We’re a freelance directing team that partners with production companies, distributors, and brands to create meaningful, award-winning work.
We’re often asked to come in at the creative development phase, and continue the project through to execution. (But we’re flexible.)
APRIL HAYES
April Hayes is a LA -based documentary filmmaker and creative director whose work runs the gamut from feature docs to short form episodic series to interactive multimedia documentaries.
As a producer, recent projects include the Emmy and Sundance award winning feature documentary THE SENTENCE (HBO, 2018); the multiple Critics Choice Award nominee ROLLING THUNDER: A BOB DYLAN STORY by Martin Scorsese (Netflix, 2019); and LYNCHING IN AMERICA, a multimedia project with the Equal Justice Initiative.
April's work with brands includes a stint at Google's in-house creative agency, where she helped lead innovation in nonfiction storytelling, including co-running Google's first branded documentary series "Search On.”
Her commercial and brand work has been honored by the Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, Art Directors Club, Webby, Vimeo Staff Pick, Short of the Week, Camerimage, and Clios.
KRISTEN LEWIS
Kristen Lewis is an award-winning creative director, writer and director. Most recently, she has focused on leading documentary and short film content in-house at Google Brand Studio and Google Creative Lab. She has over 20 years of experience, both full-time and freelance, spanning across global ad agencies, tech companies, startups, and production companies in New York, London, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Boulder, Seattle and Los Angeles.
A strategic thinker by nature, she is also extremely dedicated to executional craft, picking up Vimeo Staff Picks, Webbys, Art Directors Club, Camerimage, Addys, Cannes and D&AD pencils. Her work has been covered in publications such as Adweek,Communication Arts, Lurzers Archive, and The New Yorker.
She is highly experienced at creating thought-provoking storytelling that elevates underrepresented voices, pushes boundaries, and breaks stereotypes - without sacrificing a brand’s voice and values.
Two people; one shared brain.
We are passionate about stories that uplift people and challenge preconceived notions about complex topics.
We’ve proven that you don’t need to sacrifice aesthetic sensibilities or depth of story to create game-changing, impactful work for brands.
With decades of experience on film productions set in countries around the globe and countless projects between us that span the film and advertising worlds, we are well versed in all aspects of creative filmmaking.
We believe in being kind, respectful, supportive (and fun) partners to our clients and collaborators as we go.
PS: We’re also moms. Nothing fazes us.
Illustration by Jess Rotter
Clients and Collaborators:
IBM GOOGLE BRAND STUDIO MILLER LITE DOVE TOMS GOOGLE CREATIVE LAB NETFLIX NEST AIRBNB YAKIMA VALLEY FARMWORKERS CLINIC GRAIN MEDIA REUTERS TV EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE GOOGLE.ORG JUNIPER NETWORKS XBOX VICE MEDIA OGILVY NEW YORK LOEFFLER RANDALL AMERICAN EXPRESS MICROSOFT CA TECHNOLOGIES OGILVY LONDON JUST SO MEDIA SONY PLAYSTATION KODAK COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS UNILEVER HBO MOTOROLA STELLA MCCARTNEY COMMON CAMBRIA WINERY STEPT STUDIOS GIRLS ON FIRE COCA-COLA + MANY MORE
