Robert Allan Black

Robert Allan Black is an American writer and director. He began his career as an advertising copywriter. His film work includes the feature documentary, Loving Henri (2017), which tells the story of Henri Landwirth (1927–2018), a former Nazi slave who became a philanthropist. The documentary was filmed over 14 years.^[1][2]

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

Early life

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

Career

Early Career in Advertising

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

During the late 1970s and 1980s, Black developed serial commercial campaigns. He conceptualized these campaigns as having character development, character arcs, turning points, and cliffhangers.^[7]

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

Travisano DiGiacomo and Black Films

In November 1988, after receiving offers from several film companies to direct,^[9] he left FCB and joined Travisano, DiGiacomo, and Black Films. Backstage Shoot magazine printed an article on its front page about his departure from advertising, stating that "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 remained on retainer with FCB as Creative Director for Holland America Cruise Line and Westours through 1989.^[11]

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

ABC

In 1999, Black directed episode 7 during season 1 of the ABC television drama, Once and Again, titled "The Ex-Files", starring Sela Ward and Billy Campbell.^[16]

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 funding to the film.

Borrowing Time

In 2000,^[17] Black began filming a documentary titled Borrowing Time,^{[18][failed verification]} which he partially funded.^[19] This project later evolved into a feature documentary titled Loving Henri (2017). Filmed over 14 years, in locations around the world, it follows the journey of former Nazi slave and philanthropist, Henri Landwirth (1927–2018). Black is the managing partner of Loving Henri, LLC.