Gary McKendry Joins MacGuffin Films

Gary McKendry Joins MacGuffin Films

 

Director Gary McKendry has signed with MacGuffin to direct commercials.

MacGuffin Films has added director Gary McKendry to their roster. McKendry comes on board after a hiatus from commercials to direct the feature film "The Killer Elite," starring Robert Deniro, Jason Statham, and Clive Owen among an all star cast. McKendry also co-wrote the script from the best-selling novel "The Feather Men." Shot in England, Morocco, Jordan, and Australia, the film follows the true story of an undercover war waged in the 80's between a team of assassins and the British Secret Service.
 
McKendry reunites with Executive Producer Chris Messiter, who helped launch his directorial career and later teamed again with him at Form. McKendry was a highly regarded and decorated creative director at agencies in Europe, Asia and North America before leaving the agency side to pursue directing.  
 
When asked what drew McKendry to MacGuffin he replied, "My relationship with Chris and the fact that MacGuffin is a New York based company. MacGuffin has quietly been operating for over 20 years and they have a rock solid reputation.  While there's been a consolidation going on in our business, these guys are very much looking toward expansion, and growing their core product, which I see as a combination of creative enterprise operating on sound business values. Certainly a model for today's industry."
 
McKendry was asked about the balance between features and commercials, he replied, "My roots are in the ad world.  I'm an ad man first and foremost.  I understand the creative process of advertising and will always choose to remain part of it.  I love helping to shepherd an idea along and bring it to life through film.  Be it an ad, internet film, or movie, it all comes down to the same discipline -- and I learned that making ads."  McKendry feels that same discipline helps him as a writer and script doctor.  "When I get called in to rewrite a script, I'm usually working with someone else's idea. My job is to try to take the nucleus of the idea and find a new voice for it.  I feel that's what I do in directing commercials, I try to bring a voice to the concept of the ad through my filmmaking."
 
McKendry is currently shooting a 4 spot campaign for Chrysler and is represented by Maria Stenz and Ross Goldstein in the North East, Anne Asprodites in the South East, Richard Miller and Doug Stephen in the Mid-West, and Greg Pappas on the West Coast.

Published 25, April 2013