Hot Icarus Introduces Diageo’s Ready To Serve Cocktail Trio In Their Latest Spot —Because No Party Is Complete Without A Cocktail In Hand!

Hot Icarus bring their energetic, cinematic style to their latest spot introducing Diageo’s newest line of cocktails Cocktails. 

With a fabulous adaptation of an iconic track lining the evening, we’re thrown into the glamor of a house party, featuring sparkly gowns, disco balls, well cut suites and, most importantly, a Cocktail in hand.

Hot Icarus had this to say about the project: “We wanted to take an approach to the project that felt dynamic, fun and energetic, but also maintained the precision, effortlessness and elegance of the featured product. 

Dancing our way through two days on set to a playful, London twist on an iconic track - Here Comes the Hotstepper - it was a pleasure to work with the talented teams from Diageo, Hey Human and Another to bring this project to life.”

CREDITS

DIRECTORS Hot Icarus

DIRECTORS AGENT The Visionaries 

AGENCY Hey Human

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lee Bonnick

PRODUCTION Another Production

HEAD OF PRODUCTION Tanja Adams

PRODUCERS Fiona Boakes,  Alex Dawson

DOP Ben Cotgrove

1ST AD Tom Kelly

PRODUCTION DESIGNER Kelly Sinclair-Smith

MOVEMENT DIRECTION Mikey Boateng

EDIT Scott Hatton

COLOURIST Alex Gregory @ No8

SOUND DESIGN / Max Brodie

The Visionaries Signs BAFTA and Two-Time Emmy Award-Winning Animal Documentary Genius Mateo Willis

Whether it's landmark natural history for Netflix and the BBC, or intimate stories between humans and wildlife for commercials and brands, Mateo stumbles his way through the understory of nature, searching for, in the wise words of Werner Herzog, 'an ecstatic truth'.  

Human-animal relationships weave their way through the majority of Mateo's work, a reflection of his semi-wild childhood in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. 

He's poured heart and soul into many landmark series, including Planet Earth 2, Blue Planet 2 , Our Planet, Dynasties, Life Story and Frozen Planet, and made highly acclaimed films for National Geographic and Netflix. 

His incredible talent for guiding human interactions with the natural world also shines through in his commercial work. Mateo has produced charming work for the likes of Battersea Dogs & Cats, Frontline Plus, Petzl, as well as for musicians like James Blake. 

As executive producer and director, he's most recently been a part of Omnivore. This premium doc series explores human culture through the lens of food, and is steered by the creative vision of Cary Fukunaga, director of Bond - No Time to Die, and Rene Redzepi, of Noma fame. Currently, he's writing a fictional feature based on a woman's search for a whale, for Brouhaha Entertainment, and has just finished directing a film for Apple TV on our troubled relationship with tuna. 

Davide Cantelmo, lead Directors’ Agent at The Visionaries, has this to say about the signing: “Meeting the person behind your favourite piece of entertainment is rare. It's even rarer to find that they are not only skilled filmmakers but also exceptional individuals. This was my experience with Mateo Willis, a driven creative talent and seasoned storyteller who has transformed the way we narrate animals' lives. From pioneering new technologies to capture elusive subjects, to his commitment to presenting the stark impact humans have on our planet, Mateo stands out in the world of nature documentaries. Representing him commercially is a great honour, and I see a bright future for him and The Visionaries.”

The Visionaries Boosts Its Comedic Roster With The Addition of Remy Cayuela

We are thrilled to announce the latest addition to our stellar comedy roster: the dynamic and award-winning French-American director, Remy Cayuela! 

Celebrated for his unique blend of comedy and cinematic flair, Remy brings a fresh wave of creativity and humor to our expanding comedy repertoire. Remy’s journey in the world of visual storytelling began with his critically acclaimed graduation film, The Deafgame, which wowed audiences and critics alike on the festival circuit. His knack for crafting visually stunning and humorous narratives quickly propelled him into the spotlight, leading to collaborations with top-tier musical artists such as Naive New Beaters, Wilkinson, Duke Dumont, Capital Cities, and Jax Jones.

Cayuela’s expertise extends beyond music videos to an impressive array of international commercials for household names like BEATS, Heineken, Gillette, McDonald’s, Belvita, Renault, Citroën, LU, Philips, Société Générale, EuroMillions, Meetic, Carrefour, Hanes, Nivea Men, Travelzoo, Younited, and Vanarama. Notably, in 2023, he directed a brand film for McDonald's covering nine Middle Eastern countries following the Qatar World Cup. His 2024 slate includes over 15 commercial spots worldwide, solidifying his reputation as a versatile and sought-after director.

