Damien makes people laugh, and conversely, other work of his may bring a tear of emotion.
These reactions are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but require the same skills. Nuance of performance and a close attention to casting choices.
Both happy and sad spots have won awards, including a Grand Prix at Cannes, D&AD, One Show and New York Festivals awards, a prestigious Communication Arts in LA, as well as craft awards for direction and cinematography from the guilds and unions he is a member of. Damien has had 45 million viral views, and spots broadcast globally. He has made Americans, Canadians, Italians, British, Indians, Chinese and so on laugh and cry….because emotion really is universal, and developing cultural insight is part of what he loves.
He is a cinematographer on all his work as it streamlines the process, in both pre-production and on set. It means he can focus on the performances, the actors and the agency, not the technicality. He has been behind a camera for almost 30 years so it’s like breathing to him.
Damien is old enough to have owned a fax machine, but he is young enough to know how to make a 6 second spot tell a story. And with experience, he has seen and dealt with every curveball that’s a part of making great work.
He has a number of bases around the world, and is ‘time zone neutral’, which is corporate speak for he will do a conference call at 3am if needed.