Director Daniel Kleinman Signs with Arts & Sciences
International production company Arts & Sciences has signed the legendary director, Daniel Kleinman, to its roster for representation in the US. Hailed as one of the industry’s most awarded commercial directors, a pioneer of the modern music video, and designer of the iconic opening credit sequences for the James Bond film franchise, Kleinman will bring his years of expertise, invention, and superb craft to branded content and beyond at Arts & Sciences.
As a commercial director, Kleinman is famous for bringing humor, irreverence, and a dash of the macabre to his films, taking simple concepts to their often hilarious, always-affecting extremes. Some of his recent branded work includes campaigns for clients Accenture, Vodaphone, Pepsi and Budget Direct, and past clients include Smirnoff, Levi’s, X-Box, Johnnie Walker, Durex, Boddington’s, and Audi. Kleinman is based in the UK, where his production company, Rattling Stick (co-founded in 1996 alongside Ringan Ledwidge and Johnnie Frankel), is a much-lauded commercial powerhouse.
Kleinman has won innumerable accolades over his decades-long career, earning him the title of “Most Awarded Director in the World” by the Gunn Report and “US Commercial Director of the Decade” by Adweek. Among his honors is the President’s Award from Creative Circle, the Chairman’s Award at the British Arrows, awards from Cannes, D&AD, Clio, the New York One Show, the Midsummer Awards, and more. His 2005 Guinness commercial, “NoitulovE,” was the most-awarded campaign of its year. It is widely regarded as one of the best commercials ever made.
“The word icon and legend is thrown around too casually,” said Mal Ward, managing director and partner at Arts & Sciences. “But Danny Kleinman has earned both of those titles, he’s also an incredible collaborator and singular creative partner. Arts & Sciences is beyond thrilled to have Danny on board, and we look forward to supporting him on his next creative ventures.”
Raised in London, Kleinman attended Hornsey Art School and used his training in illustration to get his start in film, working as a storyboard artist at the dawn of the music video industry. Kleinman is a musician himself, having co-founded the proto-punk band Bazooka Joe which featured Adam Ant and headlined the Sex Pistols’ first show. Combining his musical experience with his storyboarding expertise, Kleinman directed his first music video in 1983 and went on to direct videos for scores of artists, not least among them Madonna, ZZ Top, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Pat Benatar, Van Halen, Billie Eilish, and Prince. Kleinman was instrumental in developing the use of post-production special effects in music videos, which has become a hallmark of the medium. He was a regular at the MTV Video Music Awards in the 80s with consistent nominations for Most Experimental Video and Best Direction, among other categories and award nominations.
“Arts & Sciences represents some of the most interesting talents in this industry,” says Kleinman. “I’m extremely pleased to be included among them and look forward to working with their fine crew in the US!”
Arts & Sciences started a decade ago as a boutique production company specializing in producing award-winning advertising content, music videos, fine art projects, original documentaries, and feature films. Located in Los Angeles, NYC, and London, Arts & Sciences represents a diverse group of top directors and creators and has been named a Creativity A-List Production Company five times. Every major advertising award show has recognized its work, including Cannes Lions, Clio, AICP, D&AD, The One Show, and the Andys. Their original content work has been featured in the New Frontiers showcase at the Sundance Film Festival, The New Yorker, Nowness, and Purple Magazine. Arts & Sciences has produced work for every major global brand, including Google, Apple, Facebook, Nike, AT&T, Samsung, Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, American Express, MLB, the NFL, and more.
