Hornet Signs Bennett Johnson to Its Director Roster

Hornet announces the signing of Bennett Johnson for representation across North America. The addition of Bennett to Hornet’s growing roster of live action and multidisciplinary directors shows their continued commitment to being a talent driven studio and their expansion beyond animation. Bennett brings a powerful range of experience in live action and mixed media storytelling, and his tour de force music video 'Hope inside the Fire' for Foreign Fields cemented him as the youngest winner of the Gold Cannes Lion for Music Video Craft.

Bennett is a London-born, Brooklyn-based director whose work marries exaggerated concepts with a deadly-serious demeanour, building narratives on the edge of reality. His precise execution and unexpected blending of tones keeps audiences slightly off-balance yet fully absorbed.

Technically adept, Bennett draws upon a wide array of classic and future-facing filmmaking techniques to bolster foundational ideas, never allowing style to dominate the narrative or act as a substitute for an idea. His work is underpinned by a unique musicality, infused with layers of rhythm and movement – showing the influence of his brother (and sometimes collaborator), a choreographer and former dancer with the Dutch National Ballet.

His work with brands like Nike, Spotify, USPS, GMC, Snapchat, and Riot Games, as well as music videos for artists such as J. Cole, Brandy, Gallant, and Foreign Fields, has showcased his versatility across mediums and an ability to integrate advances in technology with traditional storytelling.

Hornet executive producer Ben Sharpe said, “Bennett and I first met when his video for Foreign Fields won gold at Cannes. I was taken (along with the Cannes jury) by how he was able to explore such a complex topic in an intimate way, all within the confines of a music video. Over the years I’ve watched the scale of his work expand, and his approach evolve in such a fascinating way. I love the lens Bennett puts on the world, and appreciate that he is a fellow student of world class advertising. As we wrap our first production together, I’m excited to be writing this new chapter together and officially welcome him to Hornet.”