Director Geordie Stephens has joined the Bullitt roster for commercials and branded content. His diverse body of work is defined by tapping simple human truths and unexpected situations to produce genuine emotion and comedic impact. The ongoing conversation between brand and viewer has been explored throughout Stephens’ career both on as a director and as an agency creative.
Stephens comes over to Bullitt from Tool of North America. Early on during his tenure at that company, he earned inclusion into SHOOT’s 5th annual New Directors Showcase in 2007.
Bullitt EP/president Luke Ricci described himself as a long-time fan of Stephens’ work, adding that the director’s “comedic and visual chops are of the highest caliber and I’m constantly impressed with the way he finds layer upon layer of nuance to his shots and performances resulting in richly textured content that cuts through the clutter.”
Raised by in an artistic community by radical parents, Stephens was a world-class gymnast who gave up endless hours of practice to study installation art, graphic design, and museum design. As he moved from the intensity of gymnastics to the precision thrill of cliff diving, Stephens also leapt into agency art direction and creative direction. At Crispin Porter+Bogusky in Miami Stephens was became a top art director with award-winning campaigns for IKEA, Truth, Virgin Atlantic, Burger King, Sprite, and VW (Grand Clio winner). He went on to work for a number of creative agencies before transitioning to the director role.
In directing, Stephens has found a perfect home for his enduring passion for narrative. His penchant for irreverent, playful social commentary has earned awards and recognition at Cannes, AICP Show, and The One Show. Among his noted projects are collaborations for Amazon, The Grammys, Days Inn, and Freedom Mobile.
“Bullitt is a culturally relevant, filmmaker-driven company, which makes it an especially interesting place to create,” said Stephens. “Their fearless approach to branded storytelling is the ultimate director’s playground–informed by an expertise in entertainment-charged advertising.”
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More