directors & d.o.p.s Nov 2017

”I love the way food communicates culture, history, social trends, passion and craftsmanship. Its ability to create emotions, memories and bonds between people fascinates me. I am just as passionate about the people behind the food and their ability to create masterpieces.”

Stockholm-based Bianca Brandon-Cox started her career as a documentary photographer over 20 years ago. It’s no surprise that the camera has become Bianca’s weapon of choice – she more or less grew up in a darkroom. Her grandmother was an avid photographer and she inspired Bianca to pick up the camera herself.

Inspired by her work as an Art Director for food photo shoots, in 2009 Bianca focused her own business entirely on food and beverage. Today she is an appreciated food photographer, prop stylist, film producer, film director and DoP on food films. She uses her skills for both people and food and has won several awards such as 'Best in the World' in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Bianca has developed certain skills for social media such as film production for YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. She is currently producing gastro-documentaries à la Chef’s Table, seasonal restaurant menu films, product films, recipe films and courses with appreciated Swedish food influencers.

Selected clients inlcude Arla Foods, Axfood, Mars Nordics, Philips, Oatly, Urtekram, Kung Markatta, Svenskt kött, Restaurant Mistral, Gourmet Magazine, Travel + Leisure Magazine, Giorni, Bonnier, Norstedts, Semic and Brillbee.

With a background in stills photography, a strong visual excellence ethos and having worked on some of the largest brands globally, EU-based Director / DOP Brett Danton has recently directed four pieces for Jaguar Land Rover.

Brett works tightly on concepts and understands how to take the creative idea across multiple mediums from broadcast to web.

Often combining stills and motion shoots for clients through his knowledge of technology, the end results have won numerous awards in cinematography.

Devi Brulé is a multi-award-winning American director from a misty island in the Pacific Northwest. She directs commercials, branded content, fashion films and narratives, always with an eye for the magical moments that give a film its heartbeat.

Her fashion film 'Euphoria' captures the grandeur of nature’s most secluded and majestic worlds, and recently won two coveted Davey Awards, as well as Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and an Audience Choice Award on the festival circuit.

From food to fragrances, Devi brings a sense of adventure to her work in both content and process, creating worlds that are rich and emotional, always with a strong visual aesthetic.

She created the branded series 'Katalyst HQ' for Ashton Kutcher, directing episodes that also starred Jason Bateman, Gary Busey and Kim Kardashian. As show-runner, she oversaw brand integration for Cheetos and Hot Pockets, driving hundreds of thousands of views.

Devi has created content for Calvin Klein, Frito-Lay, Nestlé, Unilever, Müller Yogurt, Ural Motorcycles, Burt's Bees and Walmart.

Eden Diebel started working in the film industry in London as a film and TV editor, focusing primarily on promos and trailers for Warner Brothers, Fox and Universal Pictures.

Three years later, he moved into directing music videos, first in London and then Los Angeles. He has directed over 60 music videos in eight years, covering almost all the genres. In 1997 he won an award for 'best short-form video' at the Dove Awards, Los Angeles.

Eden then began his commercial career in style, being selected by London’s Campaign Magazine in 1998 as one of the '10 best new directors in the world', on the basis of two test commercials. That same year he was selected for the prestigious Saatchi Showcase in Cannes.

Numerous Cannes Lion awards later, he has worked for a growing number of blue chip clients in the UK, Europe and the USA. Since 2005, he has been living and working in Sydney and shooting the world over.

Clients include National Bank New Zealand, McDonald’s, Tiger Beer, Volkswagen, Telstra, KFC, Kellogg’s, Kraft, Bank of Melbourne, Bayer and Bupa.

Heatwave Pictures is a creative production studio, bringing together a powerful cocktail of skills and experience. Specialising in food industry imagery, from the field to the exquisite feast on the table, each director has a wealth of creativity to bring to each project.

There is now an explosion of food films being produced, but the food itself often looks like an afterthought. Heatwave Pictures is different - their passion is the food - and it shows.

From creating social media hit campaigns to filming commercials, Heatwave Pictures works with clients to make content they need and their audience will love.

Recent work includes campaigns for Levi Roots Reggae Reggae, global food giants BRF and McDonalds, as well as Film Festival nominations for ‘Sacred Gin’.

Jean-Louis Carrasco is a French director based in Paris. He took his father's camera as a teenager and instantly felt the visual passion that would go on to last a lifetime. 

After graduating from film school in Paris, Jean-Louis directed commercials and worked on improving his 'French touch' visual language. He began shooting for foreign agencies worldwide, from New York to Moscow, Mexico to Bangkok, and has now worked in some 30 countries, showcasing great skill in handling cosmetics and fashion, action and storytelling genres. He is also used to shooting with local celebrities.

