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In Defense of Brett Ratner’s Guitar Hero Commercial

Posted on Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 by Peter Sciretta

Last week I made a post mocking the cheesy Guitar Hero World Tour commercial directed by Brett Ratner. /Film friend Dan Trachenberg sent me an email in defense of the Rat. You may know Danny T as the co-host of The Totally Rad Show or his appearances on the /Filmcast, but what you might not know is Dan is actually an accomplished commercial director. What I’m trying to say is he knows something about the subject. I asked Dan if I could reprint his email on the site, as I found the perspective, especially the video example, to be interesting.

—-

Hey buddy,

Just in comment to your post about the Ratner spot, I wanted to play devil’s advocate (as you now know I love to do :)

First of all, commercial directors never come up with the concept for the commercial (though it’s possible Ratner’s link to the GH game may mean he DID have something to do with it….possible, but very unusual). I really don’t think you not liking that commercial had much to do with Ratner. And to argue my point are offer this example:

That is directed by Zack Snyder.

Unrelated

By the way, he also did this superbowl spot you may recognize:

Comments

Alex

Well... that doesn't make what Ratner did any less shitty.

Snyder's Budweiser ad and both Glazer and Fincher's Nike ones are the kinds of things accomplished directors should be able to make into something creative and refreshing when asked to. I can only argue that the Circuit City one was done before Snyder had really done anything else (maybe like right before he did Dawn of the Dead).

The GH one is just (arugably) the four most famous athletes in the US (Why them in the ad? I don't know) dancing in a painfully unfunny way as a reference to a completely unrelated movie with a song that's not even in the game.

Sure, horses have nothing to do with beer. But at least I wasn't angry when it was over.

AJ

The guitar hero world tour ad is the same as the guitar hero 3 ad...

Except GH3 was for American Idol, both of the final 2 got to make one and then the winner got it.

Swick

I don't understand Trachenberg's point. He's trying to argue that it's not Ratner's fault because he likely had nothing to do with the creative process. If he were to show, say, a really bad commercial by David Fincher, it may have made more sense that even great directors have no say in how to film a commercial. Instead he just further proved that Ratner sucks because he made a bad commercial, while Snyder and Fincher have made far better ones.

The Count

I still think Fincher's Nike commercial as well as Guy Richie's and Michael Mann's Nike commercials are way better than Glazer's In fact any recent Jordan brand commercial is still better than Glazer's.

Ratner could bring Jesus back to Earth and I would still think he's a hack. That Guitar Hero commercial makes me want to slit my wrists. Then again I am morally against lead singers who rape chicks.

kfizz

A hack is some one like uwe boll or ed wood. Plus a hack is more along like lines of some one who works boring tasked like i can hack it. Like chopping stuff or a factory. But he trys to make his shots good and workable by the book.

EB

Ratner is totally responsible for this commercial. He's developing
"Brett Ratner Brands," a marketing firm that uses pop culture to sell product and his first client is....Activision and Guitar Hero. Odds are he is the sole creative behind this "idea" and deserves full blame for this mess. Where Snyder did most of his work while finding his voice and Fincher is a genius who transcends any agency's pitch, Ratner is a joke, even by marketing creative standards.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986343.htm...

chillout

listen people. Nike commercials such as the one that Fincher did are trying to send a completely different message than Ratner's Guitar Hero commercial. The GH commercial was not meant to be serious, its meant for a different crowd. Not all commercials need to be on the same level just as u cant compare a comedy to a horror movie. The LT Palamlu was supposed to be serious, attempting ATHLETES to buy Nike clothes because thats what two hardworking athletes did-supposedly. GH is aimed at kids who look up to Arod, Phelps and Kobe and who play video games. I thought that was an obvious different that u all seem to miss completely in your rush to bury Ratner

Dr.Doc

why is somebody defending Brett Ratner? the dude has turned himself into a joke...

The Real Frogurt

I hate Brett Ratner, but I back up Dan's words... being a commercial producer, I don't understand the draw of celebrity directors for commercials... especially for something like GH that has been art directed to hell.

Obviously when you're going for an epic look and feel like the Fincher one, it helps to have someone that everyone knows will deliver, but its not necessarily imperative.

Look at the Madden spots EA commissioned Errol Morris to direct... when anyone could have stood some celebs in front of a greenscreen and gotten awkward performances.

mudywaters

Rat sucks. If his name is attached to something, it sucks.

th0ught

@ kfizz

Woah woah woah. Ed Wood is a hack? Re-evaluate your statement there. I'm nerd raging.

And the reason Dan is defending him? He's a commercial director with hopes of make movies one day. Call me an armchair psych. But I think that's the reason. Who knows though. Let him defend him. His opinion isn't going to change my thoughts at all.

Gordon

Ok, just spoke with a woman, married, who worked post on these commercials. In front of her boss he told her he wanted to take nude photos of her. Again a few days later. He is vile filth.

Jordan

Then again, aren't most nike commercials awesome?

Prsctt

Hey, I just wanted to point this out.... This commercial is not new. They used and aired this exact same commercial idea with David Cook and David Archuleta (or however you spell hit name) during the American Idol season. It was the same premise, same dancing around, same shots, same everything. Whether Ratner made and came up with the idea for both, I don't know, but I'm just throwing that out there. This commercial has been made already a few months ago, but just with different people.

h2opr00f

Dan Trachenberg owns.

rockinrors

okay, i dont like le rat but i must say.
CANT YOU PEOPLE ITS a COPY OF RISKY BUSINESS?

Travis Faulds

I'd rather watch that Circuit City commercial every day for the rest of my life than have that Guitar Hero commercial even exist. HACK.

Vile82

Classic!

Captain Awesome

More like Brett Shatner, am I right?

Also where's Hunter been? :(

illegalprelude

Im with Chillout on this one. You cant expect the GH commercial to be like the Nike commercial. GH isnt meant to be epic and mind blowing, its meant to be fun, goofing around, pretneding to do something you cannot in real life while the Nike commercial is to make you think, wow if I wear those shoes, good god I can be like him.

I think these are unfair attacks on Ratner.

theuglyspirit

True, directors of commercials usually don't write the concept, but they do direct the treatment they are given. Dan's point just proves the Brett Ratner is still a hack by being unable to pull of a simple treatment like that Guitar Hero spot well, whereas Snyder made a Circuit City ad bearable (and I hate Circuit City). And if what EB pointed out is true, this is Ratner's THIRD time directing this similar concept! You'd think he'd learn not to make awkward shots and structure.

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