Known for his impeccable casting and subtle comedic performances, Cayuela excels in directing a wide range of talent, from seasoned actors and celebrities to amateurs and even animals—especially dogs with whom he claims to communicate fluently!  His distinctive visual language and meticulous attention to detail enable him to effortlessly traverse various genres while maintaining a consistent, engaging, and humorous point of view.

Based between Paris, London and Los Angeles, Remy loves to team up with creative teams and clients to make the most out of an idea. Known for his visual cinematic style, Remy is also a writer/director who loves working with dialogs. When he’s not on set directing commercials, he develops fiction, writes and shoots more.

The Visionaries are beyond excited to welcome Remy’s vibrant and inventive approach to comedy and storytelling to the roster!

Leo McCrea Gives Us A Glimpse Of The Full Hilton Honors Experience With Lando Norris and Aarav Amin

Leo McCrea’s latest film for Hilton and McLaren, launched ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, stars Lando Norris, Aarav Amin, the beautiful coastline of Monaco, and some seriously speedy vehicles.

Lando Norris gives Aarav Amin the full Hilton Honors treatment, complete with a helicopter ride and a thrilling taste of McLaren's incredible speed.

If only airport transfers were always this cool!

Leo had this to say about working on the project… “With multiple locations, road closures, precision drivers, super cars, helicopters, some live phone conversations and some picked up this project required next level planning and execution. We managed to cram in a-lot into two days with a great team and lots of great ideas from Dentsu CDs Jordan and Will, it was a great collaborative experience. 

McLaren Racing and Hilton have maintained a long-standing partnership since 2005. This collaboration allows Hilton to offer exclusive experiences to its Hilton Honors members and provides the McLaren F1 team with a comfortable "home away from home" at Hilton hotels in various race locations worldwide.

Credits

Production Company - The Gate Films

Director – Leo McCrea 

Director’s Agent - The Visionaries

DOP – Simon Rowles 

Creative Directors – Will Marsden and Jordan Down at Dentsu Creative

Business director – Henry Carless

Account director – Blythe de Gruchy

Exec producer – Rhiannon Lewis 

Senior producer – Hollie Newton

Production manager – Lindsay Cowan

PA – Abi Hughes

AD - Paul Vallespi 

Local Producer - Maud Hezaro 

Location services - Orange Films 

Camera Operator - Christopher Hill 

1st AC - Fabien Gonzalez 

Drone - Karim Landais 

Gaffer - Vincent Leborgne 

Tom Brown’s Latest Campaign Series Captures Life’s Chaos, Made Stress-Free By Beko Appliances

Tom Brown's latest advertising campaign for Beko, a prominent home appliance brand, focuses on showcasing the ease and efficiency of their products amidst the chaos of daily life. The campaign emphasizes Beko’s commitment to sustainability and innovation, highlighting their appliances designed to make life more manageable.

In several of the spots, Tom puts our eyes on the machine, as we watch the chaos of life be made simple with Beko home appliances. 

CREDITS 

PH: Mental!

Director: Tom Brown

Directors Agent: The Visionaries

Executive Producer: Ege Yasar

Producer: Duygu Aykol 

Director: Tom Brown

Directors Agent: The Visionaries

DOP: Alp Korfalı 

Agency: VML London

Luke Logan Crafts a Mesmerizing Cinematic Experience for McLaren Automotive

Visionaries’ director Luke Logan melds the nostalgic beauty of 35mm with cutting-edge virtual production tools to create a stunning new film for McLaren.

Luke had this to say about the film: “Shooting on 35mm film, with anamorphic glass, motion control and virtual production, my biggest focus with this project has been maintaining a human and delicate edge amongst the inevitable technical challenges. I think this combination is a world first, and I'm glad we could prove that the latest tech doesn't distance us from a visceral viewing experience, in fact it can facilitate it and open up new possibilities”.

Paul Mortlock, DP, elaborates: “We wanted to do everything in camera. Working within VP helped us to do that, It made capturing something extraordinary very easy. 35mm was the natural choice for this experimental film. I chose 200T for the VP scenes and daylight exterior (corrected) & 500T for night exterior.”

