Robert Allan Black

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

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, loosely based on his years playing college football, and Austin City Limits, a love story set in Washington, DC and a Texas Honky-Tonk.

In 1970, Black got a job 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, Ketchum Advertising, and Bozell & Jacobs, where he created the first Atari campaign, "Doreen, Come On Home".^{[3][failed verification]} From 1976 through 1979, Black did freelance work under the moniker Robert Allan Black Productions for Atari founder, Nolan Bushnell. Black created the entertainment portion and named the endeavor Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater.^[4][5][6]

During the late 1970s and 1980s, Black developed his serial commercial campaigns, which he conceptualized as films with character development, character arcs, turning points, and cliffhangers.^[7]

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

In November 1988, after being pursued by several film companies to direct,^[9] he left FCB and joined Travisano, DiGiacomo, and Black films. Backstage Shoot magazine printed a front-page article 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 won 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]

In 1999, Black directed an episode of the ABC television drama, Once and Again, starring Sela Ward and Billy Campbell.^{[citation needed]}

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.

In 2000,^[16] Black began shooting a documentary film called Borrowing Time,^{[17][failed verification]} which he partially funded.^[18] Later, this story evolved into a feature documentary titled Loving Henri (2017). Filmed over 14 years in locations around the world, it follows the journey of freed Nazi slave turned philanthropist, Henri Landwirth (1927–2018), as he attempts to free himself of remaining demons. Black is the managing partner of Loving Henri, LLC.