Spy Films is no doubt thinking ‘hat trick’ as the Toronto-based shop scored again in the second annual Saatchi & Saatchi/Playback First Cut Awards for new commercial directors with its very own Jeff Eamer winning top honors.

Held July 21 in the graceful open-concept space of Toronto night spot The Big Easy, the event attracted over 250 representatives of Canada’s commercial production industry, on hand to watch last year’s winner Pete Henderson pass the baton to his bandanna-sporting Spy comrade.

Rounding out the top five judges’ picks were: Mitch Gabourie from The Partners’ Film Company, Javier from Spy, Radke Films’ Mark Mainguy and Partners’ Adam Massey.

Both Mainguy and Javier ranked in the top 10 at last year’s inaugural First Cut Awards.

The event was well received again this year, and though most attendees’ enthusiasm was prompted by the refreshing brevity of the presentations and the free-flowing hospitality, there was an underlying note of strong approval for the award as a factor in garnering agency and international recognition for Canadian talent.

Eamer distinguished himself from among 44 entrants in the contest with a reel of human-appeal spots featuring the Japan Camera ‘Synchro Twins’ effort with the kids doing the absolute darndest thing at bath time and Reebok’s ‘Prima Donna’ spot that effectively contrasts the spoiled-brat football star with the salt-of-the-earth athlete.

The spots won solid marks from judges across the board as well as earning First Cut booty, including a trip to the 1998 Cannes International Advertising Festival.

Accepting the Lucite block of victory, Eamer said he would keep his comments short. ‘I have four words: ‘Carlo Trulli and William Cranor,’ he said, in reference to the heads of Spy who Eamer cited as providing ‘massive support’ for his directorial career.

Next year the First Cut process may go international, according to Saatchi creative director and First Cut cofounder Peter Rigby, who says it may be adopted to compile the international list of directors who will attend the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase at the Cannes festival. The selection process is currently an arbitrary one and Rigby has suggested the possible implementation of global First Cut Awards.

The Cannes show, and international work in general, was much in discussion at the First Cut event, particularly from Spy Films, which has undertaken major efforts to export its top talents. Trulli says Cannes is the premier international playing field and an important venue to attend to meet the key players and establish a presence.

In addition to international opportunities, production companies expend considerable resources seeking opportunities at home to build a new director from the ground up.

According to a number of exec producers and heads of production shops, wads of time and money are invested into building a new director, always with an eye out for that killer idea that will sit like an eye-catching bauble in a reel.

The Partners’ Film Company head Don McLean says on the whole it’s more competitive and tougher than ever to launch a new director, though he says the company has enjoyed considerable success. McLean says depending on the pace of development, a production company can spend up to $500,000 building a new talent.

Radke’s Scott Mackenzie says developing new talent is typically a two-year commitment.

Per Greg Bosworth of Vancouver’s bozfilm: ‘It’s a willingness on the part of a production house to realize you’re not going to make a profit in the first year.’

Opportunities typically exist for new directors in the low end of the commercial budget spectrum, be it a psa, an impoverished yet creatively viable job, or a spec spot developed with agency creatives and funded by the prodco.

‘You’re going after breakthrough spots that will take a director to the next level,’ says McLean. ‘Usually agencies look for stars for big-budget jobs, but if you find the combination of not much money but a great board you can still pull it off.’ In that process, a production house sinks every possible dollar into the project and, by extension, the reel.

Philip Mellows, head of The Players Film Company, says a creative eye and effective communication skills are paramount in new talent. To shorten the leap taken by the agency with unproven directors, he enlists top talent in terms of dop, producer and editor.

Mellows says the keener money consciousness at agencies has helped open minds to working with Canadian directors. The high level of creative work provides yet further opportunities for native talent.

‘If you look at the good u.s. directors who work here, they aren’t coming because they can’t get work that week,’ says Mellows. ‘They’re coming here because there is a good idea to be produced.’

Mackenzie says ultimately, opportunities are provided by agency creatives. ‘You need creative teams willing to take a risk.’