Creative collective Wild Gift has added Thomas Leisten Schneider to its roster for commercial directing. His work includes acclaimed comedic campaigns for Icdd (Fantastic, Paris) which puts a very original twist on clogged toilets, Hugo Reitzel (Baywatch, Switzerland) featuring an unlikely match brought together by the allure of the renowned pickle brand, and TikTok x festival de Cannes (Artefact 3000, Paris) depicting the power of bite-sized content. He has also directed campaigns for Grans Frais, Citroen, Fisher Price, Canal Plus, Ultra Premium Direct, Bouygues Telecom and many other brands. Wild Gift is Leisten Schneider’s first representation for commercials in the U.S. market.
“I love working with actors and casting a film,” Leisten Schneider said. “But I also love photography, so I always try to find the right language for a film visually. I aim to make comedy with style.”
“Thomas is a super talent, he makes comedy with a touch of class,” said Wild Gift co-founder David Mitchell. “He’s the only director I know who can direct a campaign for a French plumbing company with actors floating in a toilet bowl and make it a charming and fun moment. He’ll make a splash in the U.S. market for sure. We’re looking forward to introducing him to our clients.”
Leisten Schneider said, “David and I had a first conversation and quickly got into films and life–it just felt easy from the start. His warmth and experience working with many of filmmaking’s greats makes me feel like Wild Gift is the right home for me to grow my commercial career in the US.”
Leisten Schneider was born and raised in France where he studied theater at a conservatory in Paris and worked as an actor. He moved to Los Angeles and studied at Stella Adler, and went on to direct plays initially, then short-form content. His experience also includes a three-year stint at SMUGGLER as a director’s assistant before emerging as a noteworthy directorial talent himself. In addition to his commercial work, Leisten Schneider also has directed acclaimed short films including dramedies Point and Shoot starring Donald Sutherland and Tiebreaker, aptly described at film festivals as “a father, a son, their rackets and their balls.” Leisten Schneider recently wrapped his first feature film, Love-Love (Haley Joel Osment, Beck Bennett, Chris Elliott) which will hit the festivals circuit later this year.
