Award-winning director Brandon Nicholas has officially joined SEED’s growing roster of talented directors for commercial and branded content. They quickly kicked off their partnership with an exciting project for PayPal in late 2021.
Nicholas’ directing career started at the age of 10 in his parents garage, building imaginative but authentic worlds that ultimately led to creating his first short film his junior year of high school. At the screening he was approached by an audience member who wanted to donate to the arts, and just like that, he had funding for his first feature film. While others were participating in sports, Nicholas was shooting scenes for his film on the Universal Studios backlot. After a professor at Art Center College of Design encouraged him to drop out and get to work, this young director was diving headfirst into the incredible world of filmmaking.
Since then, Nicholas has specialized in commercial films and holds a variety of storytelling methods that evoke connection and a genuine curiosity for life. With a background in Production Design acquired during his time working in features and music videos, he not only tells the story of a character, but also uses his keen eye to demand an appropriate employment of color theory and design to ensure that each frame of footage is both visually dynamic and captivating. His well-planned and carefully executed work is accompanied with just the right amount of freedom to discover organic and magical moments on set.
Having spent many years at an agency, Nicholas is able to see projects from conception through post-production and has the ability to understand both sides of the business. “As a director I am often brought into a project many months after an idea has been formed. It’s my job to understand how much work has gone into a concept and act as a partner in bringing that vision to life. It’s all about collaboration.” says Nicholas. During his time in house, he would work closely with the creative director from the early stages and even edited most of his own spots. As a result, Nicholas is able to see directing from 50,000 feet all the way through to the finish line.
Nicholas has directed three feature films and over 50 commercials with an array of impressive clients including Disney, Samsung, Google, Lenovo, Intel, Lucas Film, Marvel, PayPal, Nest, Ancestry DNA, Motorola and with talent ranging from Danny Elfman to Kobe Bryant. His commercial work has led him to his most recent awards including 2 Gold Telly’s, a Webby, Gold Hermes, and a Digiday Finalist. Nicholas, who resides in Los Angeles, is looking forward to an exciting future at SEED.
SEED founder Roy Skillicorn said, “Brandon’s vast experience working in all different fields of production allows him to see a project from 360 degrees. It’s rare to find a unicorn like Brandon who can get so granular in every detail but not get lost in the bigger picture.”
As for what Nicholas has to say about being a unicorn, “I lead with my heart, it’s what comes first. My brain could initially overanalyze and second guess, but it’s my heart that finds what is honest and authentic.”
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