The Directors: Robin Comisar
A self-taught animator/editor/director hailing from the city where they shot the made-for-TV Disney rollerblade-action movie Airborne (Cincinnati), Robin Comisar has spent the past few years developing his unique blend of brazen humour and trippy visuals to great success.
Robin’s short film Great Choice premiered at Sundance Film Festival leading him to a producing deal to make the feature version of the acclaimed short. In addition to Sundance, his short films have received acclaim in worldwide festivals such as Sundance, TIFF, Rotterdam, Fantastic Fest, Fantasia, Palm Springs (won best short!), Cleveland, etc, etc.
In the branded world, Robin has worked on projects for Amazon, Roku, MGM Hotels, Facebook, Cumberland Farms (where he got to meet his childhood hero RICK FLAIR) amongst other lovely agencies/clients. His work for Apple even landed him a Gold Lion at Cannes. Robin likes you and wants to be your friend.
Name: Robin Comisar
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Repped by/in: Imposter, WME, Artists First
Awards:
Filmmaker Magazine 2017 New Face of Independent Film Award:
Palm Springs International ShortFest
2017 Winner Best Short Film Under 15 Minutes
Best Live Action Short
Best Director
Great Choice
Great Choice
Celluloid Screams - Sheffield Horror Film Festival
Gold Award - Best Short Film
Great Choice
LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them?
Robin> Most folks know me for making a short film called 'GREAT CHOICE'. I’ve been trying to make the feature version of it for a very long time, it’s my white whale. I’m also directing a horror film for Scott Free called 'The Green'. I just finished a revision of the script, I’m excited to tell people about that one once we’re ready.
TV-wise I’ve got a pilot in development with Sony Pictures Television, I can’t go into specifics on that one yet either but I will say they’ve been fantastic creative partners. I feel like I pitched a really weird concept and they never questioned the sincerity behind it.
Right now I'm working on a new script, it’s a noir romance that takes place in the suburban '90s. Legend has it the very white and conservative small town I’m from is known for its secret key parties. I looked into the subject and found out a thing or two that inspired the script.
LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?
Robin> I mostly direct comedy commercials, and historically my pitch is usually the weirdest idea on the table. I feel like there’s a growing appetite for pushing creativity that has more imagination behind it.
I’m now *in this moment* realising I’ve been directing commercials for over ten years. Neat!
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Robin> I’d say I'm most excited when the idea is clear and simple. It shows confidence in the material and in the filmmaker. It’s like that concept Miyazaki once explained, “ma”. Emptiness. He said, “If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it's just busyness, but if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension. If you just have constant tension at 80 degrees all the time you just get numb."
That type of leeway is hard to come by in this line of work, but it’s just as essential to the short form in my opinion. My work is at its best with one or two lines and some room to make people feel.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Robin> I read the script and imagine ways it could play out that make me genuinely laugh out loud. Once I’ve got a cut in my imagination I write it all out as a new script.
LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?
Robin> I want to make a good commercial for the brand at the end of the day, snooping for information is key to writing a good treatment. I should know as much as possible about a brand if I’m going to shoot a commercial for it, so I feel like the quality and success of my pitches are a natural extension of how much work I put into the research phase.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Robin> The agency creatives. You want to yes-and each other throughout the process to make the end result better. That means speaking the same language!
LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about - is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?
Robin> Hard to say. I’ve got a lot of different projects that I love. Comedy wise I admire uniqueness and sincerity. I love when people show me what’s weird about themselves.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Robin> I won a bunch of horror awards for GREAT CHOICE that I wasn’t expecting, but in hindsight that was dense of me not to see it that way. I feel like directors in general are notoriously bad at being objectively self critical. Maybe that’s just me, who knows. If someone is saying something about my work, they’re probably right.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Robin> The first time I worked with animals I had a cat scratch me and run off set. The cat was fine and safe but we had to get a shot where the cat was supposed to explode in post. We ended up having to quickly make a hand puppet out of a stuffed animal and it worked better than the real thing.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Robin> The end result needs to fit into the venn diagram of client expectation and the director’s vision. Hopefully that diagram is a circle, but oftentimes an idea needs to be changed over the course of a job. I feel like this is where I add the most value. I love designing unique, creative solutions to the work as it evolves in collaboration.
LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?
Robin> Oh, immensely. I appreciate this question. I have a few aspirant filmmaker proteges that found me through my work. It’s super rewarding. I got to where I am through the encouragement and guidance of a few filmmakers that were doing it before me. It's nice to pay that forward if someone takes the time to ask nicely.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work (e.g. virtual production, interactive storytelling, AI/data-driven visuals etc)?
Robin> I came up in the post world after I got out of PAing. Editing and After Effects mostly. Being an editor and knowing how to save bad footage through compositing has informed the way I shoot live action more than any other experience in film. I’ve been told I shoot like an editor. Lots of takes, lots of ideas.
LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why? Include 3-4 links and a sentence or 2 about each piece of work!
Robin> GREAT CHOICE. A short film I made in 2017 about a woman stuck in a Red Lobster commercial. It’s never been released publicly, but a quick google will lead you to a bootleg.
Here’s a commercial I shot and edited for my friend's restaurant. No budget, just a rag and some footage of doves on a green screen.
I’ve always loved this commercial I did for Chilly Cow. My director's cut was deeply stupid.
This was the very first commercial job I ever pitched on and won. I know it’s lame to say but it still makes me laugh. I watch it from time to time as a reminder that being a clown on fire can still be a viable strategy in comedy
