Shoot: J.C. Barros Finds Gas. Food & Lodging

Music Video Dir. Looks To Broaden Into Spots.

CULVER CITY, Calif.--Director J.C. Barros, best known for his work in music videos, has signed with Gas. Food & Lodging (GF&L), Culver City, for spot and video representation. Prior to sighing with GF&L, Barros was repped for music videos by Miami-based Lounge Films, a company which Barros started along with partner Phil Uriarte in '97.

Barros joins a GF&L roster that includes commercial director Eugenio Zanetti and music video directors Marcus Raboy and Shawn Mortensen, all of whom were on board when GF&L launched earlier this year (SHOOT, 5/21/99, p. 1).

Barros has not yet directed any spots. He gained notoriety by directing music videos for artists including Gloria Estefan ("Cuba Libre" and "Santo Santo"), Enrique Iglesias ("Russian Roulette"), Tito Puente, Jr. ("Oye Como Va") and Jon Secada ("Believe"). Lounge Films was the production company for all of Barros' music video projects.

Jason Taragan, the executive producer of GF&L's music video division, first approached Barros about joining the company. Taragan said he liked the "cinematic style" that Barros demonstrated in his music videos, and had "no doubts" that style would translate into spotwork. Taragan described Barros' aesthetic as "simple, beautiful photography with simple but classic art direction."

Jim Evans, executive producer of GF&L's commercial division, said that Barros had a "contemporary" and "sexy" style that would segue easily into spots. "He understands the [production] industry from the music video side and crosses that over into the commercial side by making artists the product," said Evans. He described Barros as a self-taught director who was nonetheless "schooled in the classics." Evans felt that Barros' tenacity and perseverance would be an asset as he entered the spot world.

Evans said thathis strategy to build Barros as a commercial director is to "work hard and to pass on J.C.'s vision and have other people embrace it." Evans planned to initially pursue fashion, beauty and design spots and, later, dialogue ads. Evans was in the process of finalizing Barros' commercial reel, which will include a montage of work from the director's music videos.

Barros said he signed with GF&L because he experienced "good energy" at the company and felt that GF&L would develop his career in both spots and music videos. "We have a lot in common about how they present things and how I'd like to see my work on screen," said Barros. "I was looking for a place where I could feel comfortable [and] where they would take the time and put in the effort to develop the next level in my career." Barros, who is fluent in English and Spanish, said that he would like to direct spots for both the Hispanic and general markets.

Barros said that his experience directing music videos has prepared him for spot directing duties. "You get a good sense for visuals when you do music videos, and you get a good sense of working under pressure and coming in under a budget," he said. "Even though [the music video] might be your concept and your treatment, and you're more in control, there are a lot of people involved that you have to listen to. ... My ability to work with artists and managers and record labels will translate very well in my dealings with clients and agencies.

Barros said that he would like to direct spots that were driven by "visuals and dialogue." He added that he was "very interested" in doing PSAs as his first step into spot directing, explaining that the genre "gets you in the commercial mood" and was also "something meaningful."

While Barros remains owner of a small percentage of Lounge Films, he said that he was ending his directing and producing activities for that shop in order to concentrate on his GF&L endeavors.

Barros is currently attached to direct Lavoe, a feature script that he and screenwriter Jorge Reyes are shopping around to production companies. The script centers around Hector Lavoe, a salsa singer who lived the high life in New York in the '70s and '80s but then fell into disrepute before dying in the '90s.

Taragan said that GF&L was currently bidding on a half dozen music video projects for Barros.

Evans will be representing Barros for commercial work. GF&L's music video directors are represented on the East Coast by Rachel Dodd of Hello Management, New York.