Boutique production company Florence has added Parker Schmidt to its directorial roster, marking his first signing for representation in the U.S. Schmidt found his way into directing from his background as a competitive downhill skateboarder, where his world travels and brand relationships catalyzed a lifelong passion for film. Now behind the camera, Schmidt’s work embodies high-grade art direction, intentional craftsmanship, and lensed moments that capture the human experience.
Following his career in action sports, Schmidt was accepted to MASE Art School in Berlin, after which he began working as an art director for brands like Leica Camera, Nike, and Corona Beer. Once introduced to commercial filmmaking, his directorial style came to life, shooting ads across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
His body of work includes spots for Lexus, Cadillac, Porsche, Hyundai, REI, CHIMI, Aero Airlines, Apple, Free People, Sharenow, World Sports Games and The Wall Street Journal. Schmidt remains committed to pushing his artistic boundaries as a filmmaker, frequently directing creative shorts like Bowl of Life, Ascension, and the experimental short Requiem. He’s won accolades like Best Sport Film at the Santa Monica International Film Awards and Best Skateboard Film at the Mountain & Adventure Film Festival.
Schmidt said of signing with Florence, “I clicked so quickly with [company founder and EP] Jerad Anderson when we met on a project for Lexus earlier this year. The same goes for [managing director/EP] Ned Brown, who immediately showed a profound interest in getting to know me and what I aspire to achieve. The creative alignment of the stars was set in motion to build trust and understanding for our shared creative pursuits, which sealed the deal for me. I’m excited to see what we can make happen together.
Anderson added, “Parker and I connected on surfing initially, but that conversation pivoted towards creativity and film. His ability to direct very action-forward stories makes his films incredibly compelling, and the cinematic results speak for themselves. We’re thrilled to have him on our roster at Florence and look forward to partnering with Parker in the next steps of his filmmaking career.”
