The Directors: Nora Kirkpatrick

Nora Kirkpatrick grew up in rural Iowa. After graduating from UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film, and Television, she did what her parents told her not to do, and joined a band. The band, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, went on to have a platinum-selling record and win a GRAMMY for best long-form video.

With the band, Nora toured the world playing at festivals such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, and SXSW. While on tour, she honed her writing skills. Upon leaving the band in 2014, Nora hit the ground running, selling several TV shows and embarking on her career as an actor, writer, and director.

As an actor, Nora has played many roles in film and television, including Esther, Dwight’s girlfriend, in the U.S. version of “The Office.”

Collaborations with Will Ferrell, Olivia Wilde, and SNL alum, Mike O’Brien, spawned several comedic series that Nora has written and/or directed, including “Assisted Living” (CBS), “Virtually Mike and Nora” (HULU), “Best Seller” (Comedy Central), and the TV series “The Coop,” in association with Funny Or Die.

“Long Time Listener, First Time Caller,” the acclaimed short film written and directed by Nora, is a tragicomic portrait of a woman in search of answers to life’s existential questions. The film garnered “Best Female Director” at the Prague International Film Festival. Recently, Nora recently wrapped production on her debut feature, “A Tree Fell In the Woods,” which she both wrote and directed.

Her commercial career debuted with a Bud Light Seltzer campaign created by Wieden + Kennedy/New York, giving her the distinction of being the first woman to direct for the brand. Other notable credits include films for brands such as Nestlé, Duracell, and Uber One.

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

Nora> I’m always attracted to world building. Intricate production design paired with new camera techniques. I want the spots to be an invitation into a world, and I want that world to be beautiful.

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

Nora> I love to use imagery from familiar movies of the past. Films that elicit an emotional response with the imagery because we’ve all had an experience with them in our childhood. Pairing this with a clear plan for the camera language, casting, and tone, all help bring the spot to life. I also tend to use a lot of GIFs when explaining the shots I’m thinking about, as I feel it presents the idea in a more digestible manor.
I keep a folder on my desktop of “interesting shots” I’ve seen along the way. It’s a plus if there’s room in a spot for me to explore a new camera move I’ve been looking at, or a new VFX technique I’ve been curious about.

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?

Nora> I like to watch previous ads, but many times the tone of the ads can be very different and so it’s important to have a good conversation on where the brand is in their development with the agency. If this is a kick off point for a new tone, or a new presentation from the brand, that can help me get aligned on whether this spot is a continuation of their previous world or a move in a new direction.

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

Nora> Production designer. It’s such a visual medium, and a spot can be made or broken based on the level of the design. How outlandish is it? How based in reality? Does it align with the demographic and goals of the brand for this particular product? Is it beautiful to look at in and of itself? What does the design say about the rules of world we’re creating for this series of ads? Oftentimes the world we’re visually presenting is of equal importance to the product or dialogue, so we need to be in lock step on the tone of the design.

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?

Nora> I love hard hitting comedy shrouded in design. Baz Luhrman is a great example of this. My favourite movies, which may give you a good sense of my tone, are Toys, Death Becomes Her, Strictly Ballroom, Beetlejuice, Soapdish. Something that draws the eye. I love an entrance into a scene that makes the audience say, “Woah.” Bright colours. Bold patterning. Something unusual just outside of our everyday world.

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

Nora> I find that everyone wants the best product, and they are relying on you for your ideas and thoughts on dialogue/tone. As an outsider, a consumer, you often have a take on it that can be helpful in quick decision moments. I tend to be very flexible on most aspects of what is needed, and I will also go to bat for certain jokes that I think are integral to projecting the tone we’re after. I’m very open to getting alts, and I think that’s the best way to make sure everyone feels they have what they need. We’ll shoot the script, and some more unusual alts – and the end product is usually a combination of both.

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?

Nora> Always. Shadowing was an important part of my career when I was getting started. I love talking about directing and am always happy to have up-and-comers there to watch the process from start to finish. It really is the best way to learn.

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)?

Nora> Yes, framing can be integral for social aspects, so we’re always aware of where we need to place the action for it to work on a vertical screen. And the alt lines become very important for social cut downs. It’s an incredibly fun challenge to present a full story in 15 seconds. It feels like a one-liner. I’m always fascinated by how much you can get across in that short amount of time.

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)?

Nora> I’m incredibly fascinated by what is coming and usually have some VFX aspects in my projects. The new VFX tools are incredible. What I think they’re allowing is bigger production value for less cost, which is great for the viewer, and allowing you to accomplish shots that had previously been impossible. That’s a big sandbox for the imagination to play in.