Australian/Maori director Dylan Duclos is officially entering the U.S. market as the new addition to the roster at Los Angeles production company Sanctuary, which will rep him for commercials, branded content and music videos. Duclos is known for his photographic and surreal style that’s earned him several Vimeo Staff Picks and commercial craft awards. He continues to be repped Down Under by Australian production house Collider.
Duclos first crossed paths with Sanctuary when he came to the States to work on an ad campaign. When introduced to Sanctuary partners Preston Lee and Kristen Bedard-Johnson, he felt inspired and was on board straight away.
“When I met Dylan, I was impressed with his ambition and ability to blend sharp narratives with an immersive, time-suspending visual style,” said Lee. “I knew immediately that he would be an apt addition to our team, and I’m elated that he felt similarly.”
A native of Western Sydney, Duclos’ dad worked in TV, exposing the future filmmaker to control rooms and sets at a young age and allowing him to start editing professionally by age 16. As a young editor, he gained experience in nearly every part of film production and befriended several directors who encouraged him to try his hand behind the lens.
“I’m really drawn to the velocity of short-form storytelling, and I’ve been fascinated with photography as a medium for as long as I can remember,” said Duclos. “In photography, you have to tell a story in one shot, and I tend to play on that in my work by using a lot of photographic references and building a film frame by frame.”
Duclos got his start directing music videos, a swift, creativity-unleashing format that he said felt natural to him as a kid of the Vimeo generation. Sure enough, he honed an absorbing, textural, and rich visual style and quickly started working for top Australian talent. With electro-pop White Shadows, he made the music video “Give Up Give Out Give in,” and with singer-songwriter Emma Louise, a cultish music video called “West End Kids.” Both earned Vimeo Staff Picks.
After making waves with his music videos, Duclos was scooped up by Australia’s Collider some six-plus years ago and thrust into the world of commercials. Duclos has since honed his minimalist and cinematic style with award-winning ads for Corona, Sheridan, James Boags, Vanguard, Victoria Racing Club, and more.
With Sanctuary, Duclos has his eye on highly creative collaborations with global brands, particularly in luxury fashion. He’s also eager to try his hand at crafting more comedic stories, and to eventually transform his love of high-impact storytelling into the creation of a TV series. Duclos is currently crafting a short film, with a working title of “St Vitus,” based on the true story of the dancing plague of 1518 in Stroudsburg.
“I am always trying to push my filmmaking artistry, and America is the home of the ad, so it just feels like a natural next step in the progression of my career,” said Duclos. “I can’t imagine a better way to make my entrance than with the skillful team at Sanctuary by my side.”
Nikki Maizel Named President Of Publicis New York
Nikki Maizel has been hired as president of Publicis New York. She reports to Carla Serrano, global chief strategy officer of Publicis Groupe and CEO of Publicis New York.
Maizel brings more than two decades of leadership experience to her new role. Most recently, she served as the head of business leadership and managing partner at McCann New York, where she transformed the agency’s business and growth strategies while shaping its culture and employee training infrastructure, receiving numerous accolades during her tenure.
“Our industry is at a pivotal moment, with clients seeking partners who can challenge them to innovate, impact their bottom line, and move faster than ever,” said Serrano. “Our ‘Power of One’ approach, embodied within Publicis New York, allows us to offer integrated solutions that meet these demands. We’re thrilled to welcome Nikki, who has a proven track record of growing businesses globally, building best-in-class teams, and elevating collective offerings to clients.”
Maizel said, “Publicis Groupe has earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries of what’s achievable. I’m excited to collaborate with our partners and teams to set our clients apart. Publicis New York is the engine behind ‘Power of One,’ the unique model of the future that combines cross-agency capabilities, so I can’t imagine a more exciting time to join and help shape what’s next for our clients and teams.”
Maizel becomes the latest Publicis New York appointment under Serrano’s leadership. Last year, Publicis New York named Patrick White as its chief strategy officer, and welcomed Joe Mongognia as its chief creative officer.
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