Director Darren Statman has joined Yard Dog for U.S. work in commercials and branded content. Based in London, Statman has won admirers among agencies and brands across Europe for his work. Among Statman’s best-known projects is Hades, a black-and-white film for British custom motorcycle company Untitled. Credited with reinventing UK motorcycle advertising, the film presents a haunting, noir-ish vision as it follows a lone rider through grimy London streets to a cheap coffee shop. It won acclaim from motorcycle aficionados and fashionistas, and was named Best Art Haus Short Film at the Portland Motorcycle Film Festival. Other credits include Bentley, Ted Baker, Adidas, Lawler Duffy and EA Sports.
Statman, who began his career as an assistant to director Tony Kaye, has been directing advertising on his own for more than a decade. In work spanning genres from luxury goods to sports to cars, he has developed a signature style that is filmic, subtle and idiosyncratic. His short film for Bentley Motors, for example, beautifully evokes the craftsmanship behind custom barber chairs that the automaker built for London’s posh men’s salon Pankhurst.
“Darren is a unique talent and visual storyteller who has produced some memorable, groundbreaking commercials and short films,” said Yard Dog executive producer Beth Pearson. “We feel that his work will resonate with agencies eager for someone with a fresh vision.”
For his part, Statman said that he has been busy with European projects and wasn’t actively seeking work in the U.S. until he was contacted by Yard Dog. “I had several conversations with Joe (EP Piccirillo) and Beth and found them instantly likable,” he recalled. “They had a handle on me as a director…where I’ve been, where I’m heading…it was the first time I felt that. They got me. That’s a great foundation to build on.”
