U.K.-based director Anthea Benton has signed with bicoastal/international Partizan for exclusive commercial representation in the U.S. and worldwide.
Most recently, Benton was affiliated with London-based Concrete Films for spot projects, and was handled stateside by rep firm Creative Management Partners, bicoastal and Chicago. Among her commercial credits are "Nightmare" for Powergen via Saatchi & Saatchi, London; "Penguins" for Sony, also via Saatchi & Saatchi; and "Starfish" and "Shoes" for Barclaycard via BMP DDB, London. Most recently, she wrapped a spot for butter substitute Olivio, featuring seniors portraying Romeo and Juliet; the job, which was shot in Tuscany, came out of Bartle Bogle Hegarty, London.
Benton explained that she had been looking to make a move. "I had to sign an international deal with Partizan," she assessed. "Truthfully, it was one of the reasons I went there—I needed to be in a much broader-scale company that had its own creative identity. My biggest problem [with Concrete] is that I’m a top-drawer director and I was in a small company that was isolated in terms of its representation in other countries. Although it served me well in my own territory, it was never going to be as effective in serving me on a broader scale."
In the process of choosing among possible roosts, Benton decided to look at company showreels and select the one displaying the most creativity. Partizan won, said Benton, "hands down." She added, "What’s good about them is that they manage to be a very successful company while continuing to protect the creative strength of their directors. A lot of companies haven’t managed it with the same degree of success. It was really obvious to me that [Partizan] had, and that was a very attractive feature."
Additionally, Benton has had a professional relationship with Partizan president/partner Steve Dickstein dating back to the mid-1990s. At that time, she was teamed with director Vaughan Arnell (now a partner in London shop Godman and repped stateside by Los Angeles-based Palomar Pictures) in the co-directing team Vaughan & Anthea.
Benton and Arnell, who co-directed as a duo for 13 years, were briefly partnered in now defunct company Federation, which was affiliated with Dickstein’s roost at the time, bicoastal/international Propaganda Films. "I’ve always liked Steve," said Benton. "I always thought, after splitting up with Propaganda, that we’d collide again in some form or another, and I’m really happy we have."
Dickstein echoed Benton’s sentiments, noting that he and the director have had a long-standing, mutually agreeable relationship since their former partnership. "I’m a big fan of both of them [Benton and Arnell]," said Dickstein.
"Anthea has developed a new identity on her own," continued Dickstein, "and I’m just thrilled with the type of work and with the sensitivity and the maturity of her work at this point. It’s really adjusted to the market in terms of its human sensibilities combined with terrific design and technical know-how. The combination of those things is, to me, the high art of the business … to be able to get to a deep sense of humanity and emotion, but also do it stylishly. And few have been as technically adept as Anthea has been for years. Their [Vaughan & Anthea’s] work was always leading edge in terms of using technology and having it disappear into the fabric of the work."
Benton launched her career with Arnell in ’83 and spent the following eight years co-directing music videos for artists such as George Michael, Simply Red, Terence Trent D’Arby and Jamiroquai.
In ’91, Vaughan & Antheajoined London-based Lewin & Watson, where they moved into commercial work—their first ad was a black-and-white Wrangler spot "DJ" via Simons Palmer, London. It was considered a groundbreaking spot in that it used rap music, which no major company had done up to that point, noted Benton.
Among their notable credits is the :60 "Creek," an acclaimed Levi’s spot via BBH, London. The black-and-white 1870s period piece offers two young Amish girls who get an eyeful when they happen upon a handsome bare-chested man washing himself in a creek. "Creek" won numerous honors, including a Cannes Gold Lion, two Silvers at the British D&AD Awards, and the Grand Prix at the British Television Awards. Other credits include "Reflections" for Smirnoff via Lowe Howard-Spink, London, in which scenes of a surreal wedding are transformed by looking through a bottle of vodka. The spot won a ’95 Cannes Silver Lion.
From ’93 to ’95, Vaughan & Anthea was signed to Chelsea Pictures, New York, for U.S. representation; credits at Chelsea include an epic Wilson’s Sporting Goods spot "David & Goliath" via Ogilvy & Mather, Chicago and New York, which debuted on the ’95 Super Bowl.
After three and a half years at Lewin & Watson, Vaughan & Anthea went on to Federation, through which the duo completed a Stella Artois spot "New Shoes" via Lowe Howard-Spink, London—the last project co-directed by Benton and Arnell. It won a ’97 British D&AD Silver award for best direction.
In ’96, Benton and Arnell decided to pursue separate directing careers. Benton took the next two years off to start a family before returning to directing. Relating that she is reluctant to be pigeonholed, she added that she has tried to steer clear of any fashion projects. "I can blow up buildings just as happily as I can make women look sexy," she observed.
Benton noted, "The real challenging part of it to me now is to work with very interesting people, be they actors or ‘real people.’ Viewers want to be touched by human beings making a connection, and that’s the biggest part of what my creative force is about now."
Commenting that her strengths are in art direction, strategy and film language, Benton said she’s been very privileged to work on spots with "the cream of creative society."
Benton is currently being bid on an undisclosed project from a New York agency, said Dickstein. Partizan is repped stateside by Los Angeles-based Michael di Girolamo on the West Coast and most of the Midwest, and by New York-based Geren Lockhart on the East Coast and in Detroit.
