Nonfiction Unlimited, a commercial production company that represents select documentary filmmakers, has signed John S. Park, a director who's made his mark in Korea with documentary-style ad fare.
Originally raised in Los Angeles, Park moved to Seoul to pursue a commercial directing career after attending Art Center, Pasadena. He recently returned, setting up shop to work on commercials for the U.S. market. His portfolio includes international spots and more than 25 awards including Cannes Gold Lions for a Samsung documentary short What Does Your Mind See? about 11 blind students shooting photographs using all of their senses but sight to guide them; and The True Origins of Pizza, a mockumentary for Mr. Pizza, the Korean fast food chain.
Loretta Jeneski, partner/executive producer at Nonfiction, said that Park “brings such a beautiful eye to documentary style commercials-very refined. And he is equally at home with actors and dramatic scripted content. He brings such versatility to his work.”
Park noted that before signing with Nonfiction, he worked with the company on a Ford campaign, which proved to be a positive experience. “My recent work tends to focus on documentary,” he said. “Commercials are often based on what people want to be rather than who they are, so they often go over the top, making things more fancy and attractive. I want to make it more real. Truthful storytelling is the most effective type of storytelling.”
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