Bicoastal Station Film has added the directing duo of Henry Chen and Ssong Yang, aka Henry/Ssong, to its roster for North American representation. The filmmakers–behind critically acclaimed work such as Google’s “Saroo Brierley: Homeward Bound," named by TED as one of the “Top 10 Ads Worth Spreading” in 2014, and Hozier’s richly cinematic “From Eden” music video–have established themselves as empathetic global storytellers who bring tangible emotion to both narrative and documentary work. Their commercials and content for multi-national brands Honda, American Express, Delta, Elevit, Microsoft and Telenor share the common theme of elevating the everyday hero through relatable performance, beautiful visuals and a natural cadence that allows the story to shine.
Chen and Yang, both 32, initially began collaborating while attending Rhode Island School of Design’s film/animation/video program. Their professional partnership took root in 2012 and has since yielded some of the industry’s most prestigious awards. In 2016 their first Chinese market film, All for that First Hello for Elevit via JWT Shanghai, won Bronze at Spikes Asia. It’s a touching branded film that shares how a wearable device bridges the gap for fathers not permitted to accompany their real-life expecting wives on their doctor’s visits by allowing them to hear the beating of their unborn children’s hearts.
In 2015, Henry/Ssong’s “Ikigai” (the reason you wake up in the morning) for Nescafe which hones in on life’s most important beats, won Silver at Dubai Lynx; while their Delta spot for Wieden + Kennedy New York, “Grammys Innovation Class” featuring Ryan Lewis and Real J Wallace, won Silver and Bronze Lions in Cannes and CLIO Gold. In addition to press accolades and a commercial slot on one of television’s largest audience events, the 89th Academy Awards, Henry/Ssong won a Cannes Young Directors Award in 2014 for Google’s “Saroo Brierley: Homeward Bound,” which was also shortlisted at the Cannes Lions Festival.
Henry/Ssong has been drawn toward work that encourages curiosity, or supports a mission, a message with a good cause and the potential to be thought provoking. The filmmakers embrace subjects like solar energy, climate change, civil rights, personal growth, friendships and relationships, and strive to accentuate their storytelling with a visual style that sparks passion.
In addition to commercials, Chen is currently developing his first feature, a biopic about a civil rights figure, while Yang is writing a feature and short film about community support and mental health.
Chen, who spent much of his youth in Taiwan, is based in Los Angeles, and Yang, who grew up on the East Coast, New England and Seoul, currently lives in Brooklyn. Henry/Ssong is repped in the UK by Great Guns. Before joining Station Film, Henry/Ssong were repped by m ss ng p eces.
Steven Orent, managing partner of Station Film, said of Chen and Yang, “Caroline [Station partner/EP Gibney] and I immediately saw their talent for bringing humanity to storytelling, in both narrative and documentary formats. But it doesn’t stop there. They bring a beautiful visual style that is rich in cinematic details.”
Chen and Yang said they were drawn to Station’s quality of work, the support it provides to filmmakers, and the company’s balance of experience and intimacy.
