Born in Chicago, he studied drawing at The Art Institute of Chicago and Columbia College.  Completing his BFA at Pratt Institute in New York City, and prior to graduation, he was recruited by Walt Disney Productions.  After serving a short stint there, Schimmel returned to New York to work as an art director with Lintas:Worldwide, and then as a designer for Miramax Films. Along the way, he picked up awards from the Chicago International Film Festival, The New York Festivals, Worldfest Houston, Telly Awards, Global Awards and an Emmy Award nomination.

Recently SourceEcreative crossed paths with the director and posed a few questions his way.  This is how he weighed in:

Q: How do you go about capturing the audience’s attention?

A: I believe that audiences watch commercials for entertainment value and feel that the best way to entertain and communicate a concept is through a story that is visually interesting.  Throughout my career, I have designed my own dynamic look and feel to the footage, whether with color correction and/or effects tools to enhance the appearance while maintaining true to the script.  In the home theatre environment of today, audio now plays a huge role in the finishing of commercials.  When I have a strong voice in postproduction, I strive to create elaborate sound design and a powerful score.  Because sound is usually the last line item on the estimate, I make sure to communicate to client the importance of post audio and the role it plays in storytelling.

Q: What do you think of your skills? Does being an editor enhance your capabilities?

A: I am proud of what I’ve accomplished thus far, but I’m never content with my skill sets. To become a better director, I continue to take acting classes, attend cinematography workshops, read and practice new technology, and listen to new music. Not having all the answers, always striving to reach for something new, creates an environment for learning and creation.   I always ask myself, “What I am not seeing?”  This helps me breakthrough the every day clutter and create something new and exciting. 

The most important skill I have is my ability to draw.  For each project, I draw hundreds of pictures, frames and continue to sketch my own storyboards.  It helps me communicate my vision to everyone involved in the commercial making process.  Also, as a self taught editor, I started cutting on 8mm film, then tape-to-tape and recently, spent the past six years cutting with Final Cut Pro.  Editing is like putting together a picture puzzle, but not knowing what that picture will look like until it’s finished. 

In turn, being an editor has made me a better director and being a director has made me a better editor.  Since the majority of shooting is out of story sequence, I have a greater understanding of how it will cut together while shooting.  I often refer to myself as a “commercial filmmaker” because 99% of what I shoot, I edit.  Editing allows me to expand my resources to the client and I love being able to work on a project start to finish.

Q: How do you go about uniting all of the factions needed for a commercial?

A: Good question.  My shooting boards are the glue that keeps everything together.  I draw my own story and shooting boards and draft my own shot lists.  Since storyboards are a point of reference when discussing both creative and technical aspects, it is the only real and available visual reference until the camera is turned on.  I also send out samples of footage, stills, paintings, illustrations and anything else I feel will help communicate my vision and what I believe the client is looking for.  I am a prep junkie – and believe strongly that the job is won or lost in this process. 

Q: Why do advertisers come to you?  What makes your talents work?

A: Advertisers come to me because my work cuts through the clutter and tugs at their emotional heartstrings. Sometimes they are attracted to a certain look I achieved while other times it’s the way I frame the shots.  I first strive to deliver a wonderful commercial and secondly, make it a rewarding experience for the client. 

What makes my talents work is an inner drive, a passion to continue to do what I love most, and the desire to reach for the next level.  Each step of the process is rewarding for me, from being awarded the project to designing the shots, to directing and posting.  Additionally, my talents work because of the people I work with - artists, marketing experts, creative directors, producers, animals, or actors - and although the cast of characters is always different, we are still all working toward one goal.

Q: What lies ahead?

A: Like the rest of the directing world, I’m ready to tackle my first feature film…