Director Brandon Nicholas has officially joined Seed’s roster for commercials and branded content. They quickly kicked off their partnership with a project for PayPal in late 2021.
Nicholas, who’s based in Los Angeles, has directed three feature films and over 50 commercials for clients including Disney, Samsung, Google, Lenovo, Intel, Lucas Film, Marvel, Nest, Ancestry DNA and Motorola, with talent ranging from Danny Elfman to Kobe Bryant. Nicholas’ commercial work has led him to his most recent awards including two Gold Telly’s and a Webby. Prior to joining Seed, Nicholas was handled in the advertising arena by More Media.
Nicholas’ directing career started at the age of 10 in his parents garage, building imaginative but authentic worlds that ultimately led to creating his first short film his junior year of high school. At the screening he was approached by an audience member who wanted to donate to the arts, and just like that, he had funding for his first feature film. While others were participating in sports, Nicholas was shooting scenes for his film on the Universal Studios backlot. After a professor at Art Center College of Design encouraged him to drop out and get to work, this young director was diving headfirst into filmmaking.
Since then, Nicholas has specialized in commercial films and holds a variety of storytelling methods that evoke connection and a genuine curiosity for life. With a background in production design acquired during his time working in features and music videos, Nicholas not only tells the story of a character, but also uses his keen eye to demand an appropriate employment of color theory and design to ensure that each frame of footage is both visually dynamic and captivating. His well-planned and carefully executed work is accompanied with just the right amount of freedom to discover organic and magical moments on set.
Having spent many years at The Woo Agency in L.A., Nicholas is able to see projects from conception through postproduction and has the ability to understand both sides of the business. “As a director I am often brought into a project many months after an idea has been formed. It’s my job to understand how much work has gone into a concept and act as a partner in bringing that vision to life. It’s all about collaboration,” said Nicholas. During his time in house, he would work closely with the creative director from the early stages and even edited most of his own spots. As a result, Nicholas is able to see directing from 50,000 feet all the way through to the finish line.
Seed founder Roy Skillicorn said, “Brandon’s vast experience working in all different fields of production allows him to see a project from 360 degrees. It’s rare to find a unicorn like Brandon who can get so granular in every detail but not get lost in the bigger picture.”
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More