BestFriend, a bicoastal production studio led by executive producer Zak Thornborough, has added Thomas Hefferon to its directorial roster. This marks the first U.S. commercial production house roost for Hefferon who’s also repped by H2 Films in Ireland.
Hefferon is a self-taught director who’s been fascinated with storytelling and film since his youth in Dublin, Ireland. His first short film, The Confession, screened at over 40 festivals around the world (including Tribeca, Palms Springs, and Sundance); it had a national cinema release in Ireland, aired on dozens of TV stations across the world, and garnered over one million hits on YouTube. Since then he’s made three more shorts (The Pool, Switch, and The Heist), all of which received funding by the Irish Film Board. Combined his short films have now played at over 100 major film festivals internationally, winning a number of awards along the way.
Hefferon naturally moved into the commercial and branded content space after being nominated in the Best New Director category at the 2009 Kinsale Shark Awards. This led to him working with Jaguar and Land Rover, and a move to London. There he became known as a go-to director for emotion-driven narratives, working with a range of brands including Panasonic, Jameson, Armstrong International, and Johnson & Johnson.
Hefferon’s first project out of BestFriend is a genre-defying two-spot campaign for Massachusetts Financial Services via FCB Chicago. These spots showcase Hefferon’s deft hand, as he focuses in on the human side of the company. Mirroring mutual investments with the work that musicians do, Hefferon somehow makes financial services empathetic, entertaining, and cool.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More