The maverick director Tony Kaye, as famous for his colourful
character as for his awards, is folding his London office to join RSA
Films.
Kaye, who lives and works in Los Angeles, is poised to sign a deal with
RSA for representation in the UK and Europe. He will continue to
represent himself in the US through Tony Kaye Films.
Adrian Harrison, the managing director at RSA, said: "I have always
admired his work. He's one of the people who has done most to
revolutionise TV advertising in this country and he's still a major
talent." However, he stressed that a contract had not been signed.
"We'll be making a formal announcement in the very near future," he
said.
Kaye has not worked in the UK since June 2000. His last job was a
chilling cinema commercial through D'Arcy for the Coalition to End Child
Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking.
He also directed the award-winning Freeserve ad for M&C Saatchi, which
featured the model and Paralympian athlete Aimee Mullins.
Kaye enhanced his bad-boy reputation by embarking on guerrilla tactics
against McCann-Erickson following a creative dispute on a Bacardi shoot
in 1999. Kaye claimed at the time: "My efforts have been thwarted by
insecure morons holding down jobs they shouldn't be holding." He has
also refused to eat in restaurants or use phones. An actor was used as a
"speaker".
Kaye caused a stir in Hollywood when he disowned his 1998 feature
American History X, unsuccessfully applying for the director's credit of
Humpty Dumpty.
.jpg)
.jpg)