Go Deep Sea Diving With James Morgans new spot for Ottonova

James Morgan is known for capturing the beauty of the world in his films. However this time James has you thinking about the dangers of the world with this harrowing film for German insurance firm Ottonova. In this ad for the German market, we see a scuba diver navigating through caves and finds himself surrounded by sharks. 

Accompanied by a sound design that has you at the edge of your seat this spot is a departure from his past underwater films. 

His spot for Creme De La Mer had him dive into the wonders of the deep blue ocean to promote their partnerships in ocean conservation, and his Netflix Film Jago: A Life Underwater is about an Indonesian Fisherman who runs across the bottom of the sea to hunt fish.

Who knows what part of the world James will capture next, all we know is that an incredible story will accompany it. 

Tom Brown joins The Visionaries

The Visionaries have just expanded their extraordinary roster - please welcome, the imaginative and multi-talented, Tom Brown!

With a wealth of experience in post-production and live action, Brown’s skill set spans a diverse and wide range.

Brown has done everything from technical composition to motion graphics, to designing and illustrating for campaigns. He’s done spots for Channel 4 and 5, as well as BBC.

In the last few years, Brown has dived into the realm of writing and directing, working with brands such as Curry’s, Gumtree, and Captain Morgan.

Regardless of what role he plays, Brown always brings his off-kilter humour, bright and bold visual style, and playful animations to his work, creating an almost Edgar-Wright-like vibe to a lot of his work.  

Recently, Brown has just created 4 new spots for NatWest. The hilarious, bold, and quirky ads star an Anchorman-esque mascot titled The Dean of Downtime, who aims to give students more fulfilling experiences. Brown has added his own personal goofy and colourful charm onto these ads, making them all the more memorable and spectacular.

We can’t wait to see what other one-of-a-kind innovative work Brown will create in the future.

Johnny had a lot of Lamb in his latest ad

Innovative director Johnny Han has epitomised the miserable and exhausting experience of the airport we all feel by using sheep.

Han’s latest ad for flight app, Jetsmarter, titled “Sheeple Hero,” took the brand’s initiative to “#FlyHumanely” quite literally. Han uses the metaphor of “herding sheep” in a unique spot-on manner, as he compares all the waits and lines at the airport to feel like a sheep in a herd

The hilarious and original spot showcases just a few of Han’s many skills. Mixed with stunning fast cuts of both the scenery and close-ups, smooth editing, and a knack for a clear and concise narrative, Han nails the line between eccentric and relatable.

Interestingly enough, despite being critically acclaimed and praised for his VFX skills, Han chose to forgo VFX and used real sheep in the ad! Han got a surprisingly focused and in-line performance out of those sheep – quite the feat for any director.

With Jetsmarter, Han continues to push the boundaries, showing the public all the skills and talents that he holds – we can’t wait to see what other tricks (and animals) Han has up his sleeve.

Johnny Han writes, directs and produces Crypt TV's 'Terra'

Creative visionary Johnny Han has added another masterpiece to his impressive and diverse repertoire.

Han, a multi-Emmy award-winning director and creator, has recently created a short horror film commissioned by Crypt TV, a well-renowned entertainment company backed by Jason Blum known for “distributing horror themed digital content.”

Han wrote, produced, and directed the short film “Terra,” about a Mother Nature incarnate that possesses the elements and takes revenge on those who have wronged the earth. Released only a little over a month ago, the video has racked up over a million views in its first week in its Facebook release, and now has over 800,000 views on YouTube.

“Terra” is just the latest addition to Han’s ever-growing list of works. Han first made a splash in the industry through his VFX work, lending his unique touch to blockbusters such as 2012, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Pacific Rim. He’s also won two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the TV show, Heroes, as well as a Daytime Emmy last year for his work in, Lost in Oz.

In the past few years, however, Han has started to cross over into live-action directing, primarily working on commercials and the occasional music video. A few notable works include spots for Jaguar, McDonald’s, and the Ghost in the Shell game. Recently, Han shot an ad for Philips Shavers X Star Wars limited collection.

Regarding his shift into directing, Han says that while he will always love VFX work, directing has given him “a more expansive creative playing field to truly dream up stories that go beyond pixels on the screen.” To Han, all the higher stakes are “hands down worth it” when considering his “opportunity to affect people.”

