Los Angeles based national multi award winning director, Tony Franklin, who has caught the attention of brands like BMW, IBM, WIRED, Purina, Pizza Hut, Gatorade, Prudential and many more has joined Tessa Film’s talented roster of directors.
Director Tony Franklin, whose distinctly warm and human approach to storytelling has made him a sought-after talent by brands and agencies, has signed with Chicago and L.A.-based Tessa Films for representation in the Midwest.
“I’m thrilled to have Tony join our roster at Tessa,” says Co-Founder and EP Lisa Masseur. “His work resonates with people on a deeply personal level, and that style of storytelling is more important now than ever. We’re looking forward to getting him in front of our clients throughout the Midwest, and we’re excited about where we’ll go together.”
To view his full reel, go here.
Franklin came to production after working as an art director for Target, where he landed after studying photography in San Francisco. While at Target he began to direct, and has been shooting full-time since 2014. Previously represented in the US by Native Content, he’s been working both at home and abroad as a freelance director for the past several years, tackling a wide range of creative assignments. He continues to be represented in France by Satellite My Love in Paris.
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Why sign with Tessa? Franklin says his decision was based on the longtime support he’s received from Masseur, who’s encouraged and advised him for years. “She’s been a big proponent of my work, and I’ve always been impressed with her work ethic and how she’s been able to build directors,” Franklin notes. “I’ve been following Tessa since it launched, and they’ve been growing fast. Better yet, they’re producing a lot of great work that reflects the sensibilities of what I love to create.”
Franklin says he’s attracted to stories that are characterized by passion, a quality that’s reflected across his showreel. In spots for Etsy and Academy Sports we see real, approachable people express their passion for competition and for home and hearth, while his multi-spot holiday campaign for BMW shows how the promise of electric vehicles can capture the passion of young people everywhere. His reel also features spots for Prudential, IBM (produced for Wired), Pizza Hut and Gatorade.
In addition, Franklin’s documentary work – which he describes as his personal “passion projects” – have racked up some prestigious honors. They’ve been shortlisted for two consecutive years at One Screen, the prestigious short film festival sponsored by The One Show, premiered in film festivals across the country and won both Best of Show as well as two Addy Awards from the American Advertising Federation. The web site of The Atlantic has featured two of his films, “Miss Monroe” and “Legends of the Isles,” on their annual lists of the year’s best short docs.
One of the attractions of signing with Tessa, he adds, is being able to assemble a team approach to the jobs he takes on. “Almost all of the work on my reel has been done while I’ve been a freelance director, so I’m looking forward to having the support of a dedicated production team, which Tessa offers,” he says enthusiastically. “My work has reached the point where I’m ready to move up to the next level in terms of projects, and with Tessa’s reputation and the collaboration they offer, I’m sure we’ll get there.”
