Slim Signs Melissa Silverman

Slim has added award-winning director Melissa Silverman to its roster. Clients include Starz/Directv, McDonalds, Revlon and Tuborg Beer, while an EMMY nomination for Nickelodeon adds to awards from D&AD, PromaxBDA and TELLY Awards.

 

Silverman is recognized for her understated yet heartfelt situational comedy and her keen eye for strong visuals. She began her career at On Air Promotions at MTV where she conceptualized, wrote and directed campaigns with celebrities including Madonna, Conan O’Brien, Donald Trump and The Foo Fighters.

 

Silverman’s ability to bring natural and sincere performances out of celebrities – in addition to actors, stand up comedians and improvisers – paved the way to Silverman becoming a commercial director. “I decided to carve a niche for myself,” she explains on her time at MTV. “It was the best film school you could possibly imagine.”

 

Silverman’s reel reveals an offbeat humour that impresses by captivating in the most understated of ways. “I love character based humour and enjoy finding the subtleties and nuances of moments that are not necessarily broad,” explains Silverman on her approach. “Each commercial has its own dynamic, but I do try to find collaborative experiences where I can offer insight into the creative or help craft the script.” 

 

Her most recent work for The Cooking Channel is a point in case, underlining Silverman’s ability to collaborate on many levels. In the spots Melissa directed and co-wrote with actor and satirist Mo Rocca whose show “My Grandmother’s Ravioli” sees the CBS News correspondent learning how to cook everything from a Filipina grandmother's paella to a Romanian grandpa's grilled sausages. 

 

“The unique quality in Melissa is that she is a great visual story teller who also knows how to create truly subtle situational comedy” says exec producer Tom Weissferdt. “We get more and more requests for our Directors to assist in the creative process and help develop ideas. Melissa’s background in both directing and writing commercials and promos makes her the kind of all around talent that this industry needs right now. “

 

Silverman’s very recent long-format work includes the 30-minute scripted comedy All Over It that she co-created and co-directed with fellow MTV Alumni Ted Pauly. The show focuses on a creative collective coming to terms with the issues of art and commerce in their professional lives.

 

“Directing actors, crafting graphic imagery and simply bringing something unique to the screen is something that I love to do,” adds Silverman on joining Slim. “I look forward to the challenges ahead.”