Director Daniel Wårdh has joined the roster of Stept Studios for representation in the U.S. spanning commercials and branded content. This marks his first time being repped in the American ad market.
Originally from Gothenburg, Sweden, Wårdh started his filmmaking career combining the tempo and attitude of street culture with his passion for music and fashion. Growing up a skateboarder, and seemingly always having a camera in hand, Wårdh adopted a first approach to filmmaking which had him acting as a one man band where grand ideas meant experimenting and refining his style on his own. In his early days, he looked at limited budgets as fuel for developing creative visions. Today, Wårdh’s self-taught and unrestrained approach combined with years of experience on new projects with diverse teams has created a visually-driven style that differentiates him as a director.
With music as his main source of inspiration and as an avid record collector, he has an extensive collection on deck that helps lead his creative process. His latest project for Amazon, “A Job for You,” shows off his playful curiosity as a director and his talent for symmetry in his transitions. Wårdh has also led projects for brands such as Haagen-Dazs, Subway, H&M and IKEA.
“Daniel’s approach to filmmaking is experience-focused creative that allows the viewer to connect with the brand instead of just watching the commercial,” said Nick Martini, founder of Stept Studios.
Wårdh added, “I’ve been following the works of Stept for quite some time and always found their work and roster super inspiring. Not only is the work they put out really good, but they also seem to be a tight group of people working together for the love of film. I couldn’t be happier to now be a part of it.”
Wårdh is also represented by Camp David Film in Sweden, Peoplegrapher in Germany, SatelliteMyLove in France and Karat in Belgium/UAE.
Stept Studios is a creative and production studio based in Los Angeles, Toronto and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More