Yard Dog TV, a female-owned and certified production company, has signed commercial and film director Sebastien Guy for U.S. representation.
Guy’s work is as diverse and far ranging as his upbringing, born of Australian and French parents and raised around the world. His visual style reflects this global background with the continuity of authentic performances and cinematic excellence in both his commercials and his feature film, Nerve, which was honored by the Australian Cinematographers Society.
“Sebastien has the uncanny ability to go from a design-oriented, transition-based VFX car commercial to an intimate family story with dialogue to a comedic cinematic film,” said Yard Dog executive producer Joe Piccirillo, explaining what drew him and executive producer Beth Pearson to Guy’s work. That scope is evident in spots Guy has directed for brands including Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Canon, Nokia, Volkswagen, Rexona, Ford, Olay, McDonald’s, Snickers, and Amnesty International.
Guy started his career as an actor while studying film in California. After appearing in numerous commercials, he turned his attention to what goes on behind the camera and began to direct, bringing his acting experience to performances in all his films.
“I love a good commercial, so being able to tell a short story and having an audience be engaged in the way you tell that story is an honor and privilege,” said Guy. “The opportunity to grow as a filmmaker from every commercial film I make is a gift. This is definitely one of the best jobs in the world.”
Now based in Spain after having lived recently in Australia and China, Guy made the move to Yard Dog to establish a long-desired U.S. professional base (he had a brief stint at Durable Goods in 2017).
“For me, it’s important not only to do good work, but to do it with good people,” explained Guy. “Joe’s and Beth’s backgrounds and personalities combined with Yard Dog’s ethos makes it the right fit for me.”
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