Film director/still photographer Dewey Nicks has joined bicoastal CoMPANY Films for exclusive commercial representation. Nicks is probably best known in the spot world for applying his singular visual storytelling to leading lifestyle and fashion brands, including J.Crew, PUMA, Old Navy, Tommy Hilfiger, San Pelligrino and Tiffany.
The signing reunites Nicks with CoMPANY Films’ EP Richard Goldstein who earlier in their careers teamed on both spots and stills back at production company Villains. “Dewey’s lifestyle and fashion work is timeless, always on point because the work never takes itself too seriously,” said Goldstein. “His photography is now recognized for being some of the best brand messaging on the planet. In both disciplines Dewey has a way of making the simple elements of life feel special.”
For his part, Nicks was always impressed with Goldstein’s ability to produce jobs in both worlds. “Richard has an innate understanding of the demands for juggling both print and spot campaigns. At this point in my career, I want to get back to having Richard put together the jobs; he’s the best and knows his stuff.”
Prior to joining CoMPANY, Nicks had most recently been at Concrete + Clay which continues to handle him for select photography-only assignments.
Origins
Nicks grew up in the Midwest, the son of an advertising guy. He headed West to attend the famed Art Center in Pasadena, Calif., to study photography. There he became fascinated with capturing California culture in all its weirdness. A highly lauded book titled “Kustom” featuring his “Californicated” images was released. At the same time, Nicks diversified into directing commercials–first in the comedy realm, then shifting to lifestyle and fashion. Even when shooting celebrities in exotic places, Nicks kept it fun. “I approach most of my work with a touch of humor,” he said. On the photography side, Nicks quickly became a go-to still guy, shooting high end campaigns for Levi’s and Ralph Lauren. He has stayed busy ever since, shooting spots, stills and directing the occasional film.
Polaroids
Last year, Nicks unearthed a box filled with thousands of Polaroids from some of his first 1990s photo sessions. Shots of female celebrities, both posed and unposed, reflected a comfort and rapport between Nicks and his subjects. “I was amazed at how the Polaroids had aged, the colors,” said Nicks. He and long time collaborator Tom Adler released a book titled “Polaroids Of Women” featuring one hundred select images from the period.
Gravity-defying action
Nicks has become enamored of late with capturing the magic of athletic performance. The fascination took off when the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tapped the director to film the top 50 players in the world. “I’m excited to film any athletic activity, I try to build some gravity-defying action into every shoot,’ said Nicks. “I just hired a gymnast and a Muay Thai boxer to model clothes while rolling down sand dunes. I’m looking forward to that shoot.”
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More