Director Romain Laurent has landed his first U.S. production house representation, joining Little Minx for commercials, videos and branded entertainment.
Little Minx founder Rhea Scott, who has a track record of finding and further developing filmmaking talent, said she was immediately drawn to Laurent’s work, citing such elements as “effects that always had a purpose or story to tell, a lightness, a wit, an element of fun.”
Scott noted that Laurent is a director, photographer, and an artist on varied levels who finds fantastical perspective and conveys it in his craft. Through fresh, energetic portraits, he isolates his pedigree with curious concepts that result in unique film.
Laurent’s credits span such brands as Volvo and Reebok, as well as a whimsical short film for the Hermes fashion collection, and inventive music videos including “Powers” for NYC singer/songwriter Trevor Dickson.
Born and raised in the French Alps, Laurent nurtured a love of extreme skiing, and studied product design at the Ensaama National School of Applied Arts and Photography at Gobelins in Paris. He moved from Paris to New York more than six years ago, and to Los Angeles most recently, leaving behind the intensity of the city for the life-nature balance of the West Coast.
“Alongside vast expanses of wilderness,” said Laurent, “I appreciate the proximity to collaborate with creative souls. I feel able to quickly connect with possibilities in L.A. When I met Rhea, it felt like we knew each other before. I am drawn to her vision and her angle on my work. She aims to present my skills as a whole, rather than segmented into photography, cinemagraph and filmmaking.”
Laurent shared, “My work is heavily influenced by European animation, comics, design, all fields in which my friends work. I think I have humor and sensibility that is more American; the blend of two cultures works in me.”
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More