Director Claire Thomas and exec producer Ursula Gabel Baird have teamed to launch Currant Films, a commercial and branded content production company in Los Angeles. After entering the commercial directing arena just four years ago via Greendot Films, Thomas is a self-described food enthusiast who started her career as a photographer, writer and food stylist. Her blog, The Kitchy Kitchen (which was named Yahoo’s #1 food blog to watch in 2015), garnered her the attention of ad agencies not long after she began filming web videos for the blog. She helmed her first spot for McDonald’s in early 2011, and has gone on to shoot tabletop and lifestyle broadcast spots for brands from Kraft to Kellogg’s and Anthropologie to Amazon.
The Kitchy Kitchen blog was 100% developed from Thomas’ love of food. She concepts, writes and shoots all content for her blog in her spare time. Her social media sites have led advertisers and marketing companies to seek her out—not just to reach her followers, but because her imagery stands out in a sea of digital media. That same imagery led Simon and Schuster to tap Thomas for her first cookbook, "The Kitchy Kitchen: New Classics for Living Deliciously," for which she created, wrote and shot over 200 recipes.
”Claire not only has a prolific body of work, but she has a laser like knowledge of social media in so many areas—food, fashion, lifestyle,” said Baird, also an alum of Greendot Films. “We’ll be shooting spots for broadcast, and she’s recommending to clients additional shots they’ll want for other media platforms. Because she has a consistent, successful presence as an online influencer herself, she knows what works.”
Baird said that she and Thomas will be looking to expand Currant’s roster with directors in a variety of genres.
Thomas just wrapped production on a four-spot package for Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s out of 72andSunny.
Indie reps Jolie Miller and Ann Zagaroli represent Currant for East Coast sales, Matt Bucher with Obsidian heads up the Midwest, and Dexter Randazzo of The Department of Sales covers the
West Coast and Southwest markets.
