Scott Stephens

It began on the sandswept shores of Michigan. A battle was raging, with soldiers diving for cover, and artillery blasts ringing through their ears. A 12-year-old boy serpentined through the chaos, reporting to his commander on the status of…the script. "It was my big brother’s first short film," recalls director Scott Stephens, "a Vietnam war story." Watching his brother load up the car with equipment, about to head to destinations unknown, Stephens wanted in. "I said ‘I’m coming with you,’ asked him for a job. He handed me a clipboard and told me I was the Script Supervisor."  

In addition to being impressed by "pretty sophisticated visual effects – for a teenage production," Stephens discovered that his future lay in filmmaking. Nine years later, he packed up his own car and set a course for Los Angeles. His brother, now a screenwriter, bounded outside. "I’m coming with you," he said. 

Stephens arrived in LA seeking production experience, and found what he was looking for as – yes – a script supervisor. He quickly honed his craft in the commercial industry and began working for top commercial directors such as Tony Kaye, Marcus Nispel, Danny Levinson, Traktor, and Christopher Guest. On set, he often found himself acting as "a same-language translator" for client, agency, and production company. "The client may be looking for a ‘happier bowl of cereal’ and somehow I always knew what they were after," he muses. Stephens script supervised on well over 500 spots with 50 plus directors, and countless agencies, before transitioning to the director’s chair with a flurry of spec spots and shorts. 

As a Director/DP, Stephens has shown an eye for comedy and storytelling, with spots for ESPN, McDonalds Canada, and Mini Cooper. "Ring of Fire," a 13-minute short helmed by Stephens, made the festival circuit and received multiple nominations, in "Audience Award" and "Best Acting" categories. 

Stephens combines his vast filmmaking experience, along with his discerning eye, to create something of a "visual dessert" for the viewer. Prior to entering SpotLab, Stephens studied spot directing with Craig Worsham. His participation in SpotLab led to the creation of two new spots – for Neslte and Berlitz – that blend humor, storytelling, and visuals. A third Stephens spot, for Spike.tv, has garnered attention on the Web.

While Stephens certainly has long form aspirations, he is focused on spotmaking. "I want to be shooting all the time," says the director, who often serves as his own DP (and has been shooting for other directors as well). "I’m always exploring different genres and shooting styles, and commercial production is the perfect forum for that."  

"My father was a military photojournalist who taught me how to tell a story with a single frame," Stephens reflects. "Now, having nine hundred frames to work with, the possibilities are endless."

September 2008