Imaginary Forces

Imaginary Forces Signs Director Joel Peissig

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., April 04, 2008, --- Director Joel Peissig has come aboard the roster of bicoastal design/production studio Imaginary Forces (I.F.) for spot representation in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. Prior to I.F., he was most recently working as an indie director handling projects stateside, in Europe and Asia. His earlier production house affiliations included RSA Films, Squeak Pictures and Notorious.
    Peissig made his first major directorial splash with "Tennis" for Japanese sports drink Pocari, produced by Level 7 Productions, Hollywood, out of Tokyo agency Asatsu/DK. The live-action/visual effects spot, which featured two athletes knocking themselves out in a tennis match that's played entirely underwater, helped Peissig earn inclusion into Saatchi & Saatchi's New Directors Showcase in 2002. "Tennis" was also honored at the AICP Show, gaining recognition in the cinematography category for DPs Claudio Miranda and Pete Romano. The commercial additionally picked up a pair of Bronze Clios.
    Peissig brings ad agency creative sensibilities to the director's chair. Prior to starting his helming career, he was an art director at such shops as BBDO New York, GSD&M in Austin, Texas, and Team One in El Segundo, Calif. For the latter, he was part of the creative team on the lauded "Something Wicked" campaign for Lexus, directed by Samuel Bayer of bicoastal/international HSI Productions.
    "Joel brings a very strong design sensibility to his work," said I.F. co-founder and creative director Peter Frankfurt. "He's a tremendously talented creative resource for agencies, both in terms of his understanding of brands but also in his ability to interpret storyboards in new ways. He's also a highly conceptual thinker who likes to solve problems in a collaborative way, which makes him a perfect fit for us."
    Peissig said he likes being a part of the entire strategic and conceptual process when working on advertising assignments—a practice he carried over from his agency career. "Imaginary Forces understands how to do this better than most production companies, because of the studio-like nature of how they work," he observed. "Since they have all the means of production under one roof—from designing the pitch to handling all live action, effects and post—working with a company like this is very much a concept-driven, team effort."
    Among Peissig's other directorial credits are spots for such clients as BMW, Suzuki, Anheuser-Busch, Commes Des Garcons and Land Rover. He has also ventured into the music video arena with a moody clip for singer Tanya Donnelly that featured an inspired combination of lush cinematography and in-camera effects. More striking was his video for Frou Frou's "The Dumbing Down of Love," an impressionistic piece that captured the sultry feel of the song in a slow-moving collage of colorful circles. The piece was voted Best Video at ResFest 2003.
    Peissig said he's attracted to the range of opportunities I.F. has to offer him as a director. The studio regularly handles high profile projects in feature film and television title sequences, branding and identity, as well as in the growing field of experience design, which merges motion media and design with architecture and urban planning to create branded experiences for marketers, retailers and developers.