Additionally, here are a few words from Nathan at Pathway XR, the Virtual Production studio: “Pathway is keenly interested in experimenting with non-traditional ways of working, and this project was a great opportunity to do just that. From a VP Supervision perspective, our vision was to shoot real-time on celluloid, which presented technical challenges but overall added an organic feel to the film that would have been hard to achieve digitally in post. We also used the benefits of VP to shoot sequences more safely than on location and we also experimented with video plates mapped to 3D geometry.”

CREDITS

Director - Luke Logan-Malik

DP - Paul Mortlock

Steadicam - Chris Higgins

1AC - Sam James

2AC - Dan Mcaffray

Trainee - Caleb Antwi 

Motion Control - G6 Moco

Lighting team courtesy of Drop City

Desk Operator - Tom Shepley

Executive Producer - Nathan Newman

Executive Producer - Alex Wareham

Producers - Luke Logan-Malik, Paul Mortlock, Mark Eastwood

VP Studio - Sir Sydney Samuelson stage at Pathway XR Manchester

VP Supervisor - Nathan Newman

Senior Tech Artist - Ryan

Tech Artist - Luqman Kahn

Cast - Tori Davies

VFX - Richard Van De Steenoven at Straight to the biscuits.

Grade - Felipe Szulc at NOMAD.

Sound design - Dean Covill at  Rabble Post

Huge thanks to:

The Visionaries

MOB Film Co

Ultron Films

RAW Post Consultants

DropCity Ltd

We are ecstatic to unveil the phenomenal signing of Sebastian Magnani! ⭐

Sebastian Magnani is Switzerland based photographer known for his intimate portraits masterfully utilising light and color to create emotional scenes.

His latest series “Daily Bat” skilfully captures the aura of the cultural icon Batman, and places him within the context of our normal, everyday reality. The figure Batman becomes a person with whom we can identify with, seeming to sympathise through a shared sense of isolation.

With clients ranging from global corporations to leading media outlets, Sebastian's work consistently garners acclaim for its creativity and influence.

His list of clients encompasses a wide array of esteemed brands, featuring tech titans like Apple, media moguls such as BBC Music and The New York Times, lifestyle icons like Zurich Film Festival & Levi's Skateboarding, as well as fashion staples from Omega & IWC Schaffhausen to Freitag.

His work has also been featured in distinguished publications like ABC News, BBC World News, and The Guardian.

Tim James Brown’s Commercial for Flonase Brings Hayfever Relief to Bridgerton… Only 200 Years Too Late

Allergy Sufferers in Bridgerton Must Wait for Flonase This Hay Fever Season!

Visionaries director Tim James Brown captures full period glamor in his latest commercial for Flonase, who partnered with the makers of Bridgerton to bring relief to hayfever sufferers on their daily perambulations.

With the highly-anticipated new season of Bridgerton dropping on May 16th, which sees Miss Penelope Fetherington and Mr Colin Bridgerton (aka ‘Polin’) stepping into the spotlight, Tim shines the spotlight on a different kind of 'Polin' this Spring.

CREDITS

Clients: Shondaland & Flonase.  

Writers: Sandie Bailey & Chris DiIorio @ Shondaland.  

Director: Tim James Brown.  

Directors Agent : The Visionaries

Production Company: PMA Film & TV.

Producers: Pip Ayers & Harry Hardwick. 

DOP: Denis Crossan.  

Editor: Matthew Prickett (WORK). Costume Stylist: Emily Wilson  Casting Director: Belinda Northcliffe  

Colourist: Rich Fearon @ Black Kite. VFX Lead: Matt Jackson @ Black Kite. Post Producer @ Black Kite.  Sound: Raja Sehgal / GCRS.  Music: Mcasso. Music Producer: Mike Connaris Composer: Mike MacLennan 

Explore the Modern Day Haunting of 1920s Home Life with Erste Bank

The Visionaries’ director Chris Fowles transports viewers to the 1920s with a commercial offering a reverse-ghost story, where characters are haunted by present-day renovations. 

With incredible cinematography and nods to classic horror films, the brand's playfulness shines through, all while maintaining an unsettling atmosphere.

A unique twist on a timeless genre for Erste Bank.

Director Chris Fowles had this to say about the project: “...It had to have a solid internal logic, every ‘haunting’ could feasibly be explained by workmen in the present day. 

We had the chance to reference some classic horror, The Others, The Shining etc but with the playful charm and twist the brand is known for. 

I wanted to do as many of the effects in camera as possible, building multiple fake walls, dust-deploying rigs and pulley systems. Our art director Bojan was incredible, everything you see in the frame is original and of the period. We basically took over the only intact pre-war apartment in central Zagreb for a few days to test and prep everything before shooting for 2 days. 

