Creative production house London Alley has added international director Melody Maker to its roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials, branded content and music videos. The London-based Maker’s most notable work includes BMW’s “Nightride” featuring musician and writer Nabihah Iqbal, Revolut’s collaboration with U.K. boxer Anthony Joshua, a campaign for Oppo Reno 2, and music videos for U.K. hitmakers Greentea Peng and Mahalia.
With expertise in visual storytelling and VFX, Maker had been repped in the U.K. by The Mill+ from 2018-’20 before shifting to freelancing, which she continues to do, in that market. At The Mill+ she directed and advised on live-action projects with VFX integration.
Meanwhile prior to joining London Alley, Maker had briefly been repped in the U.S. by Great Guns. Self-taught and self-made, Maker has a passion for storytelling that was sparked during her previous career in fashion as a creative director leading efforts for lifestyle and fashion brands.
“London Alley is home to some of the top directorial minds in the business, each of us bringing something unique to the table,” shared Maker. “As a visual storyteller at heart, I love experimenting with various techniques and mediums to infuse a distinctive texture into my films. My focus is on achieving movement and fluidity, ranging from choreography to VFX and beyond. I’ve always admired how London Alley elevates their clients to cultural transcendence, so I am looking forward to showcasing my style on future projects.”
London Alley founder Luga Podesta said, “Melody has that rare ability to bring her vision to life through an artistic style that’s completely her own. It’s obvious why she’s made such a name for herself in the U.K. and we couldn’t be more excited by her limitless potential here in the U.S. with our team.”
Maker’s directorial credits also include shooting in the deep underbelly of the Mississippi Delta for the award-winning Starz TV network show, P-Valley.
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More