Robert Allan Black

Robert Allan Black is an American writer and director, who began his career as an advertising copywriter. His film writing and directing work includes the feature documentary, Loving Henri (2017), about freed Nazi slave turned philanthropist, Henri Landwirth (1927–2018), which was shot over the span of 14 years.^[1][2]

Robert Allan Black
Occupation(s)	Writer, director
Years active	1970–present

Early life

Black lived on various Army bases across America and in Japan. Upon graduating from San Jose State University, Black wrote two scripts: Remember The Thrill, loosely based on his years playing college football; and Austin City Limits, a love affair set in Washington, DC and a Texas Honky-Tonk.

Career

In 1970, Black got a job as a copywriter at Foote, Cone & Belding Advertising (FCB) in San Francisco, California. He worked as a copywriter at several advertising agencies throughout the 1970s, including Honig-Cooper & Harrington, Ketchum Advertising, and Bozell & Jacobs, where he created the first Atari campaign, "Doreen, Come On Home".^{[3][failed verification]} From 1976 through 1979, Black did freelance work under the moniker, Robert Allan Black Productions, for the founder of Atari, Nolan Bushnell. Black created the entertainment portion and named the endeavor, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater.^[4][5][6]

During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Black developed his serial commercial campaigns, which he built as films, with character development, character arcs, turning points, and cliffhangers.^[7]

Black's serial advertising campaigns were reviewed in The New York Times which published an article stating, "probably never before has an advertiser used such elaborate plots, spread over so many commercials."^[8]

In November 1988, after being pursued by several film companies to direct,^[9] he left FCB and joined Travisano, DiGiacomo, Black films. Backstage Shoot magazine, the predecessor to the publication Shoot Magazine, printed a front-page article about his departure from advertising, stating, "The advertising industry has lost a true visionary, an inspired creative, who launched a new genre of broadcast advertising - the serialized commercial for Pacific Bell."^[10] Black was on retainer with FCB as Creative Director on Holland America Cruise Line and Westours through 1989.^[11]

Black won the Mercury Award given to the best Marketed Travel Campaign in the World for his work on Holland American Cruise Line/Westours.^[12] His work has won Clios, Cannes Lions, Mobius Gold, Andy's, Addys, and several Best of Show.^[13] He was nominated by the Directors Guild of America for "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials".^[14][15]

In 1999, Black directed an episode of the ABC television drama, Once and Again, starring Sela Ward and Billy Campbell.^{[citation needed]}

In 1992, Black wrote and directed, Let Them Run Free (1992), for the Starbright Children's Foundation^{[citation needed]} to benefit terminally ill children. The film was commissioned by Steven Spielberg and executive produced by Kathleen Kennedy. Black donated his creative work and filmmaking to the film, along with funding the finishing of the film.

In 2000,^[16] Black began shooting a documentary film called Borrowing Time,^{[17][failed verification]} which he partially funded.^[18] Later this story evolved into a feature documentary titled, Loving Henri (2017). It was filmed over a 14-year period in locations around the world and follows the journey of freed Nazi slave turned philanthropist, Henri Landwirth (1927–2018), as he attempts to free himself of demons that remain. Black is the managing partner of Loving Henri, LLC.

References

1. Boedeker, Hal (October 20, 2016). "'Loving Henri' arrives after 14 years". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
2. "Nashville Jewish Film Festival: Loving Henri". The Belcourt: Nashville's Nonprofit Film Center. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
3. "Atari's Very First Commercial". TechEBlog. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
4. Copyright Law Decisions: Robert Allan Black v. Pizza Time Theatres, Inc., et al. Commerce Clearing House. 1985. p. 17971. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
5. . Chuckecheesehistory.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
6. "Jasper T. Jowls". ShowbizPizza.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
7. Alsop, Michael (November 13, 1986). "Tune In Next Month To Learn How These Commercials End". Wall Street Journal: 31.
8. Stevenson, Richard W. (February 22, 1988). "Advertising; Pacific Bell's Mini-Series Campaigns". The New York Times: Section D, 9. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
9. "Onward and Upward…FCB star joins Travisano as Director". Adweek (HP12): 17. November 7, 1988.
10. Miller, Richard (November 4, 1988). "Robert Black Exits FCB/S.F. To Join Travisano Digiacomo". BackStage/Shoot.
11. Desalvo, Kathy (November 10, 2000). "Dir. Robert Black Goes Into Orbit". SHOOTonline. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
12. "Flashback: 5 Years / 10 Years". SHOOTonline. July 21, 2000. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
13. "Robert Black - Black Gold, Texas Tea". Directors - A Supplement to SHOOT. Spring Edition: 26. 1998.
14. "DGA Announces 1997 Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials". Directors Guild of America. February 5, 1998. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
15. Madigan, Nick (February 5, 1998). "DGA names commercial noms: Winners to be named at 50th awards dinner March 7". Variety. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
16. "Street Talk". SHOOTonline. April 5, 2002. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
17. "Borrowing time". WorldCat. OCLC 86118228.
18. Robert, Goldrich (May 3, 2002). "Coppos Films Signs Dir. Robert Black". SHOOT Magazine. Retrieved 20 December 2019.