The Directors: Mac Eldridge

Mac Eldridge's aspirations to direct all started when he was 15 and a film-loving friend took him to his place of employment: the local movie theatre. At the time, Mac never thought of being a director; he actually wanted to be a doctor (the next Dr. Dre, more specifically). Mac just went along because, who doesn't want to see a free movie? It was all for fun, until Mac went to see The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. He had never seen anything like it before, and since then, Mac knew what he wanted to do.

Mac spent the rest of his formative years becoming a film buff. He attended DePaul University for a degree in Digital Cinema. After graduation, Mac started making spec spots. After creating a very successful spec for the PGA TOUR, he was offered a job at PGA TOUR Entertainment, their internal production company. The opportunity led Mac to direct for other really cool companies, like The Onion.

Name: Mac Eldridge

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Repped by/in: Backyard Productions

Awards: My mom once said she saw my commercial on TV and it was “good”! That’s not really an award in the public eye, per se, but it’s a career highlight for me personally.

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

Mac> I get most excited about a script that is based around dialogue and performance. Some of my favourite directors are ones who remain quiet behind the camera. That is, they don’t feel the need to make themselves heard behind the camera and muddy the concept. I read this one bit from Jason Reitman who has this saying with his DP. Whenever they compose a shot and it's doing too much, he says, “That’ll look good on the reel.” Directing isn’t an exercise in self-indulgence. It’s about bringing a story on paper you’re really excited about to life. 

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

Mac> A lot of the personality within my treatments emerge from my writing style. I naturally have a conversational voice in my writing. I don’t feel the need to beef up my language for someone to take my direction seriously. So, after I initially read the creative, I start jotting down thoughts in my Notes app that come to mind. It isn’t a forced process. I pop on a movie that reminds me of the creative, and then I let the thoughts come about however they wish over the coming days. 

The refinement stage begins when I start pulling images. I tend to write a lot in the process of creating my treatments, so I pare down the writing by finding key images that do the talking. 

LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?

Mac> I can’t do my job if I don’t understand exactly what we’re trying to say. Even if a product isn’t necessarily for me, I find myself getting more excited and more passionate about a spot the better I understand the brand and the product we’re promoting. 

My decisions are more informed and I can become more anticipatory on the brand’s needs when I understand the product. And is there any better way to understand a product than by interacting with it or experiencing it? 

I tend to not make yacht commercials, so a lot of the things I’m making spots for are accessible in my life. It’s straightforward research from there. Go online. Read about it. Read reviews. Understand what you can in the time you have. That’s what you’re getting hired to do. You have to be as invested as anyone on the brand’s team.

LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?

Mac> I’m not trying to get copywriters and art directors mad at me because I picked one over the other, so I’m going to keep my answer on the production side of things and say my working relationship with the DP is the most important relationship when making an ad. 

I tend to only work with a few DPs. I have four that I trust to make something with. And that’s because I need them to be as invested as I am. Every spot I make is the most important spot I’ve ever made because I can only measure myself against what I’ve done most recently.

It takes a DP working beyond what they’re used to in order for us to create the best spot possible for the brand. Shooting ideas back and forth in pre-production, late night texts the days leading up to the shoot, and then sharing the exact same vision as we walk onto set is what gets us across the finish line. 

LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about - is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?

Mac> This is a tough answer for me because I have a few passion points, but ultimately I really love performance driven spots. I have such admiration for actors and I love collaborating with them. Comedy is my thing and I love telling a good joke, so the actor is my vessel to do that. 

The next thing is golf. I grew up in a family of golf pros beginning with my grandmother who then taught the game to her daughter and two of her sons (one being my father). I know the game well, and I want to see it grow. Especially on the women’s side of the sport. So anything golf related is something of particular interest for me.

And if I can add another passion point - I love doing work for the military. I’ve had the opportunity to work with individuals in the Air Force and Army so far, and I have a career goal to work with all branches of the US Armed Forces. I saw what good the military can do when my brother enlisted, and I think having never joined myself, the least I can do is tell the success stories of what a career in the military can do for a person.

LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?

Mac> I have a very monotone voice so some people get the impression I’m too serious.

And sometimes I think people forget I can move a camera because I do a lot of performance driven comedy. I tend to keep a quiet visual approach to a lot of my comedy spots because I never like when the director needlessly gets in the way of telling a joke the copywriter wrote for the actor. So when a more epic spot comes around and I don’t have any wild push ins or some insane crane shots on my reel, I have to pull out my cinema acumen to prove I know how to move a camera proficiently. 

