Production company Rattling Stick has signed directing duo The Way Brothers (Chapman and Maclain) for representation in the U.S. spanning commercials and branded content. The Way Brothers are perhaps best known for their acclaimed Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country centering on a controversial cult leader who builds a utopian city in the Oregon desert, sparking conflict with the locals which escalates into a national scandal.
On the strength of Wild Wild Country, Chapman and Maclain Way won a primetime Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in 2018. That same year they were also nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, specifically for the “Part 3” episode of Wild Wild Country.
“Having binge-watched Wild Wild Country on Netflix, along with everyone else, it wasn’t only the story itself that drew me in, but also the cinematic language and flair of the piece,” said founding Rattling Stick director, Ringan Ledwidge, who added, “Then, meeting Chapman and Maclain, you could tell in about three seconds that they are true storytellers and, simply, really bloody good. It’s a perfect fit for Rattling Stick and we can’t wait to get them in the room with creatives to start making great work together.”
Known for probing narratives and cinematic pacing, The Way Brothers will leverage and apply their unique documentary filmmaking expertise and cultural relevance to commercials and branded content for top-tier brands under the Rattling Stick banner. Earlier the Way duo had been handled informally by Mark and Jay Duplass’ creative shop DBP Donut for spots and branded entertainment. (Mark and Jay Duplass served as EPs on Wild Wild Country).
Chapman Way related, “It’s really rewarding to experience other worlds and get inside the mindsets of captivating people, then project them on screen, even though some subject matter may at first seem unconventional. We’re thrilled that Rattling Stick believes in us to develop unique commercial campaigns that can spark differing perspectives and open conversation.”
The Way Brothers spent their childhoods fiddling with camera equipment and teaching themselves how to put together footage, diving into filmmaking from an early age. As members of an athletic family, the brothers were initially immersed in sports, but were later pushed to pursue a career in film when their father decided to make the surfing documentary, The Best Hours of the Day. Chapman, along with his older brother Brocker Way, scored the film. In their teen years, Chapman and Maclain Way while cleaning out their grandfather’s garage came across a photo of a minor league baseball team he had started, which served as the inspiration for the directing duo’s first feature documentary, The Battered Bastards of Baseball. The film premiered at Sundance in 2014, became one of Netflix’s first original documentaries, and was later awarded the ESPN/Tribeca Film Institute prize.
The Way Brothers are currently in postproduction on an upcoming 10-part sports documentary series, as well as their first feature film.
