J + J–a directorial duo consisting of Jess Zou and Jing Shao–has joined L.A.-based commercial production company Untitled. The signing brings new talent to the stateside market. The helming team is well known in their native China and throughout Asia where their youthful work is marked by a contemporary style and bold use of color, music and images from nature. When Jim Evans, founder/executive producer of Untitled, went looking for a high profile director in Asia, he gravitated towards J+J.
Most recently the duo completed a Levi’s campaign, starring the celebrated Chinese editor of Marie Claire, Frankie Han, which is currently running throughout Southeast and East Asia. Other notable credits include a long-form commercial for Intel, a short film titled Le Carrousel for high-fashion Chinese brand Trendiano, and campaigns for Hilton, adidas and Baileys.
“When I looked at J + J’s reel, their work spoke to me emotionally with its strong visual style,” related Evans. “Their storytelling is so powerful that, even though I don’t speak a lot of Chinese, I felt their actors spoke to me personally.”
“Untitled has a strong belief that our approach can be successful in the West—the U.S. in particular,” said Zou. Shao added, “Our style is quite global and we want to expand to more markets. We are impressed with Untitled’s reputation and the directors on the company’s roster. Once we began talking with the people at Untitled we felt an instant connection and for us, that’s very important.”
Xuan Jiang, creative director at Intel Studios, Bejing /Los Angeles, worked with J + J on Intel’s Ultralove campaign in China. Jiang said the duo have a deep understanding of script and clear vision.
“It’s very easy to communicate with them on script and the style,” said Jiang. “Jess made a few changes, which really enriched the story. They’re intuitive, creative and hard working.”
Currently based in Shanghai, J + J regard themselves as “quite multicultural. ”
“We work mostly in a mix of Chinese and English and most of our projects are for global clients with a local focus,” said Jing. “Part of our uniqueness is bringing an international flair to the projects that work locally in China, but through Untitled we are looking forward to taking our sensibility and style into America.”
J + J ’s worldly approach is based in the universality of youth culture and draws energy from the new media spaces where young people meet and create. “We are often inspired by people we follow on Tumblr, Instagram and Vimeo,” said Zou. “ I think this makes us experiment more and try new things with each project.”
Still, they are also motivated by innovative in traditional outlets of film, literature and music. The Intel spot, which takes a romantic story to new heights with a whimsical female lead, is a tip of the creative hat to director Wes Anderson, and the short film Le Carrousel–a sci-fi trip into parallel space and time–is inspired by novelist/essayist Philip K. Dick.
