Superlounge has signed director Brett Wagner for U.S. spot representation. His work over the years spans such clients as Road Runner, McDonald’s, American Savings Bank, Lexus, Toyota, Hawaiian Airlines, Starwood Resorts, Burger King, United Way and Mobi PCS.
Wagner, who previously spent nearly a decade in Honolulu (he continues to be repped for that market by Moana Productions), began as an agency creative but soon transitioned into directing. Also notable for his work outside the commercial arena, Wagner directed the short films Chief and Care; both won “Best Dramatic Film” at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. The former debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival while the latter premiered at Palm Springs. Care continues its festival tour with a screening at this month’s Newport Beach Film Festival.
“I first discovered Brett’s immense talent and gift for storytelling during an LA Shortsfest screening of Chief,” said Brady. “When I saw his arsenal of comedy spots, I knew he could do anything.”
“I’m attracted to both comedy and drama,” Wagner explained. “It seems that my spots have been mostly comedic and my longform projects more dramatic, but even my comedy is rooted in believability and naturalism. Sometimes a dramatic tone is a great setup for a comedic payoff.”
For example, Wagner’s new spot for First Insurance Company of Hawaii (via MVNP) depicts a hiker going through a sun-dappled forest against soft music, enjoying the perfect hike. There’s nothing funny about it–until the hiker emerges from the trailhead and discovers a boulder has crushed his car. Another of his spots, Hawaii Energy’s “Lightbulb Bullies” (via Wall-to-Wall Studios)–which, like Wagner’s “Good Thing” for Mobi won a 2013 Silver Addy–plays like an anti-drug PSA; instead of drugs, the kids are fooling around with incandescent bulbs.
Wagner was introduced to Superlounge by David Zellerford (now at Ogilvy Entertainment), who produced the director’s feature Five Years and who has worked numerous times with Superlounge. “We hit it off, and when Jordan checked in with me recently, the time seemed right to join forces,” Wagner said. “I think my style is in the same universe as the other directors on the roster, and also brings something new.”
Wagner grew up in Cleveland and earned an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In the midst of the festival tour for Five Years, Wagner won a position as sr. copywriter at one of Honolulu’s preeminent advertising agencies and embarked on a successful tenure as an agency creative. He also continued directing, taking on budget-challenged PSAs, including one for United Way that won a regional Addy Award. Two year later, he made the move to spot directing full-time, working steadily. During that time, Wagner made Chief, one of the first Hawaii-made and Polynesian-themed films to get into Sundance. Chief was followed by the short Care, which like Chief won the Oscar-qualifying honor of “Best Dramatic Film” at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival.
On the screenwriting front, Wagner’s adaptation of the New York Times bestselling memoir, "The Devil’s Teetch," for executive producer Terrence Malick, received a Sloan Foundation Development Grant from the Tribeca Film Festival. Wagner’s other adaptations include the memoir "Adrift," chronicling Stephen Callahan’s epic survival story, with Tim Matheson producing and directing.
Wagner joins a Superlounge roster consists of directors Jordan Brady, Daniel Sheppard, and Jacob Slade.
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More