WW7 Diversifies Roster with Lizzy Born and Jonathan Pearson
The Los Angeles-based production company, comedy darling World War Seven, has signed two new directors to its abstract, asymmetrical, ever-expanding creative universe: Lizzy Born and Jonathan Pearson. While Lizzy and Jonathan have each crafted singularly distinct voices as filmmakers, both creatives come from strong narrative backgrounds, where their wide-ranging experience as noted writer/directors of major network series compliments their portfolios of commercial and branded work, to find a suitable home in the increasingly broad-minded orbit of WW7.
Lizzy Born is an award-winning director with a knack for dark humor and social commentary, working across branded content, variety, sketch comedy, music videos, and fashion films. Known for her stylish, left-of-center filmmaking, Lizzy handles dark themes with a comedic touch, building rich and mesmerizing characters in specific, highly immersive worlds.
Lizzy directed the first season of the groundbreaking variety show, Ziwe, for A24 and Showtime, along with short-form series Girl Kyle for Comedy Central. She was selected by Paul Feig to direct the Euphoria-esque Gen Z web series Everything’s Fine, for Snapchat, via his incubator prod co Powderkeg. In the branded space, Lizzy’s work lives at the nexus of fashion, luxury, beauty, and comedy. She’s helmed films for Bvlgari, Sony, Lexus, and Dolce & Gabbana, among others. Highlights include Vogue’s holiday collab with Grey Goose, starring Alexandra Dadarrio of White Lotus – a cheeky and stylish direct-to-camera brand film which Lizzy wrote and directed; and collaborations with New York City Ballet, where she directed the 2019 fall fashion gala film detailing the alchemy between choreographers and costume designers, Anna Sui and Zac Posen. Lizzy’s short films have premiered at the Sundance, SXSW, and Cannes Film Festivals, and have snagged multiple Vimeo Staff Picks along the way.
“I couldn’t be happier with this new partnership,” says Lizzy, “WW7 has a reputation for script-forward advertising that is genuinely funny and innovative. I’ve been approached many times to join the rosters of other production companies in the past, but was thrilled when Sloane and team invited me to join, because WW7 is the first place I could see myself fitting in. They take the craft of filmmaking very seriously, yet simultaneously maintain a light-hearted, positive attitude in the process. The company really feels like a family. I look forward to a prolific relationship with WW7 and their client base.”
Jonathan Pearson is a multi-award-winning director whose foundation in narrative and love for photography creates authentic performances and striking visuals for films that are anchored in real, human stories. Known for creating emotional and stylized films in the scripted space, Jonathan’s impeccable approach to craft, and his love of working with actors to explore characters’ inner worlds, make for compelling narratives with strong emotive cores.
Jonathan has directed campaigns for some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Meta, Audi, Netflix, Samsung, JFK Library, Honda and Mercedes, whose commercial spots have earned him accolades from Cannes Lions, Clios, One Show Pencils, D&AD Pencils, RTS Awards, and a BAFTA.
Jonathan most recently helmed the branded thriller, Unlocked, for Z by HP, one of the first-ever branded films to stream on Peacock which was subsequently in competition at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival. He’s hot off a campaign for the UN, commissioned by Idris & Sabrina Elba, focusing on the impact of climate change. Shooting all over Tunisia, and set to an iconic Nina Simone track, the film will form the centerpiece of a major upcoming campaign from the United Nations and be screened in front of world leaders this coming summer. Ever the globe-trotter and keen to tell stories from across the world, Jonathan is highly sought-after in the international space as well. A notable series creator, Jonathan wrote and directed the drama series Run for the U.K’s Channel 4, Starring Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, and has recently finished a long-form project with BBC Studios, shooting throughout Rio, London and Copenhagen.
“I'm a huge fan of (EP) Sloane’s, and we had been wanting to work together for quite some time. So when she joined the WW7 family, and introduced me to (co-founders) David and Josh, it immediately felt like a fantastic fit. The company has a highly focused creative ethos, where they share knowledge and insights, and prioritize craft and storytelling in pursuit of great work. In addition, and most importantly, they are such a genuinely wonderful bunch of humans, who within just a few months of joining, already feel like family. I can’t wait to work with WW7’s top-tier reps and client base as I continue to develop my US commercial career. I’m extremely proud to be WW7’s first non-comedy signing, and to be at the start of a new and exciting chapter for us all.”
“When I joined WW7, I immediately thought of Lizzy and Jonathan,” says WW7 EP, Sloane Skala. “They’re both directors I’ve worked with, and adored, for years – they felt like perfect additions to our quirky little family. We’ve been wanting to expand beyond the world of comedy, and while each of them has a unique voice and discernable style that may not immediately read ‘comedy’ on the surface, they both have a connection to the core principles of comedy in the foundations of their ethos; Lizzy in her sharp and witty writing with a cheeky edge, and Jonathan in his casting and creation of real, relatable, human characters. Having them join our team adds an exciting new layer to our roster, which we look forward to deploying to our clients at WW7.”
Lizzy and Jonathan join during a time of expansion for WW7, who recently added executive producer Sloane Hayes Skala to their team, and invite you to stay tuned for more to come.
