Unless I’m missing something, Wally Pfister has nothing on his plate this year, leaving him free to score street cred points on commercial shoots like this brand new dazzler for Jordan Brand (directed by Rupert Sanders). Pfister has also done spots for Harley-Davidson, Nike and Playstation 3, but what he really wants to do is… you guessed it. Is Wally Pfister soon to join the ranks of cinematographers-turned-directors as distinguished and varied as Nicolas Roeg, Mario Bava, Ronald Neame, and Barry Sonnenfeld?
“In my heart of hearts, I’ve always been a storyteller,” said Pfister. “And as a cinematographer I’ve been able to work with terrific people and learn from them, helping to make me a better storyteller. Watching director Christopher Nolan [The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, The Prestige] do what he does and being a part of his team has been a great growth experience. And now my desire to be a storyteller is the main reason behind my move into directing commercials and, I hope, ultimately feature films.”
That’s from a November piece from ShootOnline.com, where we also learn that Pfister shot the National Guard “Warrior” ad directed by James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma).
…while he understandably is known for his visual sensibilities, the latest advertising fare he’s taken on as director/DP has moved him into other genres. For example, the Verizon assignment was actor performance driven and had a documentary feel while one of the Toyota spots took the comedic form of a mock political ad. Subaru entailed a quirky story, and Rolling Rock was an anthem-like commercial showcasing actor performance.
Pfister cited Preissler as key in his making the transition. “I had shot commercials for her directors at Independent Media [including several for director Scott Hicks] and she set me aside one day and said I should be directing. She gave me the opportunity to stretch myself. She works with feature filmmakers, helping them get the right commercialmaking opportunities and thankfully she’s been able to help do the same for me.”
Aside from famed cinematographers who became renowned directors, how many directors got their start in commercial advertising? Michael Gondry and David Fincher spring to mind. Sounds like Pfister is in good company and on the right track.
