NARRATIVE | COMEDIC | VISUAL STORYTELLERS
J&K Schaack
Justin & Kristin Schaack [that’s us] are a comedy directing duo that have been making films and marketing content together for almost 20 years. We’re a married team that began our creative partnership in the theater waaaaaay off-broadway: 6th grade, middle school productions. That probably explains why we remain wide-eyed, playful, and imaginative.
Since our illustrious career on the middle school stage, we’ve found success directing independent films that have screened at 300+ international film festivals and have received numerous audience choice and jury awards, including Best Short Film & Best Direction at the 2019 New York City International Film Festival and the “Fun Is Good BILL MURRAY Comedic Shorts Award” at the Twin Cities Film Fest, handpicked by living legend Bill Murray!
In addition to our comedy films, we direct and produce commercial content for brands like Target, Best Buy, St. Jude’s Medical, and Buffalo Wild Wings in order to bring home the bacon. And by ‘bacon’ we mean ‘money,’ which can be exchanged for goods & services, like bacon!
Many tell us that they can’t imagine working side-by-side with their spouse, but for us, we can only imagine working together. We even finish EACH OTHER’S SENTENCES. [Sorry for the caps; we just started typing at the same time!]
APPROACH / LOOK & FEEL
It’s our mission to craft visual stories that are poignant, bring joy and humor to break boundaries with audiences that might otherwise be impenetrable. We have a shared vision of the final picture, and our individual qualities perfectly complement one another throughout the process. Justin focuses on the technical approach and directs with an editor’s mind, constantly cutting the story in his head before, during, and [in many cases] literally after the shoot. Kristin focuses on performance and has an incredible eye for detail, allowing for second and third time viewers to discover nuances that they maybe didn’t catch the first time.
Witty dialogue combined with situational humor is our jam. We’ve made multiple projects that tell a story without dialogue at all, which breaks language barriers and is ideal for viewers that don’t turn on the sound.
We’re adaptable while staying true to our personal style and have a strong handle on “what works” for the audience. An actor we worked with once said, “Justin & Kristin find a way to make the absurd feel real and funny.” We take that as a great compliment; it means our strategy is working!
CASTING & PERFORMANCE
Our shared upbringing in theater influences our approach of developing characters with descriptive backgrounds. We create a supportive environment for our actors to play without fear, which unlocks stronger performances. Meeting with talent to discuss character motivations is pivotal to the success of our stories. And although, preparation is key, we enjoy working with improvisational actors and dancers to find unexpected moments. It’s a balanced relationship based on professionalism with a soupçon of shenanigans.
INFLUENCES
We have film degrees from USC [J] & Chapman University [K]. Besides massive student debt, those diplomas come with an appreciation for the works of Godard, Welles, and Truffaut. With that being said, we prefer a Hollywood comedy and have a fondness for whimsy. Being kids of the 80s, we’re heavily influenced by the works of Spielberg, Disney, classic episodes of The Simpsons, and sitcoms; TGIF was a big deal for both of us. As alumni members of our high school show choir and musical productions, we also love the theater. You’ll probably hear us singing Little Shop of Horrors, Les Misérables, or any other Broadway show tune at a moment’s notice.
PORTFOLIO
3M Bright Screen Privacy Filters | broadcast spot
CLIENT - 3M / KC Truth
direction
Best Buy Small Appliances | pre-roll campaign
CLIENT - Best Buy / Dyson / Keurig / Kitchen Aid
direction | copywriting
Target Clinic - Talent Acquisition | online
CLIENT - Target
direction
Ranked Choice Voting - That's Broken | spot campaign
CLIENT - FairVote MN
direction | copywriting | edit
Lively - Amazon Alexa | online spot
CLIENT - Lively / Amazon
direction | copywriting | edit
Closed Loop Printer Recycling | online spot
CLIENT - Best Buy / HP / Energy Star
direction | copywriting | edit
Reward Zone Point Partners | spot campaign
CLIENT - Best Buy | Reward Zone Partners
direction | copywriting
Protect Your Doritos | spot
SPEC - Doritos
direction | copywriting | edit
ADDITIONAL PORTFOLIOS
COMMERCIAL | https://vimeopro.com/abovethelineent/commercial
TESTIMONIAL & CORPORATE DOCUMENTARY | https://vimeopro.com/abovethelineent/doc
SELECT FILMS
The Family We Chose
Two in-laws build a connection over the dynamics of the family they married into.
Written, Produced, & Directed by Justin & Kristin Schaack
Starring Taj Ruler, Tom Reed, Maggie Pistner
Director of Photography: Kyle Moe
Original Score Composed by Andy Stermer
-- AWARDS --
LOUIE ANDERSON AWARD | Z-Fest
BEST OF FEST - Honorable Mention | Oneota FF
2nd Place Overall | Z-Fest
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, Maggie Pistner | Z-Fest
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN | Z-Fest
-- FILM FESTIVALS [20+ official selections] --
Beloit International Film Festival
Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival
Catalina Film Festival
Fargo Film Festival
Harrogate Film Festival
Pasadena International Film Festival
Sioux City International Film Festival
South Dakota Film Festival
Sunscreen Film Festival
Twin Cities Film Fest
Woods Hole Film Festival
Fairy Tail
A hopeless romantic discovers an unlikely intruder and finds love at first fight.
