2021

Grayson Whitehurst

Grayson Whitehurst

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? It was a Mastercard spot featuring big wave surfer Ian Walsh that I co-directed with Jackson Tisi that aired during the Masters Tournament a few years ago–it was an incredible honor. After that, I took a step back from commercial work altogether and focused…

Emily Elizabeth Thomas

Emily Elizabeth Thomas

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? My first professionally directed work was a music video with Atlantic Records in 2019. My first advertising work was with TBWAChiatDay, also in 2019. We made a branded film titled The Gathering for the Brooklyn Film Festival which tied in a lot of emotional…

Ben Strang

Ben Strang

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? My first film was a digital series pilot called Beast that was completed in 2019. We shot the project on a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay and the story followed a teenage boy setting out to figure out what happened to his father…

Jane Stephens Rosenthal

Jane Stephens Rosenthal

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? Everything I had made so far has been out of love and desire to create. I would say my most professional project would be my latest The Hideaway, which was my thesis film from the American Film Institute. How did you get into directing?…

Khalid Seña

Khalid Seña

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? My first professionally directed work was for the School of Visual Arts , I was a student in the MPS (Masters Of Professional Studies) program and back in March I was able to professionally direct my first short Film. How did you get into…

Zack Seckler

Zack Seckler

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? My directing career was birthed from the womb of hard cider. You can’t choose your parents but in this case I was fortunate to have the responsible drinkers at Strongbow take a chance on me back in 2018. How did you get into directing?…

Drew Pollins

Drew Pollins

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? “Bring Gaming to Life” for AMD Processors in 2019. We shot it as if the camera were exploring a scene that was frozen in time. We used some tried and true camera trickery and then elevated it with 3D modeled props floating in mid-air….

Bianca Poletti

Bianca Poletti

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? Planned Parenthood's “Be Seen” was my first professionally directed commercial work, and that was in December of 2020. For narrative work, my first piece was a feature film that James Franco produced and I co-directed with three other directors. It was a psychological thriller…

Amber Park

Amber Park

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? Olivia O’Brien x Asos–“Now” Music Video and Back to school product featuring of August 2020. I had creative directed for a couple years prior, but this was my first proper debut in terms of directing a music video. How did you get into directing?I…

Jabu Nadia Newman

Jabu Nadia Newman

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? I think my first professionally directed work was my first music video called “Queenie” for FAKA feat. Angel-ho in September 2018. I co-directed and co-produced with a friend of mine Luvuyo Nyawose and we were fresh out of film school. We were all friends…