Bicoastal content studio Madison + Vine has added four directors to its talent roster: Jack Driscoll, Jesse Harris, Jack Naylor and Jolyon Watkins. The expansion of the directorial lineup coincides with the company’s launch of a management division as well as the securing of sales reps on both coasts and in the Midwest.
Driscoll’s work spans such brands as Adidas, Red Bull, Google and New Balance. The U.K.-based filmmaker made his debut with televised documentaries and gained recognition for his ability to fuse highly visual creative language with original, touching storytelling. He continues to be repped by Academy in the U.K. Prior to joining Madison + Vine he was with Casta Diva USA in the American market.
Naylor is an Australian filmmaker who is best known for his ability to draw authentic and often heartfelt performances from both actors and non-actors. He has experience with long-form narrative work as well as short-form commercials and has worked with brands like Blackhawk, Dove, NRMA and B&D. He too was previously with Casta Diva USA and he continues to be handled in Australia by production house Collider.
Harris’ career began at age 17, when he directed a feature that was picked up for U.S. theatrical distribution and by HBO in Europe. Recently, he was named a “Global Shaper,” an initiative of the World Economic Forum, built around young entrepreneurs and do-gooders. Harris has worked with clients such as Volvo, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Disney and Virgin America with his commercial work seen on TV around the world. He had earlier in his career been repped by production house World Famous.
Watkins grew up with an innate interest in cars and fused his love of film with automobiles by going behind the camera to direct commercials. Watkins used his talent for capturing movement and form on camera to pioneer many complex and original filming techniques in the automotive category. Equally as comfortable with storytelling and directing actors, his diversity as a director has taken him on to work for assorted clients including BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Honda, Holden and Jeep. Watkins, who continues to be repped by Exit Films in Australia, had previously been with Casta Diva USA in the American market.
On the representation front, Madison + Vine has assembled a new sales force. Becky Jungmann and Allie O’Brien of indie firm Mischief rep Madison + Vine on the West Coast. Marni Halliburton and Sean Sullivan with Collective Management handle the Midwest. And Carl Forsberg and Justin Lasoff of Apostle cover the East Coast. The reps will introduce Madison + Vine directors to a larger set of opportunities that agency partners can provide.
“This signals exciting growth for Madison + Vine,” said Madison + Vine CEO and founder James Shani. “Driscoll, Harris, Naylor, and Watkins will be powerful additions to our talent roster, and we look forward to our new partnership with these brilliant reps leading into our second year in business.”
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More