Director David Edwards has joined CoMPANY Films, the shop headed by executive producers Richard Goldstein and Ron Cicero, for commercial and branded work in the U.S. In the commercial realm, Edwards is probably best known for his cinematic pub spots for Smithwicks and Buchanans, car work for Audi, and some astounding nature-infused promos for the BBC’s iconic Blue Planet series. Edwards is currently working on a global campaign for phone brand Oppo through agency VCCP.
“Beautiful images, natural light, interesting characters, fascinating technique, great performances, that’s why we signed David,” said Cicero. “His work has a distinctive voice that doesn’t bow to the latest trend.”
Coming aboard the CoMPANY Films roster reunites Edwards with Cicero. Edwards, who had most recently been freelancing in the U.S. market, was prior to that at Cicero’s former production house INVADER. Edwards shared that he had long wanted to work with Cicero. CoMPANY gave both men the opportunity to get together again. “I’ve known Ron for a number of years,” said Edwards, who prior to INVADER had been repped in the U.S. and U.K. by Rattling Stick. “And when Ron went to CoMPANY as EP, I decided to follow. It’s a really exciting opportunity for myself to be on a roster with enormous talent and at a company with a great industry-wide reputation.”
Edwards began his sojourn into commercials by way of art school (he has a degree in graphic arts and design). He first worked at Virgin Media (working with Cicero’s brother in law) where a test spot for Adidas led to Edwards gaining initial industry attention as a director to watch.
“In every job I take, I’m looking for something in the narrative or technique to get excited about,” said Edwards. “In spots and branding work, the visuals and casting are top priorities, but there’s always a risk that style takes over substance, resulting in an empty gesture.” Edwards points to some promo spots he did for the BBC. “BBC Creative asked me to come and shoot the promos for Blue Planet, so I jumped at the opportunity,” he recalled. “The second Blue Planet had been five years in the making, so we wanted to make sure the images were as good as the supplied script. The challenge in the end was to do the series justice, and I think we did just that.”
Edwards has global reach as a director. He’s repped by OB Management for commercials and music videos in the U.K. His other international ad affiliations include Trigger Happy in Germany, Les Fils De in France, Movie Magic in Italy, Zoom Films in Prague, New Life Films in Asia, and Sequoia Content in Canada.
