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Filmmaker Danielle Calodney signs with Yacht Club
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Calodney's relatable comedy complements mission-driven work.
Full service production company Yacht Club with a curated roster of directors and in-house post-production - has signed filmmaker Danielle Calodney, whose world-building, idiosyncratic, energetic, and funny spots for Jack in the Box, Snickers, Hostess, and now, Twix (via The&Partnership, airing now), are rapidly establishing her as the “poppy, joyful” comedy queen of the spot biz.
Calodney and Yacht Club first collaborated on a project for Bushmills via Mekanism for which real live sheep populated a bar outside NYC as part of a stunt celebrating St. Paddy’s Day 2023. A direct-to-client project for SF-based Honeybook followed, with Calodney directing alongside Yacht Club partner Matt Morgan who helmed the tabletop portions and DP’d for Calodney on the live action.
Calodney will be able to tap into Yacht Club’s formal alliance with tabletop powerhouse SCHROM, through which the companies share talent, production staff, studios, and resources. The director is making a name for herself as something of a “bite and smile” wizard, with a knack for deftly marrying the worlds of scripted lifestyle/comedy and food.
“Danielle incorporates thoughtful art direction and hilarious performances while also capturing delicious-looking food - it is a perfect blend of skills for a shop like ours,” said Yacht Club Partner/EP Joe DePasquale. “What’s more, her work mimics her personality, and she immediately clicked with the vibe of Yacht Club, which was founded as a collective by friends. I really appreciate the way that Danielle owns her vision and pushes the creative, while also being a great collaborator to our clients.”
“I feel so aligned with Yacht Club’s warm family environment,” said Calodney. “Directing can be kind of a solo profession, and this team is so amazing with creatives and clients, with everyone included in this process. We have the coolest jobs in the world in my opinion, we should be having fun while we’re working. Fun, collaborative, diverse and inclusive sets are really important to me, and Yacht Club feels the exact same way. Making commercials should be a joyful experience."
Yacht Club’s sales team believes that Calodney’s dual dexterity with comedy and docu-style content makes her a perfect fit for relatable Gen Z/social content that lies between scripted comedy and lifestyle. “When I first saw Danielle’s work, I was smitten. Her eye for bold and thoughtfully designed imagery, as well as keen choices in talent, were immediately clear,” said Sharon Lew of Lew & Co, Yacht Clubs’ East Coast rep. “Danielle’s work stands out among other directors working at her level. This is why she has been so successful so quickly. Her confidence and enthusiasm are kinda hard to beat! It pervades every client call, in her prep process, and with her crew on set.”
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Calodney began her directing career after graduating from film school at the University of Texas at Austin. She initially directed social impact projects for clients including Nike and The Michael J Fox Foundation. Her affinity for food, families and loveable lead characters led to her first comedy spot, for Pop Tarts, at the start of the pandemic. Calodney had directed several music videos that were comedy driven, but her comedy roots had taken hold years earlier.
Growing up in the pleasant suburbs of North Texas, Calodney could only take inspiration from what she had access to: Nickelodeon TV shows, Kurt Vonnegut books, and her beautifully chaotic and gigantic combined family. Because of these influences, she consistently finds beauty in the absurd. She has a deep appreciation for the ups and downs of life and has a knack for bringing hope to even the most serious moments. Perhaps this is why Calodney’s character-driven work plays out equally well across the genres of relatable comedy and captivating scripted lifestyle.
The director spent a decade on the mean streets of Brooklyn (no doubt further sharpening her wit), and now lays her hat in Austin.
