Up & Coming

Keep An Eye Out For...

Here at SourceEcreative we’re always keeping our eyes peeled for the next best thing, whether it deals with product or with the people in charge of shooting it. Lately we’ve been watching the talented crop, albeit crowded crop, of emerging directors - and felt we would be in arrears if we didn’t fill you in on the ones we are categorizing as Up & Comers. Below is a trio of directors that have caught our attention:

Patrick Daughters of Directors Bureau

Born in Berkeley, California, Patrick Daughters eventually made his way to the East coast as his future beckoned.  It would be there, while studying painting and film in New York City, that Daughters gained international attention with three award-winning short films: In Life We Soar, Any Creature, and Unloved.  Since 2003, the director has helmed a number of notable videos for an eclectic roster of musicians including Beck, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kings of Leon, and Feist. Daughter's videos have garnered awards and nominations from MTV, Much Music, the Music Video Production Association (MVPA) and Creative and Design Awards (CAD). His latest clip for The Shins, Phantom Limb, will be released in late December.  On the commercial front, Daughters reel-to-date sports such clients as the anti-drug PSA entitled S.L.O.M. through W+K Portland and some really off-the-wall spots for PETA. Currently the director continues to work on short format projects and is also set to write and direct a feature film, partnering with Ted Hope and Anne Carey (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, American Splendor and 21 Grams) on This Is That.

Joachim Back of Park Pictures

Joachim Back began his film career in his teens as an on-set runner for film productions in his native Denmark. Working as a P.A. gave him many valuable insights into the world of film, with the most enduring lesson being that it was the 'hackiest' directors who drove the nicest cars and complained loudest about craft service.  After returning to Copenhagen from a somewhat disastrous trip to Los Angeles (the briefest of jail time), Back was determined to actually ‘do’ something with his life.  He earnestly began building a demo reel, borrowing equipment and expertise and quite possibly using the time-tested techniques of misrepresentation (that would be outright lying and theft) to accomplish his goal.  His oddball comic sensibility got him noticed and in 1997 he signed with Easy Film for commercial representation.  In 2000 his spot for MTV, “The Mouth,” was shortlisted for a Gold Lion at Cannes and in 2001 Back founded Copenhagen-based Bacon with fellow directors Martin Werner and Kasper Wedendahl. Accolades and shiny awards of faux-precious metal flew at this team before they went their separate ways – and Back along with his family, touched down in New York where he signed at Park Pictures.  Soon after this move, Back won a Gold Lion at the 2005 Cannes Festival and several other awards for his Viagra campaign via TAXI and produced by Partners/Toronto.   Non-stop ever since, Back has gone on to direct numerous campaigns – and managed to pick up a Bronze Lion at the Cannes Festival 2006 for Charal Too Late, a spot he did out of Gang Films in Paris.  Recent campaigns have included spots for KFC, Broan, Viagra, Volkswagen, and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Ben Weinstein of UNCLE

Ben Weinstein attended Cornell University where he majored in Film all the while graduating with honors. Parlaying his skill set into cinematography, Weinstein moved to Brooklyn, NY and was soon lensing independent features around town.  He garnered an ‘early-claim-to-fame’ with the cult/Sundance hit Wet Hot American Summer (USA Films) – and followed it up with a handful of videos including Ryan Adams’ New York NY, voted Best Video of the Year by Entertainment Weekly.  In 2002 Weinstein moved to Los Angeles where he began directing.  His short film The Ball Chair went to HBO’s US Comedy Arts Festival and took first prize at Slam Dunk Film Festival, ultimately being picked up by Comedy Central. He moved into directing commercials for TBWA\Chiat\Day, and later directing spots for Apple iPod, Playstation 2, Adidas Golf and Nissan Altima.  He directed two Moby videos off his most recent album, Hotel, one of which, Beautiful, climbed quickly to the “top five hottest videos on MTV.”  Weinstein is represented in America for commercials and music videos by Santa Monica-based production company, UNCLE.