Culture-driven creative studio Florence has brought Ned Brown on board as managing director and executive producer. Brown’s experience with creative and strategic cross-platform storytelling for brands, artists, and entertainment informs his new hybrid role.
Brown joined The Directors Bureau as an executive producer where he spearheaded an evolution in the company moving from a focus on music videos to encompass commercial production as well. After, he founded Rock Fight, which he ran for eight years as an EP before the company’s merger with HKM. During his time there, he helped launch the careers of directors Daniel Barber, Pep Bosch, Leigh Marling, and Rob Leggatt in the U.S. Brown was key in opening the West Coast office of Humble and, later, briefly joined Drive, a boutique live-action VFX company, before joining the ranks at Florence.
Florence founder Jerad Anderson said of Brown: “Ned can’t sit still and that’s what I love about him. He is consistently driven to make every project he touches better. He’s remarkably gifted at serving as a conduit between clients and directors to translate their creative vision into work the whole team is proud of. What’s more is that he–like our company mission at Florence–is impact-focused. That’s just the way he’s wired.”
Originally from Minnesota, Brown hustled his way to his first job in the commercial and music video space in the early ‘90s working on Billy Ray Cyrus’ popular music video for “Achy Breaky Heart.” His innovative approach to leadership and dedication to social justice has led Brown to serve as board member to three non-profit organizations, including the AICP. Additionally, he is a father who’s passionate about mentoring foster youth and using his experience to help individuals and families navigate adoption as well as the foster care system.
Brown said, “From the start I could tell that Florence was onto something different. They have created a playground where they all meet as friends to support each other’s creativity and that formula has built a sense of enthusiasm and authenticity that is infectious. It feels like a winning intersection for art and commerce and I am really excited I get to be a part of it!”
