Yeah, pinch me.

With the recent passing of legendary filmmaker David Lynch, I was reminded of the time many moons ago and early in my career when I had the unforgettable experience of working with him on a series of commercials for the Sci-Fi Channel (now called Syfy).

My art director partner and I had shot several weird, enigmatic little spec films with my Canon 310XL Super 8 movie camera for the new business pitch.

The series explored the ostensibly innocent yet somehow creepy nature of everyday suburbia where things aren’t always what they seem (especially when a Sci-Fi Channel logo appears from out of the blue. Which then begs for a reappraisal of what you’d just witnessed).

We won the pitch and approached David to help us explore the potential of the campaign and to apply his own dark, unsettling lens to it all.

Here is one of our original Super 8 spec films, followed by David’s far slicker 35mm remake. At the time, even David himself acknowledged that, in terms of creep factor, it’s hard to beat the grainy, oddly voyeuristic nature of Super 8. (I’m also including a few of the other final spots in the series.)

At any rate, he was incredibly charming and polite. On set, his attention to detail was nothing short of mesmerizing. He’d carefully consider every frame, every shadow, every whisper of sound, and yet there was always this sense of curiosity and playfulness beneath it all. Watching him work was a reminder that true creativity comes from embracing both light and darkness.

RIP David Lynch: You were a true one of kind artist and visionary who could surprise, disturb, and inspire all at once and in equal measure.