“Optimistic Comedy” to Spread as Nick Wenger Joins Contagious
Contagious has signed Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based commercial director Nick Wenger for exclusive US representation in the branded content space. Wenger incorporates humor, dialogue, and vfx into a tableau of memorable visual storytelling, directing projects for brands like Visa, Chevrolet, Durex, Nestlé, Pepsi, Johnny Walker, and Twitch. Since earning his MFA from USC's School of Cinematic Arts, his work has been recognized at the World Cup in Sao Paulo and the Cannes Lions Festival, and he's the proud recipient of the Panavision New Filmmaker Award, the W3 Award, and the Communicator Award. Wenger was previously repped in the US by Durable Goods.
“I’ve watched Nick grow so much over the last few years,” said Contagious EP Natalie Sakai, who first met Wenger a decade ago when both were engaged with MoFilm, an incubator for up-and-coming commercial filmmakers. “I've just been a big fan of Nick's work, and it’s really taken off - his voice, and the quirkiness of his comedy, has really shined through.” Sakai cited the high-profile Wenger-directed Visa “Tap, Tap, Tap” campaign in the run up to Super Bowl LVIII and new work for Jinx Premium Pet Food as prime examples.
“Natalie's awesome. I'm very glad to have stayed in touch over all these years, and I'm looking forward to working together,” said Wenger. “Agencies and brands want to work with people who know how to be flexible, and execute in different genres, mediums, and formats. I think we're a great match in that respect.”
Stylistically, Wenger refers to his evolution as one embracing “optimistic comedy.” “Comedy is always evolving, and I think we're entering a super-positive, earnest place,” he explained. “I'm all about optimism in my work. Tonally, visually. With a little bit of quirk."
It was a pair of suitably bizarre Wenger specs for Skittles and Starburst that first got the attention of agencies and brands. He’s since worked with A-list talent including Jim Carrey, Keegan-Michael Key, Susan Sarandon, Kal Penn, Josh Duhamel, Rachael Ray, and animal actress Crystal the Monkey (Wenger loves working with animals).
Prior to pursuing his MFA at USC, Wenger attended undergrad at UCLA, where he got involved as a writer-director-performer-editor on UCLA-TV's longest-running sketch comedy TV series. “That became kind of my passion, and I was skipping class to go finish an edit. I realized that I love filmmaking,” recalled Wenger, who is now a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, with editorial credits including Goliath on Amazon Prime, Bless This Mess on ABC, the Emmy Award-winning Wonder Women for Hallmark.
Both Sakai and Wenger acknowledge a current trend toward longer form branded comedy content on YouTube. “3-minute commercials are definitely a very defined niche in advertising now, which is great for me as a director, because I'm kind of making a short film in a way,” said Wenger, whose short film, THE KID, enjoyed success on the festival circuit and was featured on Amazon Prime and DirecTV's ShortsHD channel. It was picked up by DUST (Gunpowder & Sky) where it became their most popular stand-alone film on Facebook, with 60M views. This sci-fi action piece is a proof-of-concept for a feature he’s developing. He is currently prepping for his debut feature, an innovative thriller that aims to use AI-driven technology to enhance visual effects and stunts on a limited budget.
Nick Wenger joins a Contagious roster comprising Brandon Bray, Emilie Silvestri, Jeff Jenkins, Kevin & King, Nolwen Cifuentes, Clare Chong, and Tamara Rosenfeld.
Contagious is a WBEC Woman-Owned and NMSDC Minority-Owned company.
