Director Kieran Walsh has joined Wild Plum Productions, a Venice-based shop headed by executive producer Shelby Sexton and CFO Alisa Allen. Already at Wild Plum, which recently marked its two-year anniversary, Walsh has started work for Kellogg’s Raisin Bran as well as a six-spot healthcare package. Wild Plum is active in commercials and varied forms of branded content.
Walsh, who was formerly handled by Crossroads Films, has a body of work over the years which includes notable spots for such clients as Coca-Cola, HSBC and ESPN. For the latter, he directed “Gathering,” which earned SHOOT Top Spot distinction. The ad shows a family get-together that is torn asunder due to relatives’ conflicting soccer team allegiances. The humorous tagline, tinged with sarcasm, asks, “Without sports, how would we all come together?”
Best known for his performance and dialogue-driven work, Walsh related, “I like the challenge of giving the emotional connection between the characters and the viewer a voyeuristic quality and resonance. Audiences are smart and the job of the director and agency is to support an idea through authenticity or the audience will change the channel.”
Walsh’s previous production company affiliations include Anonymous Content and Chelsea Pictures. His first career roost was MJZ which signed him on the strength of a pair of spec spots he directed–one for Nike, another for fashion designer agnes b.
Graduating from Columbia University in 1990 with a major in philosophy and minors in photography and dramatic arts, Walsh went to Los Angeles to work on commercials. Starting out as a production assistant, he moved up the industry ladder to become the producer of some low-budget commercials and music videos, which he freelanced through various production companies. This production experience helped his directorial aspirations as he made key contacts and learned about different aspects of commercialmaking. Walsh returned to New York in ’94 to make the leap into directing with the aforementioned spec commercials.
Walsh now comes aboard a Wild Plum directorial roster which includes Jan DeBont, Shane Drake, Matt Goodman Jason Sands and Walter May.
Wild Plum signed Sands, a reality director (The Hills, Murder in Small Town X, Real World), earlier this year. He has since helmed a five-spot package for Jenny Craig out of Y&R, Irvine. Drake directed several American Idol music videos for Ford and Team Detroit–the second of the series for Wild Plum–and was nominated for a 2009 MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video for Paramore’s “Decode” (from the Twilight soundtrack). He also just finished two spec spots for Altoids. Director/editor May helmed a star-studded Caitlin Crosby video and toured with Katy Perry, directing her “Ur So Gay” video which has garnered over 6 million hits to date on YouTube and MySpace. Goodman directed a viral for Butterfinger and has been busy shooting various extreme sports projects, including the brand-enhancing X Games 3D movie that screened in over 1,200 theaters nationwide, while feature and commercials helmer DeBont is currently developing some movie and TV properties.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More