Ron Scalpello Joins Great Guns’ Global Roster

Director Ron Scalpello has joined Great Guns. Scalpello is a visceral and emotional raconteur, always shifting with the changes in technology, pursuing human experience through his ability to articulate stories with realism and heart. With his first feature film being heralded by Empire Magazine as  “Social realism meets Tony Scott”, Great Guns’ proudly welcome Scalpello to the global roster with a private view of this massive success ‘Offender’. 

The Launch screening will take place on June 5th at London’s Hospital Club (invite below).  Serving ‘Prison Grub’ and hosting a Q&A with the charming director, here greets a live opportunity to get to know Ron personally as well as his talents.

 

“We are delighted and really excited to have Ron joining Great Gun’s globally.  His authentic and realistic style to his directing is an asset, with the likes Home Office, commissioned by RKCR as a result of them seeing ‘Offender’ being so effective that it was mistaken for CCTV footage!”  Laura Gregory (Founder, Great Guns)

A people’s director,  SCALPELLO pursues human experiences with real passion and insight using substance plus visual flair with a restless and kinetic shooting style.   A consistent theme appearing in his work is that of managing to capture people’s loves, losses, triumphs and joy at heart of every frame.   His love for cinema, sport and music is evident in his directing, having spent years combining film study whilst working as a journalist for Dazed And Confused, Goal and Vox. 

In a significantly short career, Ron has generated a stunning portfolio of work using a plethora of skills including photojournalism, cinema verite, hard hitting documentary and reality as well as a number of sporting events and commercials.  Clients include:  JWT, TBWA, RKCR/YR, BBC, COI to name just a few.

Studying film at the Surrey Institute Of Art and Design, Scalpello directed in house for the BBC specialising in sports, working with major celebrities like Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen, Jonathan Ross, Christopher Ecclestone and other high profile talents. Scalpello’ relaxed directing style and love for football (a big West Ham fan) produced some great comic performances for Barclay’s’ Premiership campaign from the likes of Sir Alex Fergusson and Sam Allarydyce, again winning awards and recommendation at the British Arrows. 

“BBC Radio 5 Live”, won a surplus of awards including British Arrow, Creative Circle, and ‘Best Director’ at Promax as well as featuring in Campaign’s prestigious Top 10 Adverts Of The Year. 

Ron continues to shoot short films between commercials projects and “Pit” was nominated for Best Short Film at the Rushes/Soho Shorts Shots Film Festival as well as being “Highly Recommended” at the TCM/London Film Festival and East London Short Film Festival. 

His first feature film “Offender” in 2012 (Gunslinger/Revolver Entertainment and IM Global) and was heralded as one of the grittiest and hard hitting British films since Scum.  

“This bloody borstal drama makes quiet a few political points alongside a powerful revenge storyline.” – Heat magazine. 

It went on to break into the British Top 10 with unsurprisingly eye-catching performances from Jo Coles (Skins) and Kimberley Nixon (Fresh Meat) and ex young offenders who had never acted before. It’s an unflinching and violent British independent movie but Ron’s affecting storytelling, stunning cinematography and detailed research paid off, as he is now being  courted for high end film  and genre projects in America and in the UK. All his commercials experience and instincts were distilled and finely executed in “Offender”. He visited young offender’s institute and interviewed many offenders about the project. 

“I wanted to show the constant fear and the claustrophobic paranoia that exits in these places. Fear and potential violence is always there.  One mistake at a vulnerable age can change your life irreparably.”  Ron Scalpello (Director, Great Guns) 

A subject close to his heart, his experiences of growing up in East London shaped his portrayal of powerfully rendered fight sequences, riots and prison revolts. 

“When violence is done to you or you do it to somebody else, it stays with you in your head and in your mind and in your body. You should want to look away. It needs to feel clumsy and soiled. Look at Kieslowski’s “ A Short Film About Killing”, death and pain is dirty and ugly or “Irreversible”, revenge is just futile expression of unrelenting, unforgivable grief.”  Ron Scalpello (Director, Great Guns)

Ron is now represented in the UK and internationally by Great Guns and has a feature film, “Pressure” in development with Embankment Films and a sports features doc, “Death Or Glory” about the golden age of British Middleweight boxing when Nigel Benn, Michael Watson and Chris Eubank dominated the back-pages, with the producers of “Senna”.

Ron’s favourite film: “Casablanca, the best propaganda film ever made disguised as a love story.”

 

For Further Information, invitation to the screening, stills or an interview with Ron, please contact:  Colette@greatguns.com

 

If you would like to attend the screening or to RSVP please contact:  Colette@greatguns.com