Long-standing U.K. production house Gorgeous–which had been repped stateside via Anonymous Content for some 10 years–has now gone off on its own in the U.S. marketplace, opening a West Hollywood office under the aegis of executive producer Anna Hashmi. Via its new Southern California shop, Gorgeous will produce work for the American ad market, representing its ensemble of U.K. talent–including directors Frank Budgen, Chris Palmer, Peter Thwaites, Tom Carty and Vince Squib–to U.S. agencies and brands. Furthermore, Gorgeous has added a notable stateside director to the mix, Ellen Kuras who comes over from Park Pictures.
Kuras first established herself in the industry as a cinematographer before successfully diversifying into directing. Her TV spot helming credits span such brands as Nike, AT&T, Powerade and Delta. She made a major directorial splash in 2009 when her feature documentary Nerakhoon (The Betrayal) earned an Academy Award nomination.
A three-time recipient of the Sundance Best Cinematography Award, Kuras has lensed assorted spots for various directors, as well as feature-length fare for such filmmakers as Martin Scorsese (Public Speaking), Sam Mendes (Away We Go), Spike Lee (Summer of Sam), and Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Be Kind Rewind).
As for the caliber of Gorgeous’ U.K. roster, Thwaites won the DGA Award as Best Commercial Director of 2008. Palmer was nominated for the DGA Award based on his spot work in 2009 and Budgen is a two-time nominee for the DGA honor on the strength of his ad entries for 2007 and 2010. Gorgeous recently earned distinction as the D&AD’s most awarded production company of the last 50 years.
Gorgeous’ U.S. exec producer Hashmi had most recently served as Thwaites’ full-time producer.
Gorgeous has set up a network of independent rep firms to serve as its sales force in the U.S.: Resource handles Gorgeous on the West Coast, MKH in the Midwest, and Representation Co on the East Coast.
Director Lucrecia Signs With PRETTYBIRD For Her 1st U.S. Representation
PRETTYBIRD, the production company helmed by Paul Hunter, Kerstin Emhoff, and Ali Brown, has added award-winning filmmaker Lucrecia to its roster for U.S. commercial and music video representation. This marks the director’s first representation in the U.S. market.
Lucrecia has been signed to PRETTYBIRD UK since 2021, soon after winning UKMVA’s Best Pop Newcomer award for her Tarantino-esque music video for rapper/singer-songwriter Ashnikko--which the director pitched, prepped, and shot in only four days. Since joining PRETTYBIRD UK, Lucrecia has quickly made a name for herself. Her striking narratives, combined with a hyper-real aesthetic and iconic world creation, have been the centerpieces of her filmmaking and photography.
Her work has gone viral on more than one occasion. Her commercial for bibigo, “Live Delicious,” was widely admired and even recreated on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel. She has won awards from Kinsale Shark, Creative Circle, and UKMVA, as well as recognition at the Cannes Lions Young Directors Awards and Ciclope Awards.
Candice Dragonas, VP, talent strategy/executive producer PRETTYBIRD US, said of Lucrecia, “She brings a uniquely stylish approach to storytelling with the perfect splash of humor and playfulness. I admire her extreme passion for her craft and the drive to create at the top of her game.”
In addition to Lucrecia’s cinematic visual aesthetic, she routinely engages in another unique form of self-expression: nail art. She has had everything from whipped cream and cherries to chrome flames adorning her nails.
At PRETTYBIRD, Lucrecia joins a roster of filmmakers including Academy Award-winning duo Daniels (Everything Everywhere All At Once), A.V. Rockwell (A Thousand... Read More