The L.A. office of the global commercial production company CANADA has signed Parker Schmidt to its roster of directors for U.S. representation. Known for his powerful visual design and unconventional storytelling for automotive, fashion and sports brands, Schmidt has worked on campaigns for Nike, Mastercard, Kia, Cadillac, Lexus, Bolt, Corona Beer and lululemon, among many others. Schmidt’s work has been recognized by the One Club, Vimeo Staff Pick, YDA’s, ADC Awards, Berlin Commercial Awards, and the Santa Monica International Film Awards.
“Parker is an amazingly vital and radiant young artist who can direct and shoot and create fascinating, impactful visual stories on film,” said CANADA managing director Charlotte Woodhead. “Did I mention he is also a poet and potter? A true hands-on artist who writes verse and shapes clay as beautifully as he does film narratives for brands, Parker is our renaissance man. We are truly excited to have him join our team.”
Schmidt originally hails from the sagebrush and mountain latitudes of Boise, Idaho, and now lives on the beach in Los Angeles, where he spends his free-time catching waves and cycling the Malibu canyons. He spent years competing as a downhill skateboard athlete sponsored by brands like Sector 9, lululemon and Peralta, among others, and learning advertising on the fly by shooting content for his sponsors around the world. He then dipped into the industry officially by interning in art direction at David Miami, Elephant and INNOCEAN Berlin. He also studied art at the Miami Ad School Europe in Berlin before seizing the director’s chair, working in his early days with Leica Camera, Porsche’s “Type7,” Corona Beer and Nike. Prior to joining CANADA, Schmidt had been represented in the U.S. by production company Florence.
“I’m gratefully industry ambiguous,” said Schmidt. “Most of my work centers on the human experience, including capturing a higher reality, beyond a surrealistic perspective, and my work also is rooted in something poetic and intimate, all of which can translate into any brand category–automotive, sports, tech, objects, art and design. It’s a unique orientation that I’ve found for myself.”
