Jonathan Klein brings joy and imagination to his work. He’s curious. He’s thoughtful. His approach possesses a playful vulnerability that’s evident at every stage.
A former creative director for the NFL, Jonathan’s relationship with brands comes from a uniquely collaborative place. More than a director working alongside them, he anticipates and empathizes with their needs with open-mindedness and enthusiasm.
Among many celebrated projects, Jonathan is known for his 'Whopper Detour' film for Burger King which claimed the Titanium Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions, as well as One Show, Clio, and Webby honours. He also led 'Jingle Hoops' for the NBA, which USA TODAY said was one of “those commercials people will be talking about forever.”
While working with Pepsi, he delivered the Cannes Lions-winning web series Uncle Drew, amassing a few hundred million organic views and inspiring a Lionsgate feature film.
A writer who had a hand in fashion and journalism before filmmaking, Jonathan’s work is visually engaging and smart. But it’s also memorable, mostly because he counters the rigid intensity by crafting through intimacy and viscerality, always eager to expand boundaries.
Name: JONATHAN KLEIN Location: USA Repped by/in: DOMO Awards: Cannes Lions (including Titanium Grand Prix), Clios, D&ADs, One Show, Sports Emmys, etc.
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Jonathan> I spent some of my early twenties working with Bob Guccione, Jr. He was the man who started SPIN magazine and whose father started PENTHOUSE. His criteria for stories was fundamentally about how it hit you. If you have something that hits people in their guts, you feel a gut punch. At least I did when Gene Johnson hit me there.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Jonathan> I try to distill the script down to a single sentence. Sydney Pollack used to call this the spine of the film. Once you have a spine, well, you know... Visually, when I first read a script, I see flashes in my head, like a hastily printed contact sheet - just a montage of images. Neither my vision nor my imagination is 20/20, but I have great hearing. So, on that first call, I LISTEN. I try to take it all in, not just about the script, but I learn about the client, the agency, their dynamics, the brief, the objectives, and even the daydreams. And then I put everything down. I start writing, start scanning through my image libraries, etc. When you submerge yourself deep enough in the material, things start to crystallize. An image piques your interest because of its lensing. A turn of phrase in the script conjures a clear path for the tone. It’s fun!
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