Filmmaker and photographer Vellas is joining PRETTYBIRD’s roster of creatives for representation in the U.S. and U.K. spanning branded entertainment, music content and integrated advertising campaigns. Vellas had previously been repped in the U.S. and U.K. by Somesuch.
Vellas is known for directing projects for high-profile brands, including Ubisoft, Fiat, Ford, Mitsubishi, Renault and Remy Martin.
He began his career as an art director at leading creative agencies, including DDB and Ogilvy, before transitioning into the field of motion graphics. During that time he developed a keen eye for visual effects and the postproduction process, informing the next stage of his career as a film director.
In 2013, Vellas catapulted to the advertising industry’s main stage when he directed the acclaimed “Alma” (aka “Soul”), a B&W first-person POV film for the release of the Leica M-Monochrome digital camera. From agency F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, the spot won 17 awards, including five at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. That same year, Vellas was selected for Saatchi & Saatchi’s New Directors’ Showcase.
Vellas co-founded Saigon, a branded content production company based in São Paulo, Brazil that has produced branded films for Audi, Samsung, Volkswagen and Budweiser, among others.
Kerstin Emhoff, president and co-founder of PRETTYBIRD, said of Vellas, “His work captured us with its visual scale, strong narratives and subtle performances. He is a filmmaker who brings so much to any project globally in both long and short form.”
Vellas noted, “I must say that usually when I follow my heart, good things happen to me. PRETTYBIRD is a company that I have always respected a lot. I feel it is full of energy, fresh and smart. I guess, my instincts will always align me with people like this.”
Outside of the U.S., U.K. and Brazil, Vellas is represented by the following companies for branded content direction: Rebolucion in Argentina and Mexico; Frenzy in France; Anorak in Germany; Hamlet in Belgium and Japan; Blur in Spain, Cattleya in Italy; Filmgraphics in Australia and Singapore; and Ramson in India.
