Bryght Young Things on Growing with Gratitude and Talent-First Philosophy
Bryght Young Things (BYT) is a US production company, founded by director Daniel Navetta, that entered 2025 with some serious momentum.
Having launched a photo department in July last year and recently partnering with Revolver Films, opening opportunities for their directors in Canada, the agile company has started to make its mark in the industry with bigger projects, clients and names – while maintaining Daniel’s equitable, talent-first philosophy.
This earned them recognition as an Ad Age A-List ‘Standout Production Company’ - a result of 12 standout months, involving photography for Nike, film campaigns for Apple and Honda, and innovative, high craft work for Google’s sustainability initiatives.
“That project really set us on course last year, and people saw us as more dynamic thinkers than previously,” says Daniel of the latter – a project close to his heart, as the founder of FUTUREVVORLD, an editorial website focusing on environmental responsibility in fashion, footwear and design. “Then Mikayla [Gamble, BYT director] did the ‘Clutch Isn't For Everyone’ work with Paige Bueckers – a continuation of a lot of interesting Nike work we did last year, helping to launch shoes and inject some ideas that they took and brought across a lot of North America campaigns.” The Apple film ‘Neighbor’ from director duo SANDEEP & CHADRICK was then the exclamation point on their year.
Above: Nike - ‘Clutch Isn't For Everyone’
“People could see we’re a small but mighty company, all of a sudden working on Nike billboards in the middle of New York and doing marquee work for Google… using motion control and flexing all these different muscles in 12 months. People realised that we're a force to be reckoned with.” By often working direct-to-brand, BYT also gets to spread its creative wings, as some of its roster comes from creative directing, giving them an insight to “what it's like to be on the other side” to be the best partners possible.
“[Running] BYT requires agile thinking,” says Daniel. “It always has. It always will.” This nimble mindset is rooted in the beginnings of BYT, and even before that, in the beginnings of Daniel’s career in New York. With no formal training or ‘big ins’, he worked as a PA, boom op, location scout, coordinator and more – all while building a network of creators and peers who were making art on the side.
Daniel brought with him a philosophy of ‘enthusiasm and gratitude’ that still shapes him and BYT today – in part, thanks to his previous life as a janitor. “I was very happy to leave that life to get the tiniest opportunity, to scratch and claw my way up. That never leaves me,” he says. “When I drive or fly to a shoot, it is very present in my mind that I'm not going to have to clean up a kindergartener’s throw up, or smell terrible when I go home.”
Above: BYT on set
Feeling an impending shift in advertising around 2017, and a need for someone to champion the young, emerging talent he had surrounded himself with in Brooklyn, he launched Bryght Young Things. “And that’s very much the same reason why we exist today.”
He continues, “I had enough money to buy a used Canon 7D and make some things with friends for other friends – artists, painters and musicians. Being in advertising is this strange box that I don't really consider myself to be in. I consider myself to be running a company where I champion the talent of my friends and try to work with as many of them as possible.”
This empathetic, friendly approach is what attracted Chelsea to BYT three years ago. Now a partner in the company, the executive producer first met Daniel in 2018 while producing at Droga5’s production company, Second Child. Struck by Daniel’s genuine care for his roster, joining BYT was then a natural move when the chance arose.
“We're constantly looking out for the directors that we have on our roster. That's a big thing that separates us,” she says. “We are actively engaged in all of the work that comes through, we weigh the pros and cons for everything, we make sure our people are being heard and are making what they want to make, and we're constantly on the lookout for new points of view.” BYT intentionally keeps a small roster to facilitate this, says Daniel. “There are plenty of directors screaming out for help and support on rosters that are too big to actually support them.”
Above: Google - 'Sustainability' (dir. Daniel Navetta)
Working regularly with the Apples, Googles and Nikes of the world, BYT has more opportunities than ever to grow its concise roster – and Daniel is holding firm in his artist-first approach. “We want to give our talent the best deal, a better home, more community, more access to us as executive producers and mentors… It's just a matter of who wants to join the party.”
“There's a lot of bullshit in this industry,” adds Chelsea. “A lot of really talented people make one marquee piece, and these big fish come and gobble them up, and then they just sit.” According to her, it’s during the quiet times, when client work might not be coming in for a director, that BYT really shows up.
“[We’re] helping them make a short film or strategising about what kind of work we want to make for the future, or maybe setting up a spec film – assuring that person that they’re not just a name on the roster.” She continues, “It doesn't feel good to spend your whole day working with people and thinking of them as a money sign. They're real people. I'm very passionate about creating together with people and making sure my words are backed up.”
Above: BYT on set
This becomes more challenging as budgets shrink while the creative asks get bigger and broader. “And they need to be more interesting and fit into these big hopes and dreams to set brands apart,” she explains. “It takes so many decisions, so much effort to get something done in this world where the asks are growing and the money is shrinking. You just have to be in awe of it, and really respectful of the art form.” Fortunately, BYT generally works with people who are.
“And even with the ones who are like, ‘please, can you take us to the moon – we have $5?’, we just need to figure out the right way to the moon,” she adds. “We get there, we just might have to go to the other side of the Earth first. We are really solution-minded, so we put our money where our mouth is when that kind of stuff comes our way.”
And that’s the agile mindset they’re bringing through the rest of 2025, ingrained in the company since its inception, and now helping BYT ‘meet the moment’ off the back of a momentous 12 months.
Above: Honda - NAVI (dir. SANDEEP & CHADRICK)
“We want to keep leaning into the growth we've had,” says Daniel. “We have a bunch of short films and work we've self-financed -- and deferred making any revenue on -- to make sure we’re putting our creative stamp out into the world alongside our commercial work. We want people to see us as a dynamic place that’s not just serving a bunch of briefs, but that we're actually still artists, and supporting our directors.
“[We’re] making sure the foundation of what we do is really bulletproof, and then growing it with more people that want to be a part of how we do things,” he adds. “We’re focused not on signing 10 more people, but on meeting the amount of phone calls we're getting, and finding the right people who we want to share this space with – the right people who are going to go on set and do things the way we've always done them, with gratitude and enthusiasm.”