Style wise, in contrast to the bright colourful vibe of our previous film ‘The Challenger’, this one needed an unsettling tense atmosphere, which Pete and Luka captured perfectly."

Credits:

Director: Chris Fowles

Agent: The Visionaries

Production Company: Val Produkcija

Producer: Petra Galić

1st AD: Pere Cukrov

Agency: BBDO & Jung Von Matt

Creative Director: Almir Okanović

Agency Producer: Tena Nojkov

Director of Photography: Luka Trajkovic

Production Designer: Bojan Drezgic

Post Production: The Mill London

Colourist: Peter Oppersdorff

Editor: Sara Gregorić

Sound Design: Frano Homen

VFX: DreamDust VFX

Casting: Martin Gibbons

Indulge in togetherness at Beko’s Ramadan table - brought to life by Zaeem Asad 😋

Zaeem Asad has us licking our lips at this colourful Ramadan table — full of health, togetherness & excitement. His latest commercial for Beko combines mesmerizing shots of food preparation and some killer camera transitions with the joyful spirit of collective celebration as we near the end of this year's Ramadan. 

Zaeem had this to say about the project… “When you create without the inhibition of the outcome, that’s when magic unfolds! I’m grateful that my passion has become my work, a labor of love. I always strive to work in collaboration and allow every person involved to bring their best self. Beko was a project where I feel we all made space for one another, and it was all the better for it; I’m forever thankful for that…”

CREDITS

Client: Beko

Agency: VML London

Executive Creative Directors: Philip Siegle (London), Basel Jumaa (Jordan)

Production Company: Dat Films London

Executive producer: Tugba Selvitopu

Director’s Agent: The Visionaries

Director: Zaeem Asad

Producers: Ulgen Demir, Oguzcan Dagcakrak

1st AD: Selin Selosaurus

DOP: Alp Korfali

Gaffer: Mehmet Toz

Art director: Tuncay Özcan

Food stylist: Maksut Askar

Post production: Pixel Post Production

Colorist: Canberk Erdoğan

Introducing The Visionaries Exciting New Signing Ben White ✨

Ben White creates unique and visually arresting films that offer a fresh perspective on reality. As a director, he is known for strong visual storytelling, and blending performances with a little humour and a lot of heart. 

His talent has earned him two D&AD awards and multiple British Arrows nominations, and he has worked on various commercials for some of the world's biggest brands, including British Airways, Cadbury's, Emirates, Ikea, Miller, Facebook, Sky, Sony, Virgin, and the BBC.

Ben White had this to say… “Things are a-changing, and the Visionaries broad-reaching network of creative partnerships is at the vanguard of that shift, It offers a rich opportunity to connect and collaborate with fellow creatives and producers to craft, hone and bring to life new ideas and fresh thinking… I can’t wait to get started!”

Watch our compilation of his work below:

LEGO's Latest Message to Young Girls: Ditch 'Perfect'

Jessie Ayles celebrates the creative power of girls in her latest work for LEGO. The film is the second instalment of Lego’s  ‘Play Unstoppable’ campaign, which aims to challenge gender stereotypes and empower girls. The series comes after the brand commissioned global research into the societal trends affecting children’s creative confidence. The study—of more than 61,500 parents and children between five and 12 years old across 36 countries—revealed that girls’ confidence in their creativity declines as they get older.

In Jessie’s film, we watch as parents observe the internalized messages exhibited in the girls’ attitudes toward playing with LEGO, and discuss the measures they plan to take for building their creative confidence. It explores how small changes to our language can make a big difference, removing the pressure for perfection and allowing girls to play unapologetically.

The majority of parents also noted that gendered descriptions are commonly used to assess the creative outputs of male versus female creators, with terms such as “pretty,” “cute” and “beautiful” commonly attributed to girls, while words such as “brave,” “cool” or “genius” are more often applied to boys. For Lego, these findings are extremely meaningful, as it views itself as a champion of creativity.

