Matt Fisher

unaffiliated

1) What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
In July 2017 I was given my first opportunity to direct professionally on several testing commercials. I have worked with 321 Launch in NYC on many projects now with major brands and ad agencies.

At Launch, I directed previs animatics. My experience there has been like a specialized commercial director’s boot camp. You are in direct dialogue with the agency, working hand in hand with the creative directors on multiple boards at the same time. We figure out all of the complicated logistics and every detail from casting to camera moves in advance of the full production. Because of the quick timelines and volume of work, I have had the opportunity to work on dozens of spots in a relatively short time.

As a director, my experience with 321Launch has been invaluable and will greatly benefit any productions I am gifted with working on in the future. 

2) How did you get into directing? 
Filmmaking has been my passion since I was ten. Even at that age, I would conjure up movies with my brothers and friends to act and help out behind the camera too. Holding on to that passion has not been a problem. As I got older my obsession with creating full filmic experiences continued to grow. My interests in storytelling have crossed multiple mediums: design, apps, live events, and AR/VR. Through all of this, filmmaking has continued to be my biggest drive. 

In film school, I had the opportunity to direct several of our class projects including a 35mm short. Later, I used that experience to direct several spec pieces including some for contests like the Doritos Superbowl contest. My spot made it to the top 5 in the “Bodacious Babes” category. I also wrote and directed a Coke commercial which was shortlisted for a MOFILM Cannes Lions contest.

3) What is your most recent project? 
My most recent project is a Kit Kat spec commercial which I wrote and directed.

“A busy mom desperately needs a break after a day of chasing around her invisible kids.”

It was a terrific challenge using a combination of in-camera tricks and 3D motion capture to pull of the invisibility effect. In addition to directing this spot, I also put my VFX chops to the test and did 90% of the compositing myself. 

4) What is the best part of being a director? 
The absolute most fulfilling experience is seeing a finished project that you had watched hundreds of times on the inner walls of your head now project on the screen for everyone else to see.

5) What is the worst part of being a director? 
Is there a worst part? It’s all pretty awesome to me. 

I will say it is not an easy gig to land. It takes an incredible amount of determination and blind confidence to make it happen. 

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.? 
I am focusing on commercial directing in the visual comedy genre with a special focus on VFX. 

I always have multiple passion projects that I continue to work on in the background including a comedy VR short film that is currently in development.

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? 
My dad, Curt Fisher, has been a constant driver and sounding board in my career. My mom and grandma, Sharon and Irene, are an endless supply of support. I truly would not have pushed as hard and sacrificed as fearlessly without my family coaching and encouraging me. 

I showed up in NYC with just two bags of clothes in 2015. I didn’t know anyone. I immediately reached out to several directors I had googled. Only one replied at first. Corydon Wagner immediately took me under his wing and gave me a completely new understanding of the directing role in the advertising industry. He gave me some of my first work in NYC and has been a dependable directing coach and friend ever since.

8) Who is your favorite director and why? 
So many directors have been a source of inspiration through the years. The first director I discovered as a kid (as most do) was Steven Spielberg. Later Ridley Scott, Ron Howard and Hitchcock began to mature my tastes, and then I saw a Wes Anderson film… Royal Tenenbaums I think. It changed the way I looked at film. Also, If I could capture a fraction of the imagination from Brad Bird’s work I would be proud.

Currently, my favorite director is Edgar Wright. His use of the cinematic language is masterful. He can make me laugh with just a camera move. I want to to be that clever of a filmmaker when I grow up!

9) What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content? 
Raiders of the Lost Ark was the film that sparked my interest in filmmaking. The adventure, the humor, the awesome practical effects and stunts, and the rugged hero all added up to be the perfect film for me. I have never turned down an opportunity to rewatch it since.

Game of Thrones is hands down my favorite show.

Phillip’s – “Carousel” (the one with the fly through of the frozen-in-time robbery) remains one of my favorite ads.

10) Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?) 
I grew up in South Carolina. My first passion was magic. I quickly confirmed I was not a performer however, I was fascinated with how the illusions were made. This parlayed into my obsession with filmmaking. My early films were packed with special effects. My first short film showed “Super Boy” getting hit by a meteor, tossing bicycles with super strength and crushing rocks with bare his hands.

My first official job was animating for a small illustration company. Then I worked for a Minor League Red Socks affiliate team creating in-game content then eventually operating the jumbotron during games. I graduated valedictorian from Full Sail University with a degree in Film. I moved back to SC and worked on a lot of local projects, mostly web content and too many car dealer commercials. I finally decided to follow my dream full time and moved to NYC to pursue directing.

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Matt Fisher

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