Director/editor Joe Miale steps up to answer Five Questions
1. What are you working on today?

A short ‘teaser’ music video for an amazing band called Woven. I found them on iTunes, fell in love, and contacted them about doing a video. I pitched them a dozen ideas, and this wonderful creative back-and-forth began. They were still finishing their third album, and couldn’t be sure which songs would make the cut, but we wanted to put something out there. So we settled on a short, enigmatic performance clip. For me, it’s a chance to work with a band I love and help them put visuals to their sound. I also saw it as an opportunity to experiment with a new format-HDV. It allowed for a unique combination of low-cost and high-resolution. My DP, Chris Lytwyn, who shot my Gatorade spot and most of my work, had never worked in HDV. All I gave him were a few fluorescent lights and a promyst filter. Because it’s a music video, and because it’s primarily for the web, we didn’t hold back. We threw the colors off into blue with an intentionally incorrect white balance, shot in a 24 mode, and constantly moved our fluorescent light sources around to throw glares and shadows all over the place. And it worked. I could not be happier with the look we’ve achieved, and so far Woven has been thrilled. The cool thing is, once it’s broadcast online, the cycle will be complete-find them on iTunes, shoot on HDV, edit on a laptop, and broadcast online.

2. What have you found is the best tool or innovation that has come out in the last year?

Oh, no! Where to begin? As someone who directs and edits, technology is my best friend. I’ve practically produced shoots over text messaging. We’re posting a feature now and we have three visual effects artists in New York and Florida (two of whom I’ve never met) uploading shots to us in Los Angeles over FTP. I’ve edited spots, PSA’s and a feature film on my three year old Mac Powerbook. It runs Avid, it runs Final Cut Pro. But none of this was born in the last year… The workflow of HDV through Final Cut Pro has been the most impressive recently. And on the exhibition side of things, I’d have to say iPod video is the most exciting thing we’ve seen in a very long time.

3. The project (film, television, commercial or music video) that most impressed you in the last year? Why?

I have a long list of idols that continue to blow my mind and make me try that much harder. Nine Inch Nails’ “Only” music video directed by David Fincher definitely stands up at the top. It’s one of those rare, beautiful pieces of work where the craft is, in essence, the concept itself. The CG is so lifelike it’s almost disturbing.

4. The best or favorite project that you worked on in the past year? And why?

Gatorade is my favorite for now, but I’ve recently really enjoyed working on the Woven video. It’s a simple clip of pure visuals and artistry, with no restraints and no limits…very creatively liberating. I’ve also really enjoyed doing a campaign of PSA’s for non-profit group DoSomething.org. Recently, we did one with American Idol winner Carrie Underwood. She was so sweet and easy to work with. She donated her time and to make it easy, we shot in the board room of the hotel she was staying in. Once we apply the effects and color, you’ll never know it. The final result will look beautiful.

5. Name the top 4 artists on your iPod?

Just four? You guys are killing me… Well, in no particular order…

Woven
Nine Inch Nails
Elbow
Muse

Recent Project
Joe Miale Scores A Knockout With Gatorade Spec
Director/Editor Wins Nine 2006 Tellys for Collective Work

With nine Telly Awards in the recent 2006 show, director/editor (www.joemiale.com) Joe Miale is on a roll. A free agent, Miale has made a name for himself as a ‘working director’ ‘ no mean feat in an arena saturated with directors both signed and looking-to-be-signed. What’s more, his wins run the gamut from work created for the web, to broadcast PSA’s and retail ads. And then there’s “Keeps You Going,” a Gatorade spec accountable for three Silver honors: Spec Commercial, Editing, and Cinematography. The spot, which features two female boxers testing their endurance, also took Best Commercial honors in the 3G Cellular Cinema Festival (Miale won Best Music Video as well, for his clip “Endless”).

Miale’s additional Telly wins include Bronze Tellys for a pair of dosomething.org PSAs featuring platinum recording artist Rihanna and celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito (Miale has since helmed and edited two more spots for the campaign, starring American Idol winner Carrie Underwood and Damien Fahey, host of MTV's TRL). His effects-driven “Living Catalog,” created for Bloomingdale’s, garnered a Silver Telly for Visual Effects, and a Bronze Telly in the Retail category.

“When I was eight years old, I began taking lessons in visual arts ‘ while other kids were starting little league, I was starting oils, pastels, pen & ink ‘ and it became the foundation for all of my work,” the director said, explaining his versatile ‘ and highly stylized ‘ approach to filmmaking. While attending NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Film Program, Miale got his first directing gig, creating a video for the University itself. He followed that up with the short Nobody, which won an Honorarium from the Gene Siskel Film Center's Comedy Series. Upon graduating, Miale cut some indie films, as well as the theatrical trailer for Jean-Luc Goddard’s IN PRAISE OF LOVE. He was hired to direct a 30-second web spot for the Copyright Association of America, and, by 23, had helmed his first broadcast commercial, for Macy's.

Recently, Miale helmed a music vid for the band Woven, about to release their third album, and cut Who Wants To Be a Superhero? premiering on the Sci-Fi Channel this month. URBAN ASSAULT, an action feature he co-produced, will be released on video this fall. “I think the diversity of experience has made me a better filmmaker,” Miale said. “I’ve always worked steadily as a director/editor, and ‘Keeps You Going’ is representative of the direction I’d like to pursue.” He added that the next step will be to join a strong production company. “We all see the ad biz evolving and the budgets shrinking. I’m confident that my versatility with genre and media, along with my ability to carry a project from previs to post, will become even more appealing.”