Bicoastal Cultivate.Media, a commercial and content production company overseen by managing director/executive producer Mark Thomas, has made two key additions: director Ryan Johnson for exclusive U.S. spot representation, and Stuart Wilson as executive producer.
Brooklyn-based Johnson is a Tisch grad who distinguished himself out of the gate, winning the Young Director Award at Cannes with 2015’s Nike “Buckets,” and then following it up with Jordan’s “Limits Like Fears.” Johnson’s sports, travel, and documentary chops have taken him all over the world since, helming projects for Storyhunter, AMEX, McDonald’s, Bombas, and others. Johnson was previously repped by Dapper in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile Wilson’s career in the film and branded industries includes the formation of L.A. production company Right Brain Media, which had a dozen-year run, thanks to his EP skills and A-list director relationships (George Hickenlooper, James McTeigue, and more).
“Ryan’s work is unique in the context of the vast majority of documentary commercials,” said Thomas. “So much of what’s done is simply an interview with B-roll. Ryan’s films are so much more textured than that. The way he engages with real people is at a deeper level than many, and the storytelling techniques employed are very much his own. Put those pieces together and the level of engagement achieved with the viewer ends up truly exceeding expectations.”
Of Wilson joining the fold, Thomas said, “Stuart’s experience at a very high level in our industry is only exceeded by his sterling reputation. He’s a respected executive producer who has already demonstrated terrific thought leadership and insight into our company. We are looking forward to having an unprecedented season of growth, success, and fun with Stuart on board.”
Ryan Johnson
Of Cultivate.Media’s Thomas, Johnson said, “Mark’s input has been super-helpful, and has put me in a great position to move my career forward.”
With a solid foundation from NYU/Tisch’s Graduate Film Program, Johnson’s journey has revolved around telling stories that resonate, regardless of the format. While at Tisch, Johnson benefited from the mentorship of Carol Dysinger (co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary Learning To Skateboard in a Warzone), and Spike Lee, whose dexterity across narrative, non-narrative, and branded work inspired Johnson to follow in his footsteps. Both Dysinger and Lee championed his work and assured Johnson he was on the right path.
Added to the mix is Johnson’s love of adventure and travel, including residencies in Berlin and New Orleans. This passion has taken him around the world, and led to projects such as Storyhunter’s “Capture Your World.” Institutions like Filmakademie’s Porsche Awards (Stuttgart, Germany) and Ciclope in Berlin have recognized his work.
Stateside, Johnson was repped for a time by Dapper, where he directed work for McDonald’s and Skagen Watches. Since 2018, he has not shied away from pitching clients directly, selling a pitch to Bombas, the “Gifting” spot currently on his reel. Johnson has also directed projects for educational institutions like Fordham Prep and GT School.
Rounding out his activities, Johnson DP’d Eunice Lau’s current feature doc A-Town Boyz, a coming-of-age story about Asian-American rappers in Atlanta, which premiered at the New York Asian Film Festival last month.
“Narrative structure and empathy, that’s what I’m about,” director Johnson concluded. “My training and experience thus far are a reflection of that ethos.”
Stuart Wilson
Wilson shared, “Mark (Thomas) and I have changed up our playbook to reflect who the company is for 2024 and beyond. It’s based on strategy culled from decades of experience. It’s about ideas. Above all, it’s about assembling a passionate team of creative talent and producers, capable of doing award winning work out of the gate. That’s why we signed Ryan Johnson and that’s what we’re committed to here at Cultivate going forward.”
Wilson’s career in entertainment began with his role as the general manager of the West Chop Club on Martha’s Vineyard. There, his people skills and eagerness to learn led to a job in development at Hearst Entertainment. He stage-managed for Prince on his rock opera “Ulysses” starring Carmen Electra, and worked in production on Barbara Kopple’s, “A Century of Women.” It was the early 90’s, the time of Michael Jackson, Billy-Ray Cyrus, Babyface, Billy Idol, and Prince, Carmen Electra, MADtv and The Usual Suspects – Wilson worked with all of them. In the music video and commercial space, he worked on projects directed by Michael Bay, Spike Jonze, David Fincher, Michel Gondry, Tarsem, Ridley and Tony Scott, GMS, Lawrence Bender’s A Band Apart, MJZ, RadicalMedia, Propaganda and Anonymous Content.
These opportunities sharpened Wilson’s production and career management skills, and in 1994, he launched Right Brain Media, which represented 10+ directors including feature film’s Hickenlooper (Hearts of Darkness, Casino Jack) and James McTeigue (V For Vendetta, Ninja Assassin). Right Brain Media enjoyed partnerships with global agencies and their clients such as BBDO, Saatchi, JWT, Chiat-Day and Digitas, serving a diverse set of brands from Ford, Toyota, Nissan, GM, Coors, Benjamin Moore, PlayStation, Clif Bar, Sea-Doo, Mattel, Macy’s, to Dupont and a long list of PSAs.
Leaving Right Brain Media in 2007 to focus on alternative media and the changing conversation between brands and consumers, Wilson immersed himself in digital production, social media and interactive experiential marketing. In 2009, he launched Image Lab, Inc., and in 2011, he merged this company with Clifton Post to form Proof of Concept, nurturing talent and advancing technology in the execution of ambitious projects across all platforms. Wilson has remained active as an in-demand consultant and EP.
