Dylan Trussell & David Dinetz

unaffiliated

1) What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?

“Anthem” for Tinder in November 2016

2) How did you get into directing?

In our freshman psychology class, we had the option to do an essay, create a powerpoint, or make a short video, and we jumped at the challenge of the video. We shot a hilarious R rated mockumentary and got a standing ovation in class… from the students, the teacher was horrified by the subject matter and recommended we switch our majors to film. We took his advice and haven’t looked back since.

3) What is your most recent project?

A car commercial for Mercedes, which we shot over the course of ten days in seven states at the most bizarre roadside attractions America has to offer.

4) What is the best part of being a director?

Having a hundred people on set all playing ‘make-believe’ together and getting paid for it.

5) What is the worst part of being a director?

Seeing a commercial you worked really hard on get butchered when the client changes the music at the last minute.

6) What is your current career focus: commercials and branded content, TV movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre–comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.?

Commercials are great because everyday is different, which helps as grow our skill set as directors. We’d love to apply what we’ve learned to television and film, especially in sci-fi, action, and comedy. Staying on top of the latest advancements in visual effects and camera technology has allowed to come up with crazier shot ideas and think bigger.

7) Have you a mentor and if so, who is that person (or persons) and what has been the lesson learned from that mentoring which resonates with you?

Our mentor is the great director, Eli Roth. We had the good fortune of meeting him while working on a horror short film and passion project. We pitched him the idea and he agreed to help out. While on set he taught us invaluable lessons and upon arriving to set and seeing all the fake blood, he said “I feel like I’m home.”

8) Who is your favorite director and why?

Stanley Kubrick because he saw scenes so clearly in his mind that when the technology didn’t exist for him to shoot the scene, he invented technology to make it happen (ie: the candlelight scenes in Barry Lyndon which he worked with NASA on to develop a superfast lens). He was on the forefront of testing new tech and was the first to use Steadicam to great effect.

9) What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content?

Boogie Nights. It has the best writing, longest, smoothest shots, the greatest soundtrack, an unbelievable cast, and superb acting, not to mention the almost impossible mix of tension and humor that is so perfectly done in the climactic drug deal scene in the film. Favorite TV show is Breaking Bad, and favorite commercial is the Spike Jonze, Kenzo perfume ad starring Margaret Qualley.

10) Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)

Dylan grew up in LA, David grew up in New York, we met the first day of college in Boulder, CO. Dylan was a door to door window salesman, David worked as a telemarketer for the school, and our first job in LA was creative direction for a Vaudeville style nightclub

Contact

Contact Dylan Trussell & David Dinetz via email
Culprit Creative