CoMPANY Films–the shop under the aegis of executive producers Ron Cicero and Richard Goldstein–has signed director Ben Nakamura Whitehouse for exclusive commercial representation in the U.S. This marks the director's first commercial production house representation in the American ad market. Whitehouse has helmed comedic, production-design intense spots for Subway, Twix, X/Twitter, Amazon, Pinterest, Nissan and Skoda, among others.
Growing up alongside an engineer-minded father and an accomplished fine artist for a mother, it was almost inevitable Whitehouse would be attracted to a creative profession that encompassed a diverse set of problem solving skills. “I had very little exposure to TV growing up, but was lucky to find a steady source of new and classic movies–which I loved,” said Whitehouse. “So when I walked into a London office as an assistant in my late teens, I really had a very limited idea of what commercials were–or how they could be related to the movies. Fortunately the office I walked into was Michel Gondry’s, at the very height of his commercial career. I was like, ‘Wait, you can do commercials like that?!’ AND, get paid for it?’ It was all so incredibly glamorous. For a kid who grew up with a ceramics kiln in his kitchen, I was immediately hooked.”
Whitehouse put his head down and proved his worth as a ghost writer for some major spot directors, a unique kind of film school that ultimately led him to the director’s chair. “I absolutely love collaborating with agencies to continue to evolve the creative; to create unique settings, often heavily art directed, to elevate the creative and make sure whatever genre we are working in–westerns, adventure, monster sci-fi, etc.–that we bring an authenticity to the screen,” he said. “Not so much keeping it true-to-life, but rather true to the cinematic style.”
Whitehouse has assorted examples in his library of work that embody this authentic-minded approach. One recent standout is a western stunt tribute for IRN-BLU, a 120 year old Scottish drink. “We must have looked at 30 classic cowboy films, plus more sardonic takes like The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Blazing Saddles,” said Whitehouse. “We were inspired by all of them, incorporating little Easter eggs into each scene, right down to the final frame in the product shot. Audiences appreciate this ‘pop-culture authenticity’ and can sense the care it took to make–while still knowing it’s a commercial message.”
Whitehouse continues to be repped by Stink Films in the U.K., Germany, the Czech Republic, Brazil, China, Singapore and Japan.
