Production house DECON has signed director Van Black for U.S. commercial representation. The New York-based filmmaker, photographer and multimedia artist celebrates people as everyday heroes in work spanning commercial, episodic series, long-form narrative and interactive media projects. Black has turned out content for such brands as Gap, Absolut, Playtex and Cadillac. Her “Be a Witness: VIACOM x Witness” projection mapping project earned a 2016 PromaxBDA Award for Best PSA Campaign. Most recently, she worked with New York-based agency Yard on an Athleta campaign featuring a group of cancer survivors who have found community, belonging, and renewed hope through their crew team.
Beyond branded work, Black--who was previously repped by Killer Films Media for commercials--has also helmed assorted cause-driven projects under her own ongoing banner, BLKFLM, working with the likes of Al Gore, The United Nations, UNICEF, Appian Way and teen activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez along with scores of passion projects, including conflict journalism during events such as the Ukrainian Revolution. Leveraging a counterculture lens to examine politics, Black’s work has earned widespread media recognition, landing in such outlets as National Geographic, CNN, VICE, Rolling Stone, HuffPost, Esquire, Mic, Upworthy, Refinery29, Teen Vogue, i-D Magazine, BuzzFeed, MSNBC, The Guardian and the BBC. A lifelong storyteller, Black holds a B.A. in film production from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
“Van has her hands on so many types of projects and has really been able to team up with some incredible people, agencies, and brands to tell powerful stories in many mediums that somehow are weighty and important while still managing to find that thread of entertainment and lightness,” noted Misha Louy, DECON executive producer.
Black said, “DECON has a fun and creative atmosphere and they really have their finger on the pulse of what is interesting. I’m pumped to be a part of such a young, culture-driven company that just gets it and also extends their reach to music, long form and documentary projects outside of commercials.”
Category: News