Director Shannon Murphy, acclaimed for her work in film, television, commercials and theatre, has joined the roster of SMUGGLER for global representation spanning commercials and branded content.
Murphy’s career took root on the stage, directing shows around the world for theatre companies including Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir St Theatre, The Griffin Theatre Company, The Ensemble Theatre, and The Schaubühne.
Murphy made an auspicious entrance into the film world with her debut feature Babyteeth, which premiered in official competition at the Venice Film Festival. Murphy’s proclivity for capturing the complexities of life and her seamless blend of drama and comedy earned her a BAFTA Nomination for Best Direction and the Kering Women in Motion prize presented at the Cannes Film Festival.
Beyond the silver screen, Murphy made a notable impact in the advertising world with her powerful debut spot “lastlonelymenopause” for TENA, in collaboration with AMV BBDO. Her commercial boldly explores taboo topics surrounding women’s health through an honest and nuanced lens. The spot–produced by Lief, a production company which repped her in the U.K. prior to her now joining SMUGGLER–earned assorted accolades, including winning Gold at the British Arrows, Channel 4’s Diversity Award and Wood Pencil for Directing at D&ADs 2023.
Her body of work also includes episodes of TV series such as Killing Eve (BBC, AMC), The Power (Prime Video) and most recently season three of Dave (FX).
“Shannon has a body of work and reputation that made us all very keen to find a way to work together. She is the real deal, the rare package of talent, vision, and presence. Shannon brings that reassurance and confidence to all around her. Her work finds truth and relatability, at times effortlessly playing in space between tragedy and comedy. The future will be defined by storytellers who can move successfully between mediums, leaving their distinctive mark in all they do. Shannon has already achieved tremendous success on the stage, in film and TV. There is no doubt she is a welcome bright light for commercials and branded entertainment,” said Patrick Milling-Smith, co-founder and CEO of SMUGGLER.
Lucy Kelly, deputy managing director of SMUGGLER London, added, “Shannon is one of those magic people whose simple presence makes everything feel effortless. We felt her spark the moment we met her and know the worlds and characters she so cleverly creates will translate brilliantly into commercials”
Murphy shared, “I am thrilled to be joining SMUGGLER and their roster of storytellers who I admire greatly. I look forward to immersing myself in future projects and being at the forefront of creative exploration and stand out work.”
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More