Los Angeles-based director Sam Crawford, the versatile comedy/lifestyle visualist, has joined Venice-based production house Wild Plum for commercial representation. Crawford’s diverse background touches the worlds of fine art, film editing, and improvisation, giving him unique perspectives that permeate his work.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to add Sam to our lineup,” says Wild Plum Executive Producer/Partner Shelby Sexton. “Sam adds a comedic edge to our roster, while being a first-class filmmaker and a really personable guy. I can’t wait to see where this relationship takes us.”
The director just completed a light-hearted series of spots for Domtar‘s “Paper Because” campaign, which finds humor in everyday situations where paper is essential. Through the agency Eric Mower & Associates – Charlotte, this is the third series that Crawford has directed for the company, the first two focusing on the importance of paper in the workplace. This set sheds light on the need for paper outside of the traditional office setting, from instruction manuals to anniversary cards to gift receipts for those not-quite-perfect presents. Based in real life situations, the spots take the scenarios to their ridiculous extremes to extract the humor and absurdity of truly living in a paper-free world.
Crawford launched his commercial career in Atlanta where he acted as director, DP, and editor on dozens of spots for ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Capital One, the Atlanta Hawks, and Church’s Chicken, among others. Prior to that, he received extensive formal training in fine art from the University of Texas – Austin, then received his MFA in photography from UMASS Amherst where he created art installations that combined video and photography. He was then one of eight people nationally to be accepted into the Core program at the Museum of Fine Art in Houston and, while there, also began working as an art director, set dresser, and draftsman on feature films. He has also spent time as an actor in improv groups, learning to build upon a scene from scratch and honing dialogue skills.
This extensive background makes Crawford both a wonderful dialogue and visual storyteller, but at the end of the day, he sees himself as a naturally comedic person who loves the commercial industry. “I’ve always somewhat jokingly said that I am a drama director who can’t help but be funny,” Crawford says. “I shoot everything with total seriousness and a clean approach and allow the situations in which the characters within my spots find themselves to carry the comedy. It’s funnier when it rides the line of being completely normal. In improv you learn that you don’t start out in crazy world, you have to let that unfold. You start out serious and normal and identifiable, then you let the crazy start to happen. In the end, all bets are off, but it has to start off in a place we can all see ourselves living. I think my work plays with that change, from the normal world to the crazy world.”
Sexton believes these qualities are exactly what will further Crawford’s career. “There is a certain irreverence behind Sam’s work that is refreshing and draws you in,” she states. “We really can’t wait to introduce him to new agencies and brands and allow him to sink his teeth into some great, new creative.”
In choosing to sign with Wild Plum, Crawford cites the company’s passion for his work as well as the industry as a whole. “It’s really a family environment. In an industry that can sometimes be cold, there is a warmth in everyone involved with Wild Plum. I’m really excited about what opportunities are around the corner for all of us.”
