O Positive Films has added comedy director/writer Amber Schaefer to its roster for commercial representation. Schaefer is known for her irreverent tone and distinctively stylized short films, sketches and commercials. Her first work with O Positive is “The Job” for Native’s playful holiday campaign via agency M/H. She also serves as one of Saturday Night Live’s short film directors, where she most recently directed New Cast Advice and Pinx Period Underwear ft. Amy Schumer. And Schaefer’s award-winning short film NYC Tips and Tricks (2022), as funny as it is poignant, distinctively captures the cultural zeitgeist and pokes fun of influencer culture.
“I started watching Amber’s sly weirdo hilarious Instagram posts a few years ago and didn’t even make the connection that she made ads,” said director David Shane of O Positive. “She has that rare thing we’re always trying to find — a real authentic voice. Smart and smartly funny and 15 degrees off center. And for all the beautiful absurdism, she always finds the vulnerable humanity in the characters.”
Schaefer said, “I was always a huge fan of David Shane and everything O Positive. When I met the team for the first time I was in shock: not only are they the best in the biz but they are all genuinely really good people with huge hearts. I feel incredibly lucky to be represented by the best comedy focused commercial production company in the world.”
Schaefer, who grew up in Vermont and Oregon in a hippie family, started her career as a line producer, while also acting and copywriting for brands. She has an extensive network in the New York and L.A. comedy scenes, which grew from her sketch and improv experience as well as directing Jimmy Kimmel Live, Funny Or Die and College Humor, in addition to her own comedic shorts. She currently directs the pre-taped films at SNL.
Schaefer brings a strong comedy writing background for punch-ups and story to her work. She finds inspiration in everything from observing the ways people talk, dress and decorate their homes to watching classic films from Wilder, Antonioni and Cassavetes and watching bad television and Tiktok’s.
One of her greatest attributes is a strong rapport working with talent on performance, as seen in commercials she’s directed for Dos Equis, Geico, Smartfood, Coach and many others. “Being alive doesn’t last long,” Schaefer surmised. “I want to make great work with talented people, but I want to have fun doing it, too.”
Prior to joining O Positive, Schaefer was handled in the ad arena by Caviar. She is repped by 3arts for TV and film.
