Filmmakers’ collective and creative studio Bullitt has added director Matt Ogens to its roster.
Ogens’ work spans multiple disciplines and genres. He got his start directing docu-series for networks including MTV, VH1, CBS, and CNN, and earned three Emmy nominations for his work for ESPN. His feature documentary Confessions of a Superhero debuted at SXSW to critical acclaim and was distributed by Netflix.
Ogens segued into commercials, working with top agencies and brands, and earning awards from The One Show, Clio, SXSW Interactive, and ADC. His advertising credits include projects for Infiniti, Land Rover, Nature Valley, Toyota, Ancestry.com, Craftsman, Mitsubishi, Seattle’s Best, Stand Up2 Cancer and IBM.
Central to his work is the ability to engage audiences and even change perceptions by transcending genre or topic with a unique vantage point, captivating characters, and striking visuals. Among his noted projects, the acclaimed feature documentary Meet the Hitlers that examines the relationship between names and identity by exploring the lives of people who share the name. Presented and executive produced by Morgan Spurlock, the film launched on Showtime in July 2016 and is available via Showtime On Demand and iTunes. Ogens’ short documentaries include From Harlem with Love for ESPN’s Emmy-winning 30 for 30 series which follows the Harlem Globetrotters visit to the USSR in 1959, and Kid Yamaka, the startlingly candid film about a Jewish boxer who found redemption in the ring for Vice’s Fightland.
Fiction also captures Ogens’ attention, and his first narrative feature, a coming of age film North, is now in postproduction. He also concepted and directed a narrative VR prequel/teaser shot entirely in abandoned spaces in Detroit, which serves as the setting in North. His VR film for the Associated Press screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival Next Section.
Prior to joining Bullitt, Ogens was handled by Humble for commercials and branded content. Earlier he was with Tool of North America.
Bullitt EP Luke Ricci described Ogens as “an enterprising storyteller who works in a variety of narrative mediums--traditional and emerging advertising platforms, film, television, documentary, interactive, and virtual reality. It makes him an ideal fit for our company.”
Ogens concurred regarding that fit, relating “How and why to tell a story are key considerations in today’s process, and it is exciting to be at a company that is both filmmaker-driven and conversant in different media.”
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