A lot can happen in one year when you’re an in-demand spot director, and sometimes award show memories can get hazy. At least this is the case with John Mastromonaco out of Toronto’s Untitled.

At last year’s Bessie Awards, a two-commercial campaign helmed by Mastromonaco (when Untitled was still Jolly Roger) won several awards, including Best in Show. The pair of 30-second Vaseline Intensive Care ads, ‘Blind Date’ and ‘Table Manners,’ which were both also recognized in the single category, were produced for agency Ammirati Puris.

‘It was so long ago,’ laughs Mastromonaco. ‘I’m sure Peter and James [Davis, the brothers who own Untitled] are very happy.’

Common sense dictates that being a key part of a winner of such a prestigious award would be beneficial career-wise, but the director remains modest in the afterglow of the victory.

‘It must have [contributed that way], I think so,’ he offers. ‘I’m always fairly busy. But you don’t have to win an award, as long as you’re doing good work and you’re happy. It’s always good to get recognition, and I know [insofar as] the production houses, it’s good for them.’

Untitled’s James Davis agrees that even a nomination can have an impact on a director’s perception within the ad community, and possibly sway judging panels outside of the Bessies.

‘I think [it] has helped John, just for some of the other award shows [the spots have] won at,’ says Davis. ‘Hopefully it’s something [agencies will] see and love how we treated the performance or the story. It’s [a type of commercial] that in the past they may not have considered him for.’

Mastromonaco currently resides in Los Angeles and will be unable to attend this year’s show May 24, but he acknowledges the Bessies are a prime opportunity for the commercial industry to converge and kick back.

‘If I was [in Toronto] I’d go [to the show],’ he says. ‘It would be fun to see everybody, and it’s a good excuse to have a few cocktails.’

Win boosts

Apple Box business

‘Never underestimate the power of the Bessie,’ says J.J. Lyons, executive producer at Apple Box Productions in Toronto.

Apple Box director Randy Diplock helmed ‘Meat Cutter’ for St. John Ambulance and Palmer Jarvis DDB, Vancouver, which won several awards at last year’s Bessies, including Best in Show single. The Toronto commercial production house is still beaming.

‘We’re still reaping the rewards,’ says Lyons. ‘I’ve talked with producers who are pretty slow right now, but we’ve got a lot of work. A lot of that has to do with Randy and the St. John Ambulance spot.’

Lyons notes that, as with most directors, Diplock doesn’t put much stake in awards.

‘It doesn’t seem to mean a lot to them, but deep down I’m sure it does, especially when [the award] is from your peers,’ says Lyons. ‘It’s good to win any award, and good to sell the product. But when your peers – the competition – recognize the excellence, it’s great.’

But Diplock isn’t as effusive.

‘I think a lot of people have lost focus of what their priorities are,’ he says. ‘We’re salesmen – we’re here to sell the client’s product. Sometimes the spot that sells the product is the same that wins, but I’ve judged a lot of these shows and it seems that if you say the word ‘penis’ in a headline, it’s an instant Bronze.

‘But I shouldn’t dump on [awards shows] – I’ve won my share,’ adds Diplock. ‘I think they’re good for junior and intermediate teams – it’s good promotion.’

While Diplock admits work has been steady, he attributes it primarily to his years in the industry. But the perks of winning awards aren’t so bad. In addition to the jobs, Diplock and Lyons get an expense-paid trip to the Cannes Advertising Festival this year, thanks to the former’s win at the Saatchi & Saatchi/ Playback First Cut Awards, which came on the heels of the success of ‘Meat Cutter’ at the Bessies.

Lyons and several members of the Apple Box team will also be attending the 2001 Bessies. Of this year’s eligible spots, Lyons predicts ‘The Rant’ by U.S. director Kevin Donovan out of Mad Films for Molson Canadian and agency Bensimon Byrne & D’Arcy will probably do well. ‘It’s a great spot,’ he says. *

With files from Mark Dillon and Dave Lazar.

-www.appleboxproductions.com