Director Adrian De Sa Garces has joined Eleanor–the L.A.-based house founded by veteran executive producer Sophie Gold–for U.S. representation spanning commercials, branded content and music videos.
De Sa Garces has turned out top-shelf work for brands such as BMW, Coca-Cola, Standard Bank, First National Bank, Chicken Licken, and VW Polo. Along the way he’s earned Gold at the Dubai Lynx Awards, Bronze at Europe’s Premier Creative Awards, Millward-Brown’s Best Liked Ad of the Year, Gold, Silver, Bronze Awards at the Loeries, as well as Craft Certificates for Animation, Special Effects and Direction at the Loeries.
De Sa Garces has delivered high-end content while being represented by Egg Films in South Africa, Annex Films in the U.K., and Nicholas Berglund in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Ever pushing forward, his sights are now set on the American ad market for which he has done some work in years past, including a Bridgestone spot featuring Tiger Woods. Eleanor marks De Sa Garces’ first direct signing with a U.S. production house. His multi-focused approach to direction has enabled him to explore many different aspects of his craft, including a natural gift for humor, an efficiency for complex VFX and an engaging aesthetic sensibility.
Eleanor, which lays claim to being the sole Black female individual-owned commercial production company in the U.S., was drawn to De Sa Garces. EP Gold explained, “A look at Adrian’s reel reveals an innate sense of what is contemporary. He is a master at creating layered, enticing visuals, and seamlessly integrating VFX to drive the story.”
Gold continued, “From the smooth transitions, choreography, and production design of his Vodafone ‘DJ Skateboard’ spot; to creating photo-real VFX of triplets in the womb for Cadbury; to bringing Muhammad Ali back into the ring for Showmax–every frame is considered. Adrian knows exactly how to craft a visual feast to sink your teeth into.”
Raised in the Namibian Desert, De Sa Garces studied art and photography in Johannesburg. He got his start working in motion graphics and animation, which gave way to live action filmmaking. De Sa Garces’ breakthrough opportunity came when he was approached by the South African Film Commission to craft a fictional film trailer that would promote the country as a filming destination. His talent for balancing narrative and style was evident straight away, leading him to win a prestigious Loeries Award for the ad.
Since that auspicious beginning, De Sa Garces has been steadily building a deep and diverse body of work. The director credits his adaptability to working as a homegrown talent in the South African market, which earned him the reputation of a unique problem-solver. As he says, “For much of the work on my reel, the solves required a diligent eye for detail and a lot of invention. Figuring out how to take a complicated idea and translate it into an imaginative but workable one…I’m there until the last drop of blood is absorbed.”
De Sa Garces said of his new U.S. roost, ““When I was approached by Sophie, it was clear she paid special attention to the details of my work. Eleanor is quite progressive, and that’s the kind of company I want to be part of as I continue to challenge myself in my creative pursuits. I’m keen to go on an adventure.”