In addition to commercials, Jean-Louis works on music videos and short films. 'The Au Revoir' has been shown at Short Film Corner at the Cannes Festival, and was awarded 'Best Romance' and nominated in the 'Best of Festival' category at the Bodega Bay Film Festival, California.

Joonas Vinnari specialises in outdoor sports and shoots both still photography and video.

During his time as a professional cyclist, Joonas began shooting bike videos for Kona and later moved on to be a full time photographer. In his videos, authenticity and a polished final product go hand in hand. His visual and narrative storytelling engrosses the audience into the world of the video.

Joonas likes to edit his own videos and has a keen interest in sound production. He has carried out several productions on his own and gained experience and understanding from them. Currently, he enjoys working with a team and having the time to concentrate on his role as the photographer. Furthermore, for the past couple of years he has also been doing drone photoshoots.

Julius Koivistoinen is a young and talented cinematographer who has made several music videos, TV commercials and short films. He is utterly committed to his projects, from brainstorming to planning and finally giving the end result the final touch.

Julius began his photography career at the age of 16 in a magazine called Softaaja and already the next year he was admitted to the Lahti Institute of Design to study photography. Julius worked on several projects during his studies and one of them, 'Everyday Paradise', was exhibited in the Finnish Museum of Photography.

Julius finds beauty in brutalism and the imperfections of day-to-day life but also enjoys creating and perfecting advertising content.

Musaranya is a film advertisement production company and photo studio located in Barcelona. The team works on cars, interiors, kids, fashion, food, underwater, healthcare, and service industry advertising.

Clients include Seat, Volkswagen, Danone, Jané, Planeta DeAgostini, Nestlé, and many more.

TiTo Gifre, with a huge, high-level reel, is an enthusiastic director with fresh approaches and a vast knowledge of post-production. Alex Izquierdo is a DOP characterised by his particular sensitivity for framing and lighting, and his passion lies in the automotive world. Together they make a great team, with more than 10 years working in partnership.

The company provides cameras and extensive camera and lighting equipment, as well as a private 300m² studio with a remote-controlled 10x10 floating ceiling for light reflection especially designed for car shoots, and a heating system for productions featuring models or kids.

A sunny pool is available for underwater film and photo productions, complete with a water heating system up to 27 ºC and a dry moat for cameras with windows at deep water and at mid-water levels.

Photographer and director Rob Fiocca has an exceptional eye for beauty. As one of the most sought after food, product and interior photographers, he has established himself as a well-respected artist on the leading edge of the photographic industry.

With a career that spans over 20 years, his creative and commercial print work has garnered international awards, and his reputation has kept his client list stocked with advertising agencies such as Leo Burnett, JWT, Ogilvy and Y&R creating work for brands such as Kraft, Williams Sonoma, and Nestlé.

Rob applies his mastery of light and texture to motion, directing memorable spots for clients such as The LCBO, Dannon, Kellogg’s, Dempster’s, Kraft, and McDonald’s. His appreciation for the story of food and the poetry within the details has made this medium a natural translation of his unique vision, keeping him busy shooting at home and abroad.

Shoot Studio is a creative and well-established production house in Montreal. Its ability to handle motion and photography is a natural blend, with a DOP’s vision enriched by years of phototographic exploration in studio as well as in natural scenery.

"We produce 'hybrid' shoots, where the look and feel of the image will be consistant through photo and motion. In this way, we can maximize the production team and time for the client by using a unique talent crew for both photo and motion needs. We do advertisement, fashion, travel and leisure, and cultural assignments.

Each DOP has their own flavour and field of work. Let’s meet."

SC Pictures is a production company featuring the work of Canadian born director/photographer Stewart Cohen. As a creative who specialises in lifestyle work, his company’s strengths lie in the ability to do live action and stills during the same production.

Stewart’s experience as a still photographer directing large groups of people made him a natural fit to jump into live action early in his career. His team’s goal are to produce content that requires a variety of media. They are known for seamless large productions where everyone has fun and the results are stellar. Whether for a hotel, airline or multi national food company, the productions are tight and exciting.

Recent clients have included The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, American Airlines, Gatorade and Neiman Marcus.

“It’s all about working with a director with a focused vision who surrounds himself with brilliant team members.”

"I've always been in love with every single thing involving fashion. I try to follow an attractive and minimalist line in the work I do, being always consistent with my own style." This is the way Zapping Produccions' new director, Andrea Bielsa, works both in video and in photography.

Andrea has worked for prestigious brands including Tous, Adidas, Buff, Pertegaz, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Oysho, Swarovski and Reebok, among others.