The Directors: Sasha Levinson
Inspired by the life narrative, Sasha Levinson's work is focused on exploring the goodness that connects us all. She spent the formative years of her career producing music videos with luminaries such as 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Run DMC with iconic directors such as Nzhinga Stewart and McG.
In 2001, she directed her first music video for Cake, "Short Skirt Long Jacket" which was nominated for an MTV Award. Since then, her directorial work in commercials, branded film and music videos, have garnered countless awards, and been published in the Communication Arts Annual and SHOTS. She currently works with internationally renowned brands, and philanthropic organisations, and celebrities including Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey and The Dalai Lama, for whom she made a film to communicate his vision for the Western world.
In 2019, her short branded film for Las Vegas tourism, about a surprise lesbian wedding, went viral, earning the highest positive comment rate of all time on YouTube, for branded entertainment. Sasha's first feature documentary, Sylvie of the Sunshine State, premiered at Slamdance Film Festival in 2022, where she won the George Starks Spirit of Slamdance Award. As a producer, her film Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World, premiered at Slamdance in 2024, and won the prestigious Cleveland International Film Festival Jury Shorts Award, qualifying the film for the 2025 Oscars.
Name: Sasha Levinson
Location: Los Angeles / Miami
Repped by/in: Hunky Dory UK / Spears & Arrows US
Awards: Multiple Addy’s, Multiple Webby’s, Spirit of Slamdance Award
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Sasha> I get excited when a script taps into a piece of humanity that is both moving and humorous all at once. People being people. Capturing the breadth of the human experience. That’s the kind of work I love. If there is dance choreography or music integrated, I am literally over the moon.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Sasha> After our first call, ideas start coming but they are, at the beginning, without clarity or form. I have learned to allow this part of the process to exist without trying to control it. So I’ve started doing a stream of consciousness free write, with no expectation or treatment format in mind. This SOC is about how I want the work to feel. What do I want the viewer to experience. From there, I start to refine and focus.
Then I’ll go for a walk and roll the ideas around while listening to music that feels like the vibe of the spot. It’s usually then that a really strong idea or reference, comes through. Whether it’s an interesting way to handle sound or a particular camera movement style, it’s usually this one strong idea that makes the treatment special. Something we can hang our hats on.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Sasha> I think it’s the trifecta of agency creative team, line producer and DP. The agency creative team for their wealth of knowledge of the brand, and the overarching vision for the work. My line producer because they are navigating the execution with me. And the DP because through their lens, the vision emerges.
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?
Sasha> Human storytelling, dance, smart humour. Anything where we see people being passionate about what they do.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Sasha> In commercials, people see me as emotional storyteller. But I am actually quite funny. Many of my film projects are comedies. I love smart humour.
LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?
Sasha> I have. Many times. Though not directly. Through my EP.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Sasha> I was shooting a campaign for Las Vegas Tourism featuring Aerosmith and we needed them to stop a concert mid-stream and do a call and response of the new Vegas tagline with the audience. Steven Tyler was very reluctant about this and during sound check pretty much told me he thought this was the worst idea ever. He gave us one short window to capture the shot. And this was, for the campaign, a huge reveal moment, set to premiere during the Grammy’s.
So with three cameras and a stealth AD team, we put a very strategic plan in place to get the maximum amount of coverage for the take. The production gods were smiling on us. Steven’s performance and the crowd response was very, very good. So yeah, challenged by Steven Tyler, on his stage, in that way, was a unique and truth-be-told, quite fun problem to navigate.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Sasha> Give my expert opinion but ultimately the choice is theirs, and handle with grace.
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?
Sasha> I myself, am a diverse talent. I am also a mentor and often have women directors shadow on set.
LBB> How do you feel the pandemic is going to influence the way you work into the longer term? Have you picked up new habits that you feel will stick around for a long time?
Sasha> Virtual casting. Zoom work sessions with teams in early pre-production, before we get to location. I love this.
LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats - to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)?
Sasha> I think it’s important to give space to the necessary formats needed for deliverables. Each format, from social to cinema, conveys something different and should be composed as such.
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)?
Sasha> In 2018 I made an interactive film and developed a series based on wearable tech. I love immersive storytelling and multidimensional storytelling and have been exploring it for some time. My brain sees through story, so the 360 execution feels very natural to me.
