Fashion-designer-turned-director Sally Tran has joined creative production company Scholar, bringing to the company her unique and often surrealistic point of view.

“The world of Scholar excites me because the director I think I am likes to play with the idea of fake and real,” said Tran in a statement. “I can elevate a concept from stop motion into CG modeling, from retro analog into intentional lo-fi 3D,” and finding the perfect approach to best tell any given story is something Scholar is well known for.

Tran hails from New Zealand by way of Vietnam and now lives in New York City, giving her a global perspective.

“Sally oozes creativity. It’s going to inspire everyone to just be around her. We always look for the ability to push outside that first thought and Sally has a very surreal brain; her first thought is something we’ve never seen before and we are genuinely excited about her as a filmmaker,” said Scholar Co-Founder and Director William Campbell, also in a statement.

Tran launched her film career in New Zealand where she directed music videos before moving into short films and eventually directing a full-length feature. She continues to work in film and advertising and has directed global campaigns spanning digital, experiential and social for such brands as Dunkin’ Donuts, U by Kotex and Schick.

Most recently a director at Ghost Robot, Tran’s list of residencies include: Massey University, Asia New Zealand Foundation, a Script to Screen fellowship with NYC’s Killer films, and the Berlinale Talents.

“Sally is like a bolt of lightning. She’s electric and there’s an emotional texture to her work. She doesn’t rely on any one thing to get an idea across and as a company, we want that. More visionaries, more unique voices. We never want to become that one-note-type of studio and Sally is the antithesis of that,” said Scholar Co-Founder and Director Will Johnson, also in a statement.”

Two of Tran’s recent projects are below:

​Stem PSA for Cartoon Network
60 Years and Still Short

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