Robert Caruso is a director and executive producer of commercials, music videos and branded content. Early in his career, Caruso co-founded Commotion Pictures, a San Francisco-based film production company, with Andrew Linsk. There, he directed music videos and began his commercial career. In addition, he represented a roster of directors and shared Executive Producer responsibilities. His music industry clients and artists included Warner's Green Day, A&M's

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yama ...

, Virgin's John Lee Hooker, Columbia's

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

, and Island's PJ Harvey. Work for ad agency clients included commercial spots for: Sega,

Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...

Taco Bell Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, includin ...

, and

Levi Strauss Levi Strauss (; born Löb Strauß ; February 26, 1829 – September 26, 1902) was a German-born American businessman who founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans. His firm of Levi Strauss & Co. (Levi's) began in 1853 in San Francisc ...

. Commotion produced brand films for Pacific Bell, Sega, Crystal Dynamics and others. After leaving Commotion Pictures, Caruso was recruited to Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), George Lucas's special effects company. With ILM's Commercial Production (ILMCP) division, he directed spots for Coors,

DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. I ...

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

, Kraft,

Motorola Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent public companies, Motorol ...

, and Sprint He directed three music video titles for actor/musician Will Smith, winning awards for "

Men In Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi- government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesse ...

" and "Will2K"."Will Smith heads into the next Willenium", ''Billboard'' Magazine October 9, 1999, p. 3

In collaboration with ILM's Academy Award-winning animators and special effects artists, he directed several character animation projects. Robert garnered many industry honors at ILMCP including a Clio, London International Advertising Award, Anicom Animation award, MTV Award, Billboard Magazine Award and Grammy nomination. Following his work at Industrial Light & Magic Caruso directed through commercial production companies HKM Films and later

Rhythm and Hues Studios Rhythm & Hues Studios was an American visual effects and animation company, that received the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1995 for '' Babe'', in 2008 for '' The Golden Compass'', and in 2013 for '' Life of Pi''. It also received fou ...

. Caruso currently works as Director and Executive Producer out of the San Francisco-based film production company, Caruso Company. Caruso's collaborations include film, music, and sports talent – creating memorable work with celebrities, as varied as actors

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

, Arnold Schwarzenegger, America Ferrera, and

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...

or sports figures, such as baseball great

Hunter Pence Hunter Andrew Pence (born April 13, 1983), nicknamed "The Reverend", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San F ...

, skateboarder

Tony Hawk Anthony Frank Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first documen ...

, basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, and hockey legend

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

Video

*Early Green Day music video Co-Executive Producer by Robert Caruso, "Longview" * "Men In Black" music video (director) *" Just Cruisin'" music video, starring

, (director)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caruso, Robert Living people American music video directors Year of birth missing (living people)