Han states that commercials were perfect to dive into live-action directing since it involves the “same production professionalism” as VFX, involving the ability “to objectively understand [the] client’s intentions… [while] at the same time injecting just enough of [his] own personal creative fervour into the process.” Describing this skill as “the most valuable thing [he] learned in 18 years of VFX,” Han appears to be applying it perfectly to his current works.

A quadruple-threat, Han’s just beginning to show us all the tricks he has up his sleeve.

Gundeep's 'The Last Stand' takes on The World Cup

With the World Cup going on right now, football is on everyone’s minds – including ours. So, it’s only fitting to see our very own Gundeep Anand be featured in Adidas London's latest World Cup campaign, which revolves around the usage of creativity to answer challenges in people’s cities. 

The Last Stand, London’s largest street football tournament created by Gundeep himself, was featured in a series of clips in which Gundeep directed. In Gundeep’s own words, The Last Stand aims to use “sport to unite people and break down barriers,” an ideal message for the campaign. 

Gundeep has chosen to focus the films on four different players, allowing them to share their story in a concise, punchy, and bold way. Using his unique style that “blends… intimacy, humanity, and humour” to showcase just how football has changed these people’s lives, Gundeep proves that he has and will continue to create exceptional work.

James Morgan Joins The Visionaries

Esteemed documentary director James Morgan has joined The Visionaries for representation. As well as having shot pieces for Vaseline, Grant's Whiskey, Facebook and more, James has made a plethora of short and feature films, including the feature documentary film 'Jago' featured on the BBC and now on Netflix. 'Jago: A Life Underwater' tells the story of Rohani, an eighty year old Indonesian deep sea hunter who descends deep underwater for several minutes on end. James' latest film Seven, a BFI-backed drama shot up in the high Arctic, is due for release this year. 

Known for his breathtaking visuals, James is partnering with The Visionaries to produce groundbreaking cinematic work for the documentary advertising market.

You can view all of James' work here.

Sye Allen Directs Dreamy New Spot For Pol Roger

Director Sye Allen's new spot 'A Duty To Delight' is all about capturing the nostalgia of endless summers days. Shooting for Pol Roger, Sye highlights the effervescent quality of those long summers, whilst of course drinking champagne.

Speaking on the shoot, Sye had the following to say. 'We shot it in September in the UK which is always a risk, especially on this occasion given the content of the film… But it paid off. I wanted to create a mystical atmosphere where all the elements of a perfect celebration come together, and it’s the effort we see going into this moment that really ties in with Pol Roger’s brand identity.'

Speaking on the creative process: 'It wasn’t about individual characters, it was about creating a clear character for the piece as a whole. Working closely with my cinematographer Sam Care we developed a visual language for the film, deciding to use uncoated master primes and a series of crystal diopters, which gave us loads of characterful internal reflections and allowed us to hide information when we wanted to, in a stylish & ethereal way.'

On working with the brand: 'Working with Pol Roger was a great experience, once the monitors were up each image sold itself, which was a reflection of the amount of homework we’d done prior to shoot day. We managed to achieve a great deal in a very short amount of time and even afforded ourselves a little wrap party as the sun was finally disappearing, drinking Pol Roger obviously. Mr Churchill would have been proud.'

Credits:

Producer - Elliot Tagg
Director of Photography - Sam Care
Creative - Mick Brigdale
Grade - Toby Tomkins, Online/VFX - 1920
Director and Editor - Sye Allen

You can view more of Sye's work here.

Fords and Forests: 'Driving Experience' by Martin Bennett

Directed by Martin Bennett, Ford Kuga's  "Driving Experience" captures audiences with stunning visuals. 

Our protagonist trades in the comfort of her home in search of an off-road adventure. She experiences the best of both worlds: swerving and skidding through muddy terrains while sitting on lavish leather seats. The kitted out dashboard put her in full control and she ventures off into the sunset embracing technology and the outdoors as one. 

This cinematic experience is one for car and nature lovers alike!   

Click HERE to check out more of Martin's work. 

The Visionaries represent Martin Bennett for commercials and content to 'in house' and production companies in the UK.