Bicoastal production company ArtClass has signed director/writer Ryan Ebner to its roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. Known for his dry, understated brand of humor, Ebner, a performance-driven director with a sharp eye for casting, has had his work garner honors from the Cannes Film Festival, D&AD, and The One Show, among others. At ArtClass, Ebner has already wrapped a campaign for State Farm out of DDB.
Ebner has helmed projects for such brands as Anheuser-Busch, Ford, P&G, Taco Bell, AT&T, Verizon, Reebok, Snickers, and Fox Sports. As a director, he had most recently been freelancing. His most recent company affiliation was Raucous Content. Earlier in his career he was repped by HSI. Ebner’s short film, Meanomorphosis, which earned him a Silver Lion at the Cannes Film Festival, cemented his evolution from :30 TV ads to long-format branded content and helped put him on the map as a comedic talent. Among his initial breakthroughs was earning a slot in SHOOT’s 2008 New Directors Showcase.
The Light Side, his most recent and first non-branded short film, about an aging Sith Lord who learns humility, was given an exclusive world premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. It was also included in the We Are One Film Festival–which combined the best films from Tribeca, Cannes, Sundance, Venice, and TIFF–and received more than 72K views in just a week on YouTube.
As a former creative director, Ebner is often asked to write on scripts he’s tapped to direct. Being part of the overall team gives him a special view into the project and allows him to solve non-traditional problems that agencies are facing in today’s ever-shifting landscape. It’s also made him a prime source for direct-to-client projects from companies like Apple, Fitbit and Activision’s “Call of Duty” franchise.
“Brands and clients want directors who can offer a 360-degree approach to executing an idea,” said Ebner. “My writing background is just another tool I can offer up–and a chance for me to return to my roots. When I started directing, it was just a group of us agency folks writing and shooting our own stuff. It was pure creativity–guerrilla and gritty–because we were working with what we had, which is why I love directing: I want to make stuff.”
