(New York) Sorrel’s style is edgier, but has won over the hearts of writers pitching conservative pieces as well. He prides himself on his story telling abilities. One of his stories, a test spot for Scope, won the 2005 CFP-E/Shots Young Director Award in Cannes. Between his talent and how easily he works with others, we are delighted to have Sorrel as part of our team on his way to the top.
(San Francisco) Hank’s passions include story telling, gardening, cooking and his family. Whatever he is doing, Hank exudes a love for ’REAL’ moments, ’REAL’ people and, whenever possible puts them to film; still or motion. He loves his job! He takes boards and makes them come alive in a way you never imagined was possible. Hank has had many opportunities to work with world renowned brands with big budgets and huge crews. This has helped build his career to what it is today, but some of his most memorable moments are those shot with a tiny crew and a budget to match.
(New York) Bilingual (English, French) Director, Laura Belsey. In Laura’s spare time away from commercials, she directed a documentary about the children who survived Hurricane Katrina, which devastated her hometown of New Orleans. Laura’s spots are mini masterpieces. Her "New York, New York" spot for the Coalition for the Homeless is on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Art.
(Los Angeles) Comedy, comedy, comedy. Grady prides himself on working with some very talented people (Chris Rock, Steve Martin, and Larry David to name a few). He has directed a comedy series for the Spike network and also worked on the popular "Hell’s Kitchen" with Chef Ramsay. Grady has been heard saying that no matter what he’s working on, he will gladly fake a kidney stone for some time off for the right boards!
(Vancouver) Ian began his career with a bang as the recipient of "The Most Promising Filmmaker" in the BC student film festival. He hung up his camera for a while as he became one of Vancouver’s go to animation voiceover actors. To top that, he created a few of his own animation series. With an Emmy in his back pocket, Ian returned to filmmaking which has always been his first love. Quirky, funny, subtle, odd, and sometimes broad are all hallmarks of Ian’s style. If it makes you laugh, or even just curl up your mouth with a smirk, Ian is in his element.
(Detroit) Stunning visuals, high tech and vividly colourful, are the trademarks of Dan Hackett. With a history in art direction as an Executive Creative Director at WB Doner, Dan has mastered the perfect commercial. He is accomplished in comedic, visual effects oriented, dramatic and technical styles. The production value and non-traditional approach he brings to the table are second to none.
(Vancouver) Tara brings with her extensive experience in TV series, short films, music videos and the art of telling a story in thirty seconds - the commercial! She was the Winner of the 2006 Kodak Image Award and has been nominated for the Leo Awards 9 times. Over the past few years, Tara has done work with the popular "The Shopping Bags", "Making it Big" and the CBC Mini-Series "The Week the Women Went".
(Los Angeles) Joe combines his storytelling ability with sharp comedic timing. His sense of humour goes a long way to make for a comfortable set and putting the actors at ease. Joe’s not afraid to cast real people off the streets in his spots, believing some characters will never just walk into a casting office.
(Vancouver) Director and Cinematographer, Shaun Lawless has shot everything from 35mm to High definition to DVCam, all with the beauty of a photographer’s eye. He has directed celebrity talent such as Alex Trebek, comedic spots for the Alberta market and tabletop for Boston Pizza. His travels take him to Toronto and Asia on a regular basis as he expands his market shooting high-end commercials as a Director of Photography.
(Los Angeles | Vancouver) Edgy and stylized, award winning Director and Cinematographer Cliff Skelton, is renowned for his rich visuals, comedic timing and powerful communication. ‘Busy Driver’ for Alberta Traffic Safety Action has aired for an unusually long run due to its convincing and ingenious approach. Cliff’s experience also expands into the world of music videos and feature films.
(Vancouver | Los Angeles) An accomplished Director, J.B. earned his MFA from the American Film Institute where he produced an Academy Award winning short film. After graduating, he moved around working in various locations, including Toronto, Budapest and Los Angeles, until landing his feet firmly on BC soil. He has co-created a game show with Henry Winkler, acquired an Emmy nod for producing a movie for Paramount & Showtime and directed multiple episodes of television. J.B. is well known for his directing, writing and producing credits on the award winning Canadian series, "jPod" based on the novel by Douglas Coupland. J.B.'s work with dialogue coupled with his unique visual style is considered a valued asset to the commercial production world.
(Los Angeles) Mitch Teller creates ads that range from darkly comedic to special effects driven to cheerful toys and food. The fun really starts when he does them all at the same time. He has worked on Saturday Night Live and the satirical comedy rubs off on some of his spots. He has an incredibly artistic approach that suits all genres and offers superior production quality.