Brooklyn-based Coed Studios, a boutique production and post house launched by directors Haley Geffen and Sam Stephens and managing director Damijan Saccio, has added four to its directorial roster.

Blythe Thomas, Emily Anderson, Noor Gharzeddine and Kris Walter have all signed on.

Thomas, also a photographer, is known for her music-video work; her signing with Coed is her first representation agreement with a major commercial production company. Anderson joins from Hogarth, the global production arm of WPP, where she was an in-house director. She is also a designer and creative director by background. Gharzeddine is a budding Lebanese-American filmmaker whose signing with Coed marks her introduction to the commercials arena – her work leans towards long-form storytelling. And Walter has worked directly with major global brands and agencies.

“We’ve managed to rise above the challenges of the past two plus years, and now we’re finding ourselves competing for projects with the industry’s top production companies and directors,” said Geffen, who adds that she’s currently writing on a Super Bowl spot, in a statement.

“We wanted to move carefully as we grew, and so we’ve taken our time to find the right talents, fresh eyes, and varied perspectives,” said Stephens, also in a statement. “Adding Blythe, Emily, Noor, and Kris is a natural extension of the family, allowing us to offer a much deeper and more diverse variety of cinematic voices to collaborate with our brand and agency partners.”

Thomas has directed music videos for such artists as Julia Michaels, Hozier, Miranda Lambert, Anthony Ramos and many more. “Blythe has lots of great stories to tell, and we’re excited about what she’ll bring to our agency and brand clients,” Geffen said.

Anderson has directed spots for such brands as IBM, Noom, Holiday Inn, ESPN and Walgreens. “Emily’s creative energy and enthusiasm are infectious,” said Stephens. “It shows in her work, where she brings out this quirky and emotional realness in her subjects. Combine that with some serious art direction chops and she’s well on her way to establishing a truly unique voice in the industry.”

Gharzeddine divides her time between New York, L.A., and Beirut. She directs commercials, feature films, and music videos, often focusing on untold, female-centric stories. Her debut feature, “Are You Glad I’m Here,” traveled to more than 30 film festivals worldwide and won numerous awards before being released theatrically and on Amazon Prime Video. “Noor came up through the production ranks, and she’s got an amazing eye and flair for storytelling,” said Geffen. “From my perspective as a company owner, it’s an honor and a privilege to give underrepresented voices like hers the opportunity to work for agencies and brands on a global level.”

Walter’s work reveals a flair for shooting sports and athletes in action, and includes spots for brands like Izod, Nike, Speedo, and others. He joins Coed from the in-house agency at PVH, the apparel giant that owns such brands as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.

Three of these four signings are women, and Geffen says that fits with the company’s goal of fostering diversity and inclusion. “[W]ith these signings, we’ve doubled down on that,” she says. “Our roster is now more balanced, and the filmmakers who’ve joined us are aligned with our core ethos as a company. More importantly, we’ve all come together to form this close-knit and supportive unit, which I find gratifying. We’re working together to help each other succeed as directors.”

Tags: career moves coed studios


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