Production house Society has signed Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Goldenberg for her first-ever U.S. commercial representation, as well as live-action and VFX specialist David Viau. Goldenberg is well known for her directing work at Funny or Die, where she spent the last year as the site’s White House liaison. At Funny or Die, she has directed hilarious and politically relevant films starring the likes of Kristen Bell, Christina Hendricks and First Lady Michelle Obama. She has also directed seven feature-length films that aired on Lifetime, Showtime and Syfy. Viau was one of the founding designer/animators at Superfad. His work spans both comedic and design-driven visual campaigns.
In 2014, Goldenberg won her Emmy for producing Funny or Die’s Between Between Two Ferns with President Obama. Her directing work at Funny or Die includes Snackpocalypse featuring Michelle Obama, Mary Poppins Quits with Kristen Bell and Modern Office starring Christina Hendricks. Through Funny or Die, Goldenberg also directed the 2014 Women In Film Awards’ cold open video Men in Film, starring Fred Willard.
Goldenberg’s PSA work for Funny or Die is essentially branded content, making the transition to advertising a natural one. Her television directing work includes an episode of Z Nation on Syfy, and a live-action Nickelodeon pilot that shoots this month.
Viau’s work reflects a number of visual styles. He applies sound visual theory to everything, even in comedy. He has directed conceptual and visual content for spots, TV and film. Viau has worked on national campaigns for Silk, Sprint, Pioneer, Honda and Visa to name a few.
Harry Calbom, executive producer at Society, said, “We wanted a comedy director with both a fresh voice and a cinematic aesthetic. Rachel’s experience in feature film as well as viral video make her well suited to direct large, integrated commercial campaigns. And we’ve been fans of David Viau’s design and live-action work for years.”