But generally I like the way people talk about me and my work so I’m sort of nit picking this question.

LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?

Mac> I haven’t. However, my EP’s directly liaise with them before shooting, which is great, so I can focus on all of the creative aspects of a project.  

LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?

Mac> Shooting in Laurinburg, North Carolina is a considerable task to begin with considering its proximity to any nearby city. When filming with the military, filming in Laurinburg becomes an even more considerable task because of having to get your entire crew cleared with background checks and what have you. Thus, when a camera operator for our shoot with USAA ended up covid positive, we knew we had an issue. That person was supposed to be the operator flying up and down with the aircraft to film the Golden Knights and tight end Jimmy Graham exiting for their skydives. With little time before the location scout and with us unable to clear any newcomer, I volunteered to operate the camera despite my very real fear of heights.

When that plane door is lifted up and the air at 15,000 feet enters the plane, you feel your adrenaline skyrocket. That is especially the case when you’re me, scared of heights, and right next to the exit door. The only thing between you and the ground is air and a few clouds. My stomach sank unlike anything I ever felt. But still, I got the shots I needed over the course of three jumps. The project ended up becoming a personal favourite of mine, and the experience even inspired me to skydive after all was said and done.

LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?

Mac> As a commercial director, I view myself as a translator for the agency and client. I communicate their message to the cast and crew effectively so we can get out of our production days on time and on budget. 

When I get brought into a job, I have been hired because my vision aligned with their own. But, the best ideas evolve into something greater over time. I anticipate changes coming on set so I encourage experimentation. We’re shooting digital, it’s not like we’re burning film stock by trying things out. Having edited a lot of my own spots, I appreciate the need for diversity in footage and takes. It’s my job as the director to give the agency and client an abundance of choices in post production.

LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?

Mac> Absolutely! I know I’m great at directing, but sometimes I wonder if I missed my calling as a teacher. Mentoring and teaching others the things I’ve learned is something that fills me with a ton of joy. I also come from a background where I didn’t have film classes growing up. I didn’t have access to film gear. A career in film was like saying you wanted to be a cowboy in the wild west. It seemed far-fetched and totally unrealistic. I would love to give folks who may not feel like they could succeed a chance to do just that. 

LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats - to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)? 

Mac> Because of editing so much of what I’ve directed, varying aspect ratios and formats are at the forefront of my mind as early as putting together a treatment. I certainly put the intended main format as the highest priority, but I try to anticipate how to frame something so a spot’s versatility extends to different formats and aspect ratios. Otherwise, I’m not giving a client and an agency the best bang for their buck. There’s power that comes from embracing the idea that different formats are here to stay.

LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work (e.g. virtual production, interactive storytelling, AI/data-driven visuals etc)?

Mac> I think change is scary. And we’re inclined to push change away as a natural response. But, a part of my job as a director is to use every tool at my disposal and embrace change, even if it momentarily disrupts my process. Because eventually new technology should inform and shape how I approach every production. Getting stuck in the past and doing things one way because that’s how they’ve always been done doesn’t help my clients and it certainly won’t help me. I also view new technology as a challenge to conquer. I love computers and technology, so configuring new workflows is a fun challenge more often than not.

LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why?

Mac> All the Men You Would Sleep with Were You Not in a Relationship with Tyler (Whom Of Course You Love)

I love this short film because I believe the montage is the most cinematic device I have available as a director. It requires performance, visuals, and vision to land perfectly. All the Men has everything I love about directing and editing rolled into one piece.

DSW - Monopod

I got into comedy because The Onion gave me a shot back when I first started directing spots. Monopod is an example of the sort of humour I fall in love with: tell a joke the best you can with a straight face. Its visual gag is also one of the funniest things I’ve directed to date.

State Street Global Advisors - The MDY Mid-Cap Cup

Getting the chance to collaborate with McCann on the inaugural MDY Mid-Cap Cup was a career highlight for me. From helping create the Chet Kensington character with the wildly talented Marc Evan Jackson to advising throughout post production, I was given the opportunity to be more involved than what most directors have come to expect in the advertisement industry. Plus, the entire short film is really, really funny.

Grant Thornton - Grant Thornton Invitational Teaser

One of my career aspirations has been to help grow the women’s game whenever given the opportunity. That desire exists because of my grandmother who was an excellent player in her own right back in the 1930s and '40s. So when Grant Thornton approached me to help write, direct, and edit a concept to promote their inaugural mixed gender tournament, I jumped at the opportunity. The spot’s understated approach is a favourite of mine.