Passport Films has added to its stateside directorial roster while extending its production reach Down Under. On the former score, the Santa Monica-based Passport has secured director Mat Humphrey for U.S. representation. Additionally, Passport–headed by owners/executive producers Patti and David Coulter–has entered into an affiliation with The Guild of Commercial Filmmakers, an Australian production house launched by Humphrey and producer Helene Nicol in 2007.
This is the first of several planned international alliances for Passport, intended to give it production footholds globally.
As for Humphrey, joining Passport reunites him with Michael Romersa, who became the company’s executive producer/head of feature development earlier this year (SHOOT, 4/16). The two were together at Romersa’s since closed Reactor Films, which had handled U.S. representation for the Australia-based director. Among their collaborations was a Brinks Security spot assignment for Doner, Detroit.
Humphrey has been active stateside with select projects over the years, including a memorable PSA for the Minnesota Partnership For Action Against Tobacco, out of agency Clarity Coverdale Fury, Minneapolis. In the ad, a woman who’s holding a baby speaks to a video camera. “Hi, Emma,” she says. “It’s Mommy, and this is you. Mommy is really sick, so I wanted to do this so you’ll always know how much I love you.” Then the mother sings “You Are My Sunshine” to her daughter. A graphic reads, “Be there tomorrow. Stop smoking today.”
The PSA was produced by Aussie house Filmgraphics, which was Humphrey’s roost Down Under prior to his partnering in The Guild of Commercial Filmmakers.
Humphrey’s credits span poignant dramatic fare akin to the anti-tobacco work; actor-driven comedy; dialogue/people work; and other varied forms of storytelling. Over the years, his work has been recognized at such competitions as The One Show, Clios, the London International Awards, and the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
At the latter show, “Consequences,” a PSA for New Zealand’s Land Traffic Safety Association, won a Bronze Lion in 2002. Out of Clemenger BBDO in Wellington, New Zealand, the spot depicts via flashbacks a man driving a car at excessive speed. His vehicle rear-ends an SUV that’s stopped at a crosswalk. The man examines the damage to his front fender and approaches the female driver of the SUV to tell her there’s more damage to his vehicle than hers. She looks horrified, oblivious to what he’s saying. Her eyes lead us to the crosswalk, where we see that her vehicle was hit so hard from behind that it ran over a young woman, apparently killing her. A small boy standing next to the body calls out, “Mommy!” A graphic reads, “The faster you go, the bigger the mess.”
“Consequences” also earned Humphrey a Bronze Clio for direction in ’02, one of two consecutive years he copped a directing honor at the Clio Awards. He earned a Silver Clio in the directing category in ’01 for the Traffic Accident Commission PSA “Never,” which also garnered Gold for best direction at the London International Advertising Awards (now the London International Awards).
Humphrey comes aboard a Passport directorial roster which includes Marco Schillaci, Marshall Vernet, Monty Miranda, Ari Sandel, Stephen Sommer, Domenic Mastrippolito and Larry Carroll.
Director Hans Emanuel Joins Caviar For Commercials and Music Videos
Production company Caviar has signed director Hans Emanuel for U.S. commercial and music video representation. The film and advertising director fuses his keen--and Berlinale Film Festival Award-winning--eye for cinematic storytelling with a commercial background across multiple genres including beauty, automotive, dance, and visual effects-heavy projects, to produce creative for clients like Kia, Nivea, Nissan, L’Oreal, BMW and more.
Caviar executive producer Salim El Arja noted, “Hans has a unique ability to blend stunning visuals with heart and humor, rooted in his confidence as a craftsman. This allows him to focus on drawing exceptional performances from actors--including celebrities--and crafting films that are not only visually striking but also deeply engaging and often hilariously comedic. His sensibilities align perfectly with Caviar’s vision, and we’re excited to collaborate with him on work that pushes creative boundaries.”
Emanuel added, “Caviar is a renowned name, certainly since I began my career. They have a solid reputation for quality work, and I’ve always respected them as a company. Life is about where destiny makes you flow with the people you need; thanks to a series of projects, I was introduced to Florence Jacob with Caviar Paris first, and the rest is history. I feel they can support my career growth with their comedic expertise and filmmaking prowess.”
Prior to joining Caviar, Emanuel had been repped by production house Stadium. He was born and raised in Santa Monica, Calif., to a Mexican-German mother, benefiting from a culturally diversified upbringing that carried through his education interests. Knowing he wanted to be a filmmaker from the start, he began his career in the luxury and beauty field,... Read More