Duncan Heger

Unaffiliated

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
My first professional project was a promo for Netflix’s Enola Holmes 2, shot in 2022. We were tasked with capturing a Rube Goldberg machine made up of dozens of different components, inspired directly by the film. The director of Enola Holmes watched our spot and quite liked it, which was all the praise we could’ve dreamed for.

How did you get into directing?
By accident. I came up filming NFL athletes as a one man band – directing, shooting, and editing. When I got asked to shoot an interview with a player, I figured I should be the one to ask the questions. I had my friend DP the shoot and another handle lighting. I deeply enjoyed the team aspect of the set and the natural collaboration. The rest was history, I’ve been pursuing directing ever since.

What is your most recent project?
I just finished a project with Adidas for their MLS Archive Collection. I was fortunate to work with a handful of MLS players from both past and present and explore their respective club’s history through different set layouts. The creative was production design dependent with a dash of nod and wink humor… I LOVED it.

What is the best part of being a director?
Working with talented people. I come from a team sports background and have always believed in creating something greater than the sum. I get inspired by my crew, producers, and agency personnel who bring so much passion to each of my projects. I still view directing as fun and not as a job… I never want to lose that.

What is the worst part of being a director?
I view the pitch and prep process like practice leading up to a game. It is where you put in most of the hard work and truly bring an idea to life. Then when you get to the shoot day (the game) you get to have fun, flex your creative muscles, and just do what you’re meant to do. So when I’m deep into shot-listing or grinding on a treatment, I tell myself it’s all part of the process.

What is your current career focus: commercials and branded content, television, movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre–comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.?
Commercials, commercials, commercials. I’m looking to clock my 10,000 hours before diving into long form documentaries.

Genre wise, I’m drawn towards sports spots and a bit of nod and wink humor. It’s cliché, but I’m game for anything with great creative. I also try to do one short documentary a year. I recently wrapped up a festival run for a short doc on a family of undocumented immigrants. I’m currently in post for another short documentary that follows a widow recounting the final 24 hours with her late husband, to understand what happens to us when we die. My commercials are upbeat, and my documentaries tend to be bittersweet. I think that balance in my filmography keeps me even keeled.

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?
Nima Zarrabi, an NFL Marketing agent, was my first mentor. He taught me how to create my own opportunities instead of waiting for them to find me. Samy Mosher, founder & partner of Stadium, taught me what it takes to be a director. He brought me on to B-Unit direct a handful of spots and has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth. He never settles for anything less than excellence and I carry the same mentality with me. Eric Maldin, partner and COO of Stadium, has relentless determination. It’s inspiring to have such a supportive board of directors in my corner.

Who is your favorite director and why?
I have three: Spencer Creigh, Travis Hanour, and Niels Weindfeldt. Spencer’s casting and performance feels deeply authentic. Travis has an innate ability to world build with some of the best professional athletes in the world. Niels is such a strong visual storyteller. His Maxbo spot gives me chills every time I watch it.

What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content?
I remember exactly where I was when I first watched The Dark Knight. It was 2008 and my brother had downloaded it onto his fourth generation ipod nano. We were sitting right next to each other, splitting the wired headphones so we could both listen. You know… the way Nolan intended an IMAX film to be watched. I just loved how such an impractical group of characters felt so authentic. I try to bring that same philosophy into my own work – “Sans Artifice” is the philosophy I live by.

My favorite show is Succession. My favorite spot is always changing. I love megaforce’s “Nothing Beats a Londoner,” as well as Marcus Ibanez’s “Moments That Never Happen.”

Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I grew up an hour outside of Seattle. My backyard was a forest, and I spent a lot of my childhood filming in my tree house. I majored in documentary filmmaking at Chapman University and played football all four years. Being an athlete and an artist was an extraordinary experience and taught me a lot about balancing my time.

I spent a couple years working at a professional sports agency and had the opportunity to film with various NFL players. I grew comfortable in that world and found real joy in capturing players’ lives outside of the white lines. I gave that up in pursuit of creative mentorship and became an intern at a production company called STADIUM. I remember being a month into my internship, sweeping floors and grabbing coffees, when I emailed the founder and told him I should edit his next director’s cut. He gave me a shot and brought me into the fold. Then I started designing treatments and doing visual research. I remember going home every night and watching the director call recordings with the agencies like it was Netflix. This helped me develop my own style throughout the pitch process and has shown me what works and what doesn’t.

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