Ben Ketai, director and co-creator of the award-winning Sony Crackle thriller series Chosen, has joined ContagiousLA (CLA) for spots and branded projects. This Spring, the groundbreaking Microsoft Xbox One game Quantum Break launched, with four live action 22-minute episodes directed by Ketai. Hailed as “A masterpiece” by Gaming Trend, Quantum Break was developed by Remedy Entertainment with the in-game, live action show produced by Lifeboat Productions. Ketai is wrapping production on Season One of Start Up, which he created for Critical Content (formerly Relativity Television). Start Up is the second scripted one-hour drama series from Crackle; it stars Adam Brody and Martin Freeman.
“As brands invest in diverse, longer form content, adding Ben to the team fortifies CLA’s efforts to introduce non-traditional storytellers to advertising,” said ContagiousLA Co-founder/Executive Producer Natalie Sakai. “His experience collaborating with studios and game makers will give brands access to his unique understanding of their audiences.” Sakai added that Ketai was especially well-suited to “any serialized or longer format campaigns where developing a fan base is the goal.”
"With their pioneering mindset, CLA allows me the opportunity to be a true storyteller in the branded space," said Ketai. "They have an admirable blend of creative and production savvy, along with a rare intuition for content creation in this rapidly changing landscape."
Ketai began his film career under the tutelage of visionary director Sam Raimi. After writing, directing, and producing six different digital series for Raimi’s horror shingle, Ghost House Pictures, Ketai expanded his horizons into features. He co-wrote and then went on to direct 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010) for Sony/Stage 6. Shortly thereafter, he wrote and directed the award winning thriller series Chosen, which he also co-created with producing partner Ryan Lewis. Critical acclaim and a rapidly-growing fan base catapulted the series to become Sony Crackle’s number one scripted drama, currently in its fourth season. In addition to his work on Quantum Break, which stars Shawn Ashmore (X-Men, The Following), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones), Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings, Lost), and Lance Riddick (Lost, The Wire), Ketai wrote the David Goyer project, The Forest, released by Focus Features in 2016. He directed the Revolver Pictures psychological horror film, Beneath, which was the #1 horror film on iTunes and earned a theatrical nod from IFC Midnight.
Ben Ketai joins a ContagiousLA roster comprised of directors Andrew Laurich, Jeff Jenkins, Benjamin Arfmann and Andrew Renzi, and photographer Diana King.
ContagiousLA is presided over by Co-Founder/Executive Producer Natalie Sakai. Campaigns for Carhartt, City of Hope, Farmer’s Insurance and Mercedes-Benz are complemented by projects such as the award-winning short film Art & Corny – starring advertising luminaries Lee Clow, Gerry Graf and Jeff Goodby – and A Reasonable Request, which recently screened at SxSW and Sundance, becoming one of the most lauded comedy shorts of the year.