CREDITS

Production Company – Treehouse Films

Agency- Exposure

Creative - Sally Green
Director – Jessie Ayles 

Directors Agent - The Visionaries

Exec Producer – Matt Rendell

Produce – Francesca Di Muro

DOP – Kia Fern Little

1ST AD – Janine Frank

3rd AD - Nathan Mills

2nd Cam Op-Oliver James Robbins

Gaffer - Sam Cook

Sound Recordist - Louis Innis

Art Director – Bianca Zehra

Art Assistant- Ida Hedqvist
Editor – Jenna Bowden 

Grade – Karol Cybulski @ Cheat

Paris El-Said Brings his Innovative Storytelling Approach to The Visionaries ✨

Whether you’re in search of a commercial infused with cinematic beauty, brimming with emotions, or one that exudes a Gen Z attitude with bold and dynamic style, Paris El-Said delivers excellence at its zenith! With a history of over a decade of directing commercials for esteemed clients, he has solidified his position as a highly sought-after director.

Effortlessly navigating the intricacies of technical work, Paris not only meets expectations but also extracts exceptional performances from his cast and crew. His ability to seamlessly blend complex visuals with compelling storytelling, has been recognized with numerous awards along the way. Beyond the surface of subject matter, Paris elevates every project, infusing it with heart, soul, and unparalleled cinematic beauty.

Much of his work transcends traditional genre boundaries, seamlessly blending live-action and animation in a stunning and often humorous way. Watch our compilation of his recent work below:

Introducing The Visionaries Photographers

Not only do The Visionaries represent the best in freelance commercial directors, but we also offer up a rich and diverse roster of photographers. From stunning portrait stills to high-end fashion, we have the right photographer to cut through to your audience 📸

  

JOHN WRIGHT 

 FASHION | PORTRAIT | ART INSTILLATIONS 

John's practice delves into the realm between art and science, with a specific focus on the interplay between an 'event' and its subsequent reconstruction within gallery spaces. 

HARLEYMOON KEMP

 FASHION| LIFESTYLE | BEAUTY

Harleymoon Kemp spent 8 years as a fashion and celebrity photographer and in 2020 turned to directing, making her the perfect match for her recent clients; GHD, Triumph Lingerie, Bobbi Brown, Ghost, Primark and has her work featured in store windows and magazines such as Vogue, GQ and Blanc.

PAUL BARULIS

 CELEBRITY | FASHION

 Paul's photography is stylish, composed and brimming with beauty and sophistication. He has worked alongside Kylie Minogue, Rosie Huntington-Whitley, Keira Knightley, Zayn Malik, Tom Hiddleston, and Alexa Chung to name a handful.  

SIQI LI

 PORTRAIT| STILL LIFE | LANDSCAPE

Siqi Li is an image maker based between London and Beijing. She has a sustained interest in landscape representation, identity and still life.She engages with her subjects through a wide range of photographic approaches, from hand-held digital to large-format film camera. 

HENRY DEAN

 PORTRAIT | COMMERCIAL | LIFESTYLE

Henry's sharp sense of humour and stylish sensibilities make for a beautiful body of work with photography that captures the spirit of all of his subjects.  

HANA ZEBZABI

 FASHION| PORTRAIT

Hana Zebzabi is a self-taught British/Moroccan photographer who has made a name for herself through her striking and captivating imagery. Her work often takes place in iconic cities like London, Los Angeles, and New York, which serve as stunning backdrops for her artistic vision. 

MELODY MAKER

 COMMERCIAL | CELEBRITY | SPORT

Melody Maker's intertwined fantasy and stunning visual effects seeps into her vibrant photography work with sharp and crips images that burst with colour. 

TIM SPENCE

 FOOD & DRINKS | LIFESTYLE 

 Tim's passion for food, the arts and his eye for beauty comes together in to make a delicious and portfolio that feels like a celebration of life and wonder. 

Alan Friel’s New Film for Mayo County Council Highlights the Perils of Drunk Driving

Award-winning commercials and film director Alan Friel raises awareness about the risks of drunk driving through a narrative of two friends and the contrasting decisions they make following a night of drinking. The film shows how seemingly small decisions make a big difference to the trajectory of one's night and, by extension, one's life. 

Alan cleverly uses this narrative arc, in addition to a carefully curated soundtrack, to educate the viewer on both the dangers of drunk driving as well as the precautions being taken by the authorities to combat it. 

Alan had this to say about the project: “Shot in my home town with local performers, this spot was a joy to shoot and has a serious message to convey. Each year more 18-25 year olds die on Irish roads than anywhere else. With zero tolerance in place in Ireland, even one pint is too much to drive. This campaign aims to show that if you do go out and drink, then choose wisely and get a taxi”

CREDITS:

Client - Mayo County Council

Prod Company: WesternFront Studios 

Director - Alan Friel

DOP - Brian Durcan 

Producer - Emer Durcan

Colourist - Rossa O’Dowd