Bicoastal Assembly has added director Samuel Bennetts to its roster. Previously repped by Acne, Bennetts has a body of work spanning commercials, music videos and short films.
Originally from Sydney, Australia, he now resides in Los Angeles. His spot for The Road and Traffic Authority is one of the longest running in Australia while his debut short What They Don’t Know was the opening film at the St. Kilda Film Festival and won at Sydney’s Flickerfest.
After directing his first short, Bennetts quickly fell into creating dozens of music videos for bands such as Rouge Traders, INXS, Grinspoon, and his childhood friends–Bluejuice. It was working on the visual for an INXS track remixed by Rouge Traders that catapulted him into working with VFX and established his reputation in this arena.
VFX is one of Samuel’s most treasured storytelling tools. His command of the medium combined with strong performance direction is highly sought after, having worked with brands such as Volkswagen, McDonald’s, Johnson & Johnson, Castrol, Ebay, Powerade, and Canon.
“From what I have seen, Assembly creates films that people love and are excited by,” said Bennetts. “They really cultivate their directors, pushing us on creative projects and experiences. I’m excited to further explore my character and emotion-driven work with Assembly, and ultimately create films that are distinctive and that are going to motivate people too.”
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More