Directing duo Morgan & Nick has signed with L.A.-based commercial production company True Gentleman Industries for exclusive U.S. spot and branded content representation. The team–which has helmed work for clients such as Grubhub, Popeye’s, Dodge, Travelocity, Hilton Garden Inn, Dunkin Donuts, Loctite, and the U.S. Air Force–comprises directors Morgan Bond and Nick Grisham, who are married. This is their first national roost.
In aligning with True Gent, Morgan & Nick become part of a “family affair” in the literal sense: the roster includes founder/filmmaker Jordan Brady, director Jeannette Godoy (to whom Brady is married), and son, director/cinematographer Ben Brady.
Morgan said, “We are super-honored to be included in this very intimate group.” Nick added, “I think that being a married couple, this fits in with the idea of working with your family and spending time with people you really like.”
Bond and Grisham first encountered Brady via Commercial Directing Film School. “Jordan is a huge presence online, and he was someone we wanted to meet,” Morgan recalled. The Austin-based directors have their own production company, CamLock, and share a rep with Brady in the Texas market, Julie Koellner, who made the introduction. “We hit it off and attended his Filmmaker Retreat at Joshua Tree,” Morgan continued. “Jordan had such great insight into the art and business of directing commercials. We wanted to join his company before he even asked us.”
“Morgan & Nick have such a clear point of view as storytellers; it shines through their diverse body of work, from their energetic social content and spots to their heartfelt short films,” said Brady. “When I first saw their faux shampoo spot for Hampton Inn, I was jealous I didn’t do that. Upon learning how smart and efficient they are in prep & on set–follow them on Insta for great BTS–I realized they’re a super duo. So proud they’re joining the family.”
Bond and Grisham met at UT Austin, where both were attending film school. They found themselves the only two students who arrived a half hour early for a class; Nick had misread the syllabus, while Morgan was exceedingly punctual. These traits foretold a symbiotic relationship on set and in life. The pair ditched the class “and have been skipping class ever since,” mused Nick.
“It took a while to figure out our dynamic,” Morgan explained. “Nick loves VFX and the technical stuff. He started as an editor and DPs much of our work. I’m more of a director-y director.”
In terms of genre, Morgan & Nick have displayed a great deal of versatility, something Bond attributes to the emergence of social media, where multiple formats are the rule of the day.
“If the tone is light and bouncy, I’ll communicate with the actors and set the tone with them,” she said. “If the subject matter is more serious, Nick is probably the better director.” “Food, family, and VFX work for us as a rule,” is how Nick described the duo’s overall sensibility. “I like working with kids and Nick likes the puzzles of production,” Morgan added. She cited “Streamdeck OLD,” a CG-driven spot they directed for AMD Games on the VFX end of the spectrum, complemented by “Great Hair Day,” their satirical comedy spot for Hampton by Hilton via GSD&M, and Travelocity “Laundry,” which demonstrates their “dexterity with gnomes on soundstages,” Nick noted.
On the narrative front, the duo’s short film, Malignant, an exploration of faith and helplessness, premiered at SXSW in 2021, earning Special Jury recognition.
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More