French Butter, the food and beverage production company based in Chicago and Los Angeles, has added director/DP Timothy Hogan to its roster. A veteran director, Hogan got his start in still photography and brings extensive experience shooting liquids, fashion and jewelry, among other product categories, to the company.
Hogan brings more than just a DP’s eye to the French Butter talent offering. An experienced teacher, writer and lecturer, he’s done everything from building studios to teaching courses at his alma mater, Syracuse University, to being published in some of the industry’s leading creative and design publications. A self-professed tinkerer who got his start in film after filling just about every role when it came to lighting, rigging and styling his many still shoots, he shares insights into everything from how to approach client relations to keeping your creative spark on his social media channels.
With a reel that includes work for a wide range of brands, Hogan adds an extra dimension to the French Butter roster, which includes founding director/DP Brett Froomer as well as director/DP Jennifer Davick. Hogan’s film work includes such brands as Absolut Vodka, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Sam Adams, Courvoisier, David Yurman, Miller Coors, Johnnie Walker, Gucci and Chanel. Prior to joining French Butter, Hogan had most recently been directing independently.
“Tim has that special eye for detail, lighting and composition that you often find when photographers move into film direction,” said Froomer. “And he’s a true magician when it comes to shooting liquids. I’m looking forward to working with him as we integrate him and his workflow into the French Butter family.”
“I want to surround myself with a team, with people who I like and respect who can lift me up,” said Hogan about joining French Butter. He was drawn by the fact that French Butter is a family owned company, and woman-owned to boot, as Froomer’s wife, Susan, is CEO. “Brett has this quality to him that’s so sharing,” he added. “I’ve never had a mentor in my career, and that’s what this feels like. I just gravitate towards that, and I’m looking forward to learning new things from him and his team.”
Hogan explained that his approach often involves pushing the boundaries of motion control and leveraging robotics, high-speed cameras and special effects to create kinetic, starry visuals. Where did this fascination come from? “It’s one of those unexplainable things that I think separates my work from others in the tabletop world,” Hogan said. “Rather than being bright and pretty, I like things that are a bit more visceral, that have a sense of drama and sexiness. I’ve always responded to these kinds of assignments.”
“In addition to being an amazing artist, Tim is also an entrepreneur, a business owner and a thought leader when it comes to filmmaking and photography,” said French Butter executive producer Irec Kriske. “He’s truly a go-getter, and we were very impressed with him during that bidding process. Our coming together is really serendipitous, as we were looking for a director with his unique expertise at the same time that Tim was looking for a more structured form of production and sales support. It was just perfect timing.”
French Butter has also added to its sales team. Jenny Lumpkin and Dani Jackson, partners and sales agents at indie firm The Cre8tors, will handle French Butter sales to agencies on the East Coast as well as for all brand assignments nationwide.