Written, Produced, & Directed by Justin & Kristin Schaack
Starring Leslie Vincent & Andy Rocco Kraft
Director of Photography: Kyle Moe
Original Score Composed by: Andy Stermer
--- AWARDS ---
Twin Cities Film Fest | The Fun Is Good BILL MURRAY Comedic Shorts Award
New York City Int'l Film Festival | Best Short & Best Directing
Catalina Film Festival | Best Actor, Female Comedy: Leslie Vincent
International Shorts | Best Comedy
Bristol Independent Film Festival | Best Comedy
Ocean Coast Film Festival | Best Comedy
Snake Alley Festival of Film | Best Comedy
Independent Days International Filmfestival | Best Short Shortfilm
Benicia Film Festival | Best Short Short Film
Big Water Film Festival | Best Short Short Film
Lobo Fest - Festival Internacional de Filmes | Best Very Short International Film
Short Shorts Film Festival | Best Film/Audience Choice
Austrian Film Festival | Best Love Film
South Dakota Film Festival | Best Romantic Comedy Short Film
Iowa Independent Film Festival | Critic's Choice Award
Nassau Film Festival | Princeton Tiger Award
Speechless Film Festival | Best of Fest - MN Made
--- NOMINATIONS ---
Austrian Film Festival | Best Short, Best Comedy
Nacht van de kortfilm [Belgium] | Best International Short Film
Clean Shorts Film Festival | Best Petite Short Film
ME Film Festival | Best MicroShort Film
Twister Allley Film Festival | Best Comedy Short & Best Directing - Comedy Short
Austin Revolution Film Festival | Best Fantasy Film, Best Editing, Best F/X
New York City International Film Festival | Best Actress
-- FILM FESTIVALS [85+ official selections] --
Quarantined with a Ghost
During a global pandemic, a woman is quarantined to her home with a ghost for a housemate.
This short film was fully written, produced, and edited by Justin & Kristin Schaack
in 48 hours...during a Global Pandemic.
--- AWARDS ---
Audience Choice: Best Comedy - Sioux City International Film Festival
Best Short Film For These Unprecedented Times - South Dakota Film Festival
Best Supporting Female Actor [Susannah Eckberg] - Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project
-- FILM FESTIVALS [official selection] --
Cambria Film Festival
Papaya Rocks Film Festival
Sioux City International Film Festival
South Dakota Film Festival
Twin Cities Film Fest
Vox Popular Media Arts Festival
Rag Dolls
Playtime goes haywire when a child discovers rag dolls in an antique chest. Her imagination runs wild, but for the dolls’ real-life doppelgangers, self-control is out of their hands.
Written, Produced, & Directed by Justin & Kristin Schaack
Cast: Presley Grams, Andy Rocco Kraft, Lauren Masiello
Director of Photography: Ryan Grams
Original Score Composed by: Andy Stermer
-- AWARDS --
BEST FILM | Short Shorts Film Festival | Duluth, MN
BEST FILM & AUDIENCE CHOICE | Films in 5 Film Festival | Cottage Grove, MN
BEST MEDIUM SHORT | Clean Shorts Film Festival | Oklahoma City, OK
BEST SUPER SHORT FILM | Slumberjack Film Festival | Widnes, United Kingdom
BEST SHORT SHORT FILM | Benicia Film Festival | Benicia, CA
BEST SHORT SHORT FILM | Big Water Film Festival | Ashland, WI
BEST EXTREME SHORT FILM & AUDIENCE CHOICE | River Film Festival | Padova, Italy
BEST SHORT FILM & AUDIENCE CHOICE | FAM Fest International Film Festival | Charlotte, NC
BEST FILM - Made in Minnesota | Highway 61 Film Festival | Pine City, MN
BEST SHORT COMEDY | South Dakota Film Festival | Aberdeen, SD
BEST COMEDY | Sunderland Shorts Film Festival |Sunderland, United Kingdom
BEST COMEDY | Short & Sweet Film Festival | Orem, UT
BEST COMEDY | Hyart Film Festival | Lovell, WY
BEST PHYSICAL COMEDY & AUDIENCE CHOICE | Laughter Film Festival | Vincennes, IN
EXCELLENT SHORT FILM | Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival | Seoul, South Korea
AUDIENCE CHOICE | Riverside Short Film Festival | New Haven, MO
AUDIENCE CHOICE | KINOdiseea Children's Film Festival | Bucharest, Romania
AUDIENCE CHOICE / BEST FAMILY SHORT | Gold Coast International Film Festival | New York, NY
YOUTH AUDIENCE CHOICE | Reel Shorts Film Festival | Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
CRITIC'S CHOICE | Iowa Independent Film Festival | Mason City, IA
HONORABLE MENTION | Rahway Reel Short Film Festival | Rahway, NJ
HONORABLE MENTION | Marin International Film Festival | Marin, CA
SPECIAL MENTION | Miami Independent Film Festival | Miami, FL
BEST FILM EDITING | The Mespies | Minneapolis, MN
BEST MUSIC | The Mespies | Minneapolis, MN
-- FILM FESTIVALS [100+ official selections] --