circumstances to deliver those messages will become better and better.” 

Always on the lookout for projects that interest him, whether in film or otherwise, Dylan has his fingers in a number of varying arenas.  He is currently producing and directing an innovative new television series entitled CONversations with Ricky Jay, a one-of-a-kind program starring slight of hand artist/actor/author Ricky Jay, which explores the fine art of cons, frauds, and hoaxes with celebrities, experts, luminaries and fellow raconteurs. 

“We live in interesting times,” says the director.  “I have no problem calling people and striking up conversations on topics that I am curious about.  It’s amazing to be able to reach out and connect.”