Production boutique Rakish has added director Charlie Mysak to its roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. Having started his career in the docu-space across film and TV, Mysak turns out work with an undercurrent of realism.
“The intimacy at the heart of Charlie’s work is undeniable. He achieves it with such deftness it’s almost sleight of hand,” remarked Preston Garrett, managing director at Rakish. “Charlie fits exactly right at Rakish because of that effortlessness. Our aim as a company is to work with directors who act and inform their art through instinct; that’s what we’re always striving for. That gut intuition radiates out of Charlie’s work; nothing is ever forced, or painted by even one number. More of that, please.”
Mysak’s ability to find closeness between the subject and the viewer is showcased in his award-winning short documentary Brooklynn, which received a Vimeo Staff Pick and Short of the Week honors. His 2021 short documentary, Citizen, a collection of anecdotes from everyday people as they navigate a tumultuous year in America, played at the Oscar-qualifying Palm Springs International Festival.
A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Mysak excels at creating socially conscious projects, and developing ideas from the ground up. Although he has his documentary sensibility to lean on, Mysak is in many ways a chameleon for the story. Capable of honing the visual language for the brief at hand, Mysak has defined the style to tell impactful stories for clients including IBM, Under Armour, Square, FHB, Rocket Mortgage, Ally Bank and Johnson & Johnson.
Most essential to Mysak is creating work where the characters feel real. The honesty that translates on-screen often leaves the viewer wondering whether it’s pulled from real-life or actors on camera. Such spot-on casting and ease working with talent resonates in his Ad Council spot “Home” encouraging teen adoption, which was shortlisted for the 2020 AICP Awards.
In 2017, Mysak was selected for SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase and won Best Emerging Director Award at The One Club’s One Screen Festival. Mysak’s spot for Adaptoys earned a Silver Lion and The Webby People’s Voice Award.
Prior to joining Rakish, Mysak had most recently been freelancing. He feels at home at his new roost. “The underlying theme at Rakish is elevation,” he said. “Preston and I are completely aligned on the type of work and stories I want to tell. They have a thoughtfully crafted plan in place on how to take my career to the next level, so I’m excited to start this journey together.”
