Directors Are Filmmakers And/Or Hustlers, This One’s A Filmmaker

“I was seduced.” -Doug Nichol

“Sunshine” is not your typical “making of” video. Rather, it’s a dark look at globalization and our role in feeding the machine, from director Doug Nichol.

In this short film, which is making the film festival rounds this year, Nichol illustrates what that the phrase “Sunshine” means in China. The staffers at McDonald’s agency want “Sunshine people,” or people who are very happy, to help it sell its client’s fast food. “It’s all about happiness,” Nichol broods.

The camera work in this film is excellent. So is the editing/pacing. But what really stands out for me are all the zingers this guy delivers. Of course, as a director he’s much freer to say the things that people on agency team may want to say, but won’t. Things like: “You get to be creative, but you know, you’re doing it for McDonald’s.”