Content creation/production company Bodega has added Emmy Award-winning creative director Haley Geffen to its New York office.
With a heavy focus on network branding and promotional projects, Geffen will help expand Bodega’s reach in content creation, building on its concept through production model. Geffen will continue her established collaborations with such networks as USA, ESPN, NBC and Discovery. In her extensive network experience, she has garnered numerous awards including four Emmys, an Addy Award and two Promax Awards. As a director, Geffen has helmed humor and action-driven spots for The Discovery Channel, Gatorade, TNT/NBA and Volkswagen as well as a humorous short video documenting the lovable Superbad nerd, “McLovin,” on his unconventional journey to the NBA All-Star game.
Geffen began her TV career at ESPN, where she spent nine years producing live programming for two of the network’s signature shows: SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight. During her tenure at ESPN, Geffen won two Emmys, and as a feature producer, interviewed and directed dozens of high-profile athletes such as Derek Jeter, LaDainian Tomlinson, LeBron James and celebrities Adam Sandler, Adam Levine and Matthew McConaughey.
In 2007, Geffen transitioned to Turner Sports, where she spent three years writing, producing and directing for the company’s Creative Services Sports Unit, an internal group responsible for TNT and TBS’s primetime NBA and MLB creative campaigns. Geffen earned recognition as one of the group’s directors for her work with Volkswagen, Gatorade and AVIS. Her most memorable directing experience involved the elaborate costuming of Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley for an integrated promotion with the 2010 summer blockbuster, The A-Team. Geffen earned two more Emmys and a pair of Promax Awards for her work on Inside the NBA and also received an “Outstanding Open” Emmy nomination for her individual work on the 2009 MLB postseason open.
In 2010, after a dozen years in sports television, Geffen transitioned to Discovery Communications’ internal creative agency, Discovery Creative. During her tenure, she was responsible for creating and executing launch campaigns for an array of Discovery networks including Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery and International. One of her biggest accomplishments involved the writing, directing and producing of TLC International’s launch commercial in Poland. She also earned an Addy Award for her Discovery Channel image campaign, “Born to Be Discovery.”
Upcoming work for Bodega, which also maintains an office in San Francisco, includes concepting Sunday Night Football for NBC Sports, Covert Affairs episodics for USA and concepting and creative directing a project in conjunction with Mr. Wonderful for ESPN’s Longhorn Network.
Directors Amy+Pilar and Jose Antonio Prat Join Reform School
Boutique content production company Reform has added comedy directing duo Amy+Pilar (Amy York Rubin and Pilar Boehm) and award-winning multicultural director Jose Antonio Prat to its roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded entertainment.
Partners in both life and art, Amy+Pilar are know for their sharp wit and comedic timing. Their synchronicity is evident in a body of work across TV, film and commercials. Prior to joining Reform School, Amy+Pilar had been repped in the ad market by production company Knucklehead.
Amy has directed high-profile comedy sketches featuring stars like Amy Schumer, Kate McKinnon, and Sarah Silverman. On the episodic front, Amy has helmed for series such as Fresh Off the Boat, Casual, Superstore and Angie Tribeca--as well as the pilot for the hit Netflix comedy Dead to Me.
Before joining forces with Amy behind the camera, Pilar was a psychotherapist, a background that informs her ability to create fascinating characters and stage irresistible, nuanced performances. Amy and Pilar’s shared passion for comedy brought them together. Their collaboration began with a Synchrony Bank campaign, starring cult-comedy favorite Maribeth Monroe (Workaholics), and they went on to direct the pilot of the Hulu series Love, Victor. Amy+Pilar’s ad fare also includes spots for Uber’s “Go-Get” campaign and “Shift,” starring Martin Starr.
“We have been fans of Amy and Pilar for a long time,” said Ryan Ennis, executive director at Reform School. “They excel at capturing comedic performances and dialogue. Coming from the TV and L.A. comedy scenes, they’ve built a strong following and collaborated with some of our favorite funny people.... Read More