Auteur for Hire: David Lynch
As it goes with famous filmmaker deaths, when the giant David Lynch passed away earlier this year, lots of old clips of him started populating my timeline: interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and an anti-littering commercial Lynch directed for the NYC Department of Sanitation:
And this wasn’t the only commercial Lynch directed. He did a ton across many industries: fashion, gaming, cars, healthcare. Watching some of them recalled all the film directors I admire who have also directed commercial ads - sometimes reaching way bigger audiences than their movies ever did.
Off the top of my head, I can name a dozen filmmakers whose movies and ad work are just as iconic, which made me think this could be a good series. Sharing the commercial ad work of film directors to examine the fuzzy line between art and commerce.
So here goes. Lynch is a good start.
David Lynch b. 1946
Selected Films:
Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, Wild at Heart
Selected Commercials: