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| Blink is an award-winning British commercial production company based in London. Since its launch in 1985, Blink has become recognised for discovering and fostering new creative talent and launching the careers of many acclaimed directors. Founded in 1985 by Bob Lawrie and James Studholme as an animation company with a unconventional approach, Blink evolved into a live action production company in the 1990s. Today, Blink is one of the industry's most respected production companies, consistently producing innovative, beautifully crafted and intelligent work whilst maintaining a distinctive style. Blink's roster of directors represents a diverse collection of talent working across the traditional and emerging realms of advertising. | Blink was named 'Production Company of the Year' by Campaign Magazine in 2012 for the second year running, having already received the title from both Campaign and Televisual Magazines in 2011. Commercials produced by Blink received much recognition at industry awards in 2012, thanks to another year of outstanding work by our directors. In 2012, Dougal Wilson's touching story for John Lewis 'The Long Wait' set the bar high for seasonal retail campaigns, garnering widespread acclaim including Commercial of The Year at the British Arrows, a Bronze Lion at the 2012 Cannes Lions and two gold awards at the Creative Circle Awards. Dougal's colourful spot for Lurpak received two gold Cannes lions, two BTAA Golds and a gold CLIO, as well as a gold and five silvers at the Creative Circle Awards. Adam Hashemi's against-the-grain Vo5 'Pageant' commercial also picked up numerous awards, amongst which are two coveted yellow pencils from D&AD for Best Direction and Best Use of Music. In a landmark year for British sport, Tom Tagholm's 'Meet The Superhumans' made an enormous impact internationally, culminating in Tom's Best Director award at the British Arrows Craft Awards. |
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Blink Productions 181 Wardour Street London W1F 8WZ T +44 (0) 20 7494 0747 F +44 (0) 20 7494 3771 |
James Studholme - Managing Director James Bland - Executive Producer Anna Ryabtsun - New Business & Marketing info@blinkprods.com |
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Blink Signs Bastian Glaessner | |
| Teen Road Safety - Killer Moves Axe - Crashes Audi - Spider Boots - Human Plant Miller - Clean Streets | Open Project Page |
Adam is a director with a renowned expertise in filmmaking across all genres, who has produced a thrillingly versatile body of work. Born and bred in Copenhagen, he began his directing career with various high school art projects, but soon enough he was making his mark in the professional world, creating his own short films and music videos. His powerful sci-fi short film, ‘COVAC’, was shortlisted and screened in numerous festivals all over Europe and United States. In addition, his first music video made the MTV top 10 chart, and was named as number three of the MTV hosts’ favourite videos in Europe. Adam has gone on to make acclaimed music videos for bands such as Mew and Oh No Ono, and most recently, he directed the video for Trentemoller’s single, ‘Even Though You’re With Another Girl’: a beautiful piece which showcases Adam’s exceptional understanding of film language. | Adam has also directed a number of commercials for major clients such as Coca-Cola, Sony, Volkswagen, Carlsberg and Nissan. Collectively, these demonstrate Adam’s versatility of working within different styles and genres, be it comedy, thriller, or even period drama. His public awareness films for RFSF won him a yellow Pencil at the 2011 D&AD awards, and his rebellious spot for VO5 through Euro RSCG London was awarded two yellow pencils at the 2012 D&AD awards. All in all, Adam is that rarest of birds: a talented director, who also bears a more-than-passing resemblance to a young Lionel Ritchie. |
Andreas is a director noted for his dark, surreal and playful style, producing a consistently inspiring body of work. Having grown up deep in the Swedish countryside, Andreas moved to Gothenburg to study the noble arts of painting and sculpture. He swiftly became interested in animation and made 'Heartbeats', his first music video for a friend's band. It was a hit, and Andreas hasn't stopped since. Andreas has created dazzling videos for major artists ranging from Royksöpp and Peter, Björn and John to Jose Gonzales, Moby and MGMT. Andreas often takes on the role of creative director for the artists he works with, carrying their visual identity through videos, live performances and special collaborations. He has built a strong creative relationship with Swedish artists The Knife and Fever Ray, resulting in the opera 'Tomorrow, In A Year' and a visionary interpretation of Ingmar Bergman's 'The Hour of the Wolf' at Stockholm's Royal Dramatic Theatre. | Recently, Andreas directed his third video for Miike Snow and shook up the hip hop establishment with an unexpectedly surreal video for "Birthday Song", a collaboration between Kanye West and fellow rapper 2 Chainz. In the world of commercials, Andreas consistently puts his own stamp on things. His spots for clients such as Nike, Cadbury's and Gevalia all demonstrate his ironic touch, pushing the boundaries of comedy and producing elaborate, twisted and iconic visuals. This year, he has created a sing-a-long stop motion extravaganza for Target starring American comedy actor Ben Falcone, a witty spot for sports betting company Betsson that celebrates the enduring appeal of the longshot and a live frozen moment with basketball star Chris Paul and a cast of doppelgangers for Nike. |
Aoife is a prolific director possessing a photographic eye and a literary mind, known for her ability to capture beautiful and rhythmic portraits of life. With a background in literature and a passion for documentary, she applies an intimate realist aesthetic to detailed narratives and literary themes, lending her work a cinematic quality whilst maintaining a sense of spontaneity. Her commercial work has attracted praise throughout the industry and has cemented her reputation as a multitalented director with a recognisable voice. Her recent spot for French health organisation InPes' campaign raising awareness of sexually transmitted diseases showcased her skill in combining irreverent humour and stylised concepts with a meaningful message. Aoife's witty 'Perfect Man' film for GQ Magazine received a Bronze Cannes Lion as well as the prestigious Best Commercial award from the Art Director's Club in Paris. | Her music videos have received equal attention, with her powerfully evocative promo for Little Comets 'The Isles' receiving the Rushes Soho Shorts award for Best Music Video in 2011 as well as several nominations at the 2011 UK MVAs. Aoife recently completed a captivating promo for Simian Mobile Disco exploring the lives of characters suffering from obsessive behaviour. |
Evolving beyond his origins as one third of acclaimed directing trio Lynn Fox, Bastian Glaessner has struck out alone to develop his unique creative vision. To date Bastian has built an accomplished reel of work for a luxe client list spanning commercials, fashion and the arts. His previous collaborations include spots for Audi (Spider, Airbag), Mercedes (Warm Up) and Miller (Clean Streets), concert and promo visuals for Bjork and the launch film for Stella McCartney’s inaugural fragrance, Stella. Bastian’s recent Teen Road Safety spot, Killer Moves, showcases his ability to create deep atmospheric worlds while channeling the unexpected. | Bastian’s work blends a refined consideration for humanity and emotion with a strong performance dimension to craft heartfelt and highly evocative films. Married with consistently daring visuals, Bastian’s reel pushes commercials and promos into unexpected and enthralling territory. This unique vision has earned him numerous accolades including Cannes Titanium for his playful and pulse-pounding Crashes spot for Axe and D&AD Silver for Bjork’s World Tour visuals. |
Benito is known for his ability to capture powerful, raw emotion on film. In his work, he has drawn brilliant performances from personalities, athletes and everyday people, while maintaining an authentic, photo-journalistic style. Originally from Naples, Italy and raised in London, Benito started his career as a documentary filmmaker. His first film, ‘Hooligans’, which required him to go undercover with Italian football hooligans for a year, was short listed for the Greisens Best Documentary Series Award in 2003. He then went onto make ‘The 12-Year-Old Cocaine Smuggler’, which won the One World Award. Following that he made a number of stand-out documentaries for the BBC, including ‘Ransom City’, a film about the kidnapping of footballer Robinho’s mother in Brazil. His subsequent film, ‘The Real Godfather’, dealt with the Sicilian Mafia and the arrest of the capo di tutti capi, Bernardo Provenzano. | With so much success in the field of documentaries, it was only a matter of time before the commercials world came knocking. Benito’s very first commercial for Dove won him a BTAA silver, and he hasn’t looked back since, directing award-winning commercials for Robinsons, BBC, EDF, Johnnie Walker, John Lewis, Guinness, HSBC and Volkswagen, which picked up a bronze award at the 2012 BTAAs. Benito's powerful yet sensitive spot for St John Ambulance which raises awareness of a serious issue was recognised with three golds and a silver at the 2013 British Arrows. |
Benji Weinstein is an award-winning commercial director and a highly original voice in advertising, blessed with a dry sense of humour and a refreshingly unconventional view of the world. His work is built on a firm foundation of performance-based comedy, populated by memorable characters and polished with a stunning visual style. After studying History and Philosophy in Canada, Benji moved to Los Angeles, where he made a name for himself as an in-demand music video director working with indie bands. He transitioned into a commercial directing career and quickly paved the way for an ever-growing list of achievements when one of his first spots was shortlisted for Cannes. His work has been honoured at numerous industry awards since then, including The One Show, AdCritic, New York Festivals, Cannes International Advertising Festival, Effies and ADCC Awards. | Benji has lent his unique touch to spots for major international brands including Expedia, Burger King, Comcast, Kraft, FedEx and Subaru through leading agencies like Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and BBDO, and his full throttle visual sensation for Hyundai made an enormous impact online, attracting 3 million views in its first week. |
We are excited to announce that acclaimed director Björn Rühmann has joined the Blink roster. German-born Björn first found success as a creative at TBWA Paris, working on a series of award-winning international campaigns. He launched his directing career in 2007 as co-founder of lauded directing collective The Vikings, whose work attracted over 100 international awards. With films such as the funny yet poignant 'Power of Wind' for energy company Epuron, which was the second most awarded commercial worldwide in 2007 and counted a Cannes Gold Lion and an honourable mention at Sundance amongst its accolades, Björn ventured out on his own as a director. Björn has continued to create powerful and endlessly imaginative commercials, exploring the unexpected through his ambitious, unusual and emotionally sensitive work. His background as an art director shines through in masterfully crafted imagery. A dexterity with both comedy and drama, he creates distinctive worlds that reflect the intricacies of human life. | He has directed commercials for clients including Cadbury's for Fallon, Puma for Droga5 and Mercedes-Benz for Jung von Matt. He took viewers back to a historic moment of comedic epiphany for Cravendale, imagining the first time a man decided to milk a cow. His 80-second ad 'Rise', a sweeping and visceral portrait of the American Revolution accompanying the release of the highly anticipated video game Assassin’s Creed III, garnered over 35 million views online in a single week. Most recently, Björn has completed Dell ‘Thomas’ with Y&R New York, showing how seemingly boring train journeys can be made productive. |
Dougal Wilson is a director famed for his iconic music videos and commercials. His unique style has influenced filmmakers and artists around the world. A physics graduate from Durham University, Dougal began his career as a copywriter at The Leith Agency in Edinburgh, before moving to London to begin directing here at Blink. His music videos have been widely celebrated for their playful, charming flair. Dougal has won Best Music Video Director at the British CADS twice, as well as claiming The Best Video of the Year twice at The Rushes Soho Shorts Festival. His video ‘Love Lost’ for ‘The Temper Trap’ was awarded a Pencil at the 2011 D&AD awards. Artists who have worked with Dougal include Coldplay, Goldfrapp, The Streets, Will Young, Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal, Benny Benassi and Jarvis Cocker, to name but a few. Dougal is also responsible for directing a very diverse range of consistently inspiring commercials. He has received D&AD Pencils for his Orange 'Dance', Big Yellow Storage and COI 'Fire Safety' spots. To date, his vast contribution to the world of commercials includes spots for Coca-Cola, Olympus, Becks, Vodafone, BBC, JCPenney, Amnesty International, IKEA, Lurpak, Renault and Three Mobile. | Dougal's first advert for John Lewis, 'Never Knowingly Undersold' with Adam & Eve transcended mere commercial status to become a widely talked-about part of popular culture. His charming follow-up for the brand, 'The Long Wait' continued this success, collecting several awards at the 2012 D&AD and Cannes Lions awards as well as being named "Commercial of The Year" at the 2012 British Arrows. Dougal's spots for Safestore through WCRS and Lurpak through Wieden + Kennedy also won major acclaim, earning him two golds and a bronze at the 2012 Cannes Lions, and two golds, a silver and two bronze at the 2013 British Arrows. His second John Lewis Christmas-themed commercial 'The Journey' added even more accolades to his name, winning three golds and a silver at the 2013 British Arrows. Dougal is now firmly placed in the top tier of directors in the country. Uniquely for such a successful director in the world of commercials, he has retained his passion for creating music videos, and his work in these fields continues to draw interest and acclaim. |
Jonathan was born in London, and at the age of nine moved to the Netherlands with his parents and his twin brother. After studying guitar at the conservatory in Amsterdam he sidestepped into theatre and ended up directing various award winning television series with a theatre group he was attached to. Branching out in other directions Jonathan has since established himself as a commercials director, working with all the major advertising companies in Holland, as well as expanding his trade to France, Germany, Belgium and Italy. His promo for the Dutch lottery for DDB won a Bronze Lion at Cannes, a silver ADCN Lamp in the Netherlands and gold Eurobest in London. Subsequently, the two spots he directed for the French newspaper L'Equipe won a Gold Lion at Cannes and the Grand Prix de Strategies in Paris. | Jonathan has also developed an enduring collaboration with Bavaria Beer: his ‘Life is Life’ commercial for them won him the ADCN Lamp for best director at the 2009 Dutch Art Directors Award ceremony, and since then, he has directed popular Bavaria commercials starring such Mickey Rourke and Hugh Hefner, and most recently, Charlie Sheen. |
One InThree are Ross Elliot Cooper and Bugsy Riverbank Steele, a directing team known for their original visual interpretations: if there’s a problem that needs solving, you can bet that OneInThree will find an unusual solution to it. The pair met at Central Saint Martins, where they studied graphic design and film. They regularly pioneer their own techniques, like in the mesmerizing masterpiece for Wild Beasts’s, ‘Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants', originally inspired by an Escher lithograph, 'The Print Room', and their expertly composed recent video for Everything Everything’s single ‘My Kz, Ur Bf’. | OneInThree have been nominated for a number of awards from the likes of Arena Magazine, O2 and D&AD, where their magnificent video for Badly Drawn Boy’s ‘Promises’ earned them an inclusion In Book in 2008. That same year, they received the most nominations of any new director at the Music Video Awards, where they were nominated for Best New Director, Best Art Direction for ‘Promises’, and Best Budget Video for the eighties-style video for The Teenagers’s single, ‘Make It Happen’. They have also directed music videos for such established artists as Bloc Party, Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, Ellie Goulding and V. V. Brown. OneInThree have now also moved into the world of commercial filmmaking, where they are already in high demand. Their recent adverts for Trident showcase their talent for technical innovation, with its remarkable series of unexpected scene transitions. Other clients they have worked for include Ford, BNP Paribas, Sony Ericsson and O2. |
Paul Minor is a director known for crafting soulful, atmospheric work, which stays with you long after it is over. He grew up in Texas where he spent his wayward youth playing in go-nowhere rock bands, before turning his attention to filmmaking, and moving to Los Angeles. After a nomination for Best New Director at the UK CAD Awards (now MVAs) Paul went on to create indelible videos for a wide spectrum of artists. His credits include videos for Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, Editors, Glasvegas, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals as well as unexpected and inventive clips for pop artists like Joe Jonas. | Since moving into the advertising world, Paul has crafted memorable films for O2, Mozilla Firefox, Uniqlo as well as a worn-in, vintage-washed clip for Harley Davidson. He has recently completed a film for Nike through AKQA London, which follows singer Ellie Goulding on a journey that juxtaposes her hectic lifestyle with the “runner’s high” of training. Paul's appetite for inspiration is continually pushing him into new territory. He remixed Coldplay for the soundtrack of his O2 spot and created the musical score for his short, Possession. paulminor.tumblr.com |
Saul spent the first years of his film career making high profile, critically-acclaimed documentaries. These included Tottenham Ayatollah and Lifters. Saul's feature film debut came with Bullet Boy, which he directed, devised and co-wrote. After a worldwide premiere at The Toronto Film Festival, Bullet Boy won Saul 'Most Promising Newcomer' at the Evening Standard British Film Awards and nominations for the Douglas Hickox Award at the British Independent Film Awards and a Golden Hitchcock at the Dinard British Film Awards. Bullet Boy also won a prize at the Emden International Film Festival. As a sign of its lasting impact on British culture, it was selected for National Schools Film Week in 2005 and is still studied. Following the success of Bullet Boy, Saul helmed the high-profile adaption of Booker Prize-winning novel The Line of Beauty for the BBC, written by multi-Bafta winner Andrew Davies. Then cameThe Duchess, which Saul directed and co-wrote. After worldwide exposure, the film reached box office #1 in the UK and earned the title of the year's most successful independent British film. | The Duchess received one of the two Academy Awards it was nominated for, as well as another four wins including a Bafta and fifteen nominations at the European Film Awards, the Golden Globes, British Independent Film Awards and the London Critics Circle Film Awards. Saul's first advert came soon after - Street Dares for VCCP, which was selected for the APA 50 and awarded a BTAA Diploma. More commercials followed including BHF (Grey), brand campaign for Morrisons (DLKW), Sky and SOS (Dare). |
New York-native Will Speck and Los Angeles-born Josh Gordon are a directing team known for their subversive, performance-based comedy imbued with their own frivolous sense of fun. Speck/Gordon began a working collaboration as students at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where they co-wrote and directed what was to be their senior thesis film, ‘Idyllwild’, starring Gillian Anderson. The film went on to be an Academy Award Finalist in the Student category. After graduating, they moved to Los Angeles to begin their careers in the entertainment industry, writing and directing ‘Angry Boy’, a well-received film for the FX Network. In 1998, they wrote and directed the short film, ‘Culture’, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, which won the silver Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival and was also a 1999 Academy Award Nominee for Best Live Action Short. | Following their Oscar nomination, Speck/Gordon turned their talents to commercial directing. They proceeded to take the BTAAs by storm for their Levis promos for BBH London, rounding up a Gold for Best Series, two Silvers and a Bronze. The duo have also made much-loved spots for Geico, Mastercard, Staples, Avis and Budweiser. Their Samsung work through Berlin Cameron and Partners was shortlisted at Cannes in 2006, and they have continued to achieve great things in the commercial world, having recently burst back onto the UK scene: in particular, they drew great praise for their charming spots for Nestea out of Weiden & Kennedy London and Moneysupermarket.com through Mother London. The boys are also thriving in the world of feature film. Their ice-skating comedy ‘Blades of Glory’, starring Will Farrell and Jon Heder, was a worldwide box office smash, and demonstrates Speck/Gordon’s ability to draw fantastic performances from major international stars. |
Stuart Parr is a director renowned for his sophisticated film style, a master of the visceral, a god of small things. A design graduate from the Royal College of Art, he began his career as a furniture designer, working alongside Jon Bannenberg and Philippe Starck. Stuart’s fascination with the visual properties of objects soon led him to work in graphic design, and then to filmmaking. By concentrating on exploring and re-defining close-up photography in his filmmaking, Stuart quickly established himself as a commercials director. | Stuart's work for AEG, ‘Vital Signs’ exemplified this detailed approach to visuals, combined with his typically nuanced use of sounds. His talent for working with outdoor landscapes was engineered to magnificent effect in his stunning commercial for North Face, and he recently focused his characteristically crisp style on revealing the hidden beauty of an everyday ritual for NFU Mutual's first ever television campaign. Other major clients Stuart has directed commercials for include McDonalds, Honda, Buxton, Gore-Tex, COI, Audi and The Daily Mail, as well Kleenex through JWT and Dove through Ogilvy London. |
Tom is a BAFTA-nominated commercial and feature film director mixing strong performances with smart visual effects and bringing an acutely British sense of humour to his work. A member of world-famous comedy group Footlights at Cambridge University, Tom began his career as a journalist and graphic designer, before joining Blink as a runner and polishing his showreel. His first three music videos all screened at BUG, where they were called 'charming' and 'bonkers' and then 'charming' again, after which he was nominated for Best New Director at the UK Music Video Awards, and went on to make videos for the Guillemots and Fatboy Slim. | He has made commercials with Wieden+Kennedy, Havas Worldwide and VCCP for clients including Three Mobile and V05. Tom's debut feature film 'Black Pond' was released to huge critical acclaim and nominated for a host of awards, including the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut. Along with his co-director Will Sharpe, Tom was named one of Variety's top ten European directors to watch, and won the Evening Standard Film award for Best Newcomer. |
Tom Tagholm is an exciting director who brings unmistakeable panache to all his work, along with a streak of quiet, British humour. Tom began his career as a creative at Bates Dorland, before moving into filmmaking when he was asked to join Channel 4’s fledgling creative department, 4Creative. Since then, he has written and directed numerous award-winning spots for Channel 4. In the process, he has won Creative Circle, Campaign, Promax and Cannes Lions awards, as well as a D&AD award for his Alan Carr Chatty Man campaign. Tom has also drawn praise for his commercials work outside of Channel 4, directing spots for Skoda, Mini, Tetley Tea, charity Time to Change ‘Reactions’ out of Dare London which also won him a Bronze Lion at the 2011 Cannes Lions. In 2005 Tom directed his first short, ‘Tarzan of Bounds Green’, which was appraised at worldwide festivals and was picked up by British Council for representation. | Two years later, Tom went on to write and direct ‘A Bout de Truffe – The Truffle Hunter’. This 35mm film again played in festivals worldwide and picked up a host of awards including Best Film at the prestigious TCM Classic Shorts, Best Short and Film of the Festival at Raindance, Best Short at Dances With Films LA, plus many other nominations throughout Europe, America and Asia. In 2008 Tom wrote and directed the 35mm short ‘So I Fell In Love With a Zombie’ to promote the Raindance Film Festival of that year. Tom’s third short film, ‘The Parachutist’ with Film4 and the BFI is coming out very soon as well. 2012 has been an eventful year for Tom, seeing his departing Channel4 after an immensely successful run, leaving behind a legacy and completing his final film ‘Superhumans’ for the 2012 Paralympic Games. ‘Superhumans’ was appraised worldwide, earning Tom the Best Director Award at the British Arrow Craft Awards 2012. |
Tomas Mankovsky is an inspired, craft-driven director with a strong background in advertising. Born in Poland, Tomas grew up in Sweden drawing crazy inventions and dreaming up wildcat schemes. He began his career in advertising as a creative at Ogilvy in Stockholm, then moved to London to work at Fallon for the next five years. During his time as a creative there, Tomas simultaneously began to explore his interest in filmmaking, which allowed him to develop his visual inventiveness. Since signing to Blink in 2009, Tomas has directed a collection of promos that showcase his combination of visionary imagination and technical expertise. | He has won acclaim for his inventive approach to commercials for clients such as Diesel, Sony, Orange and Cadbury, and especially so for the gravity-defying visual acrobatics of his 'The Climber' spot for IKEA. His spot for energy provider E.ON demonstrated his skill for telling heartwarming stories in a beautifully cinematic visual style. Still pushing brain-boundaries at all times, Tomas spends his spare time writing film scripts, launching a range of Tetris-shaped bathroom tiles and inventing things, including a domino that generates sound. Tomas is also responsible for the brilliantly imagined and touching short ‘Sorry I'm Late’, which followed up his emotionally charged, self-produced short ‘Little Big Love’. |
Zak Emerson was born to an American father and British mother living the bohemian lifestyle in the Swiss Alps. The high mountains were soon exchanged for the flatlands of Norfolk where he spent his formative years, before going on to study Fine Art Painting at Central St Martins’ College in London. Zak entered the ad industry working as a storyboard artist and creative assistant at ASD. Under Arden’s wing he soon established himself as a commercials director following the success of his first short film 'Suspended', a black and white period piece, which attracted widespread attention on the festival circuit. It was picked up by the British Council for representation and won the prestigious Stella Artois best short film award. | He has since directed award-winning commercials for clients spanning Adidas, Toyota, Kelloggs and Carphone Warehouse as half of directing duo Zak & Dan. Their 2008 Labrokes campaign for M&C Saatchi collected awards across the industry from BTAA to Cannes, and the recent 'Faking Of' spot for Heineken was awarded the Grand Prix for best film at the 2012 Eurobest Awards. Zak's short film ‘And Another Thing’ won Best Direction at the Tres Courts Paris International Film Festival 2010. The film tells the story of a wife and mother on the brink of a breakdown in two minutes, showcasing Zak's talent for eloquent and sharp storytelling with a quick-witted edge. |
