As his Master's Thesis at USC, David made a series of TEN SECOND FILMS in 1982 -- After editing many music videos through the 1980's, MTV commissioned several catalogs of TEN SECOND FILMS and a series of ultra short documentaries about people with unusual occupations, THE WORK SPOTS. This led to a career directing over a thousand TV commercials all over the world. David has also directed music videos for the Fastbacks and The Pixies and co-directed a feature-length concert film with David Byrne, BETWEEN THE TEETH
Over the last few years, documentaries have become his passion, working with small crews and listening to people share their stories. Whether it is SEVENTEEN PEOPLE FROM TORONTO answering the same 53 questions or following the cowboy hat throughout the Western United States, England, Germany and Japan for HOWDY PARDNER -- all these films encourage the viewer to look at the world in a little different way and ultimately realize how much we are all alike.
In the fall of 2022 we made a documentary for Tacoma Art Museum on the painter, CAMILLE PATHA
In March 2020 we were able to remotely finish a new documentary, “Today Was A Good Day” that focuses on the daily lives of three caregivers for people with dementia. We followed these people throughout the fall of 2019. They were so generous to share their intimate lives in the hope that other people could benefit. Along the journey we also met Dr. Paula Duren, Ph.D from Universal Dementia Caregivers. Her perspective on dementia and caregiving changed the way we viewed the last chapter in these people’s lives. The 25-minute film was made for the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation through Lafeyette American.
“Seventeen People From Toronto,” his award-winning short film, posed the same fifty questions to seventeen different ordinary people. From their favorite salad dressing to what they would do with just five minutes to live – these seventeen people show us how different we are, yet how much we all have in common.
The commercials he’s made for clients including Ford, IBM, Saturn and Coke have won Silver Lions at Cannes and Clios, but he is most proud of his nomination from the Director’s Guild of America for Best Commercial Director.