Goldenberg Viau

Los Angeles-based production company Society has signed Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Goldenberg for her first-ever U.S. commercial representation, as well as live-action and VFX specialist David Viau. The directors further expand a Society roster of regarded filmmakers who make cinematic, artful content for every platform. Goldenberg is well known for her directing work at Funny or Die, where she spent the last year as the site’s White House liaison. At Funny or Die, she has directed hilarious and politically relevant films starring the likes of Kristen Bell, Christina Hendricks and First Lady Michelle Obama. She has also directed seven feature length films that aired on Lifetime, Showtime and Syfy. David Viau [pronounced Vee-oh] was one of the founding designer/animators at Superfad. After years there, he emerged as a leading director delivering both comedic and design-driven visual campaigns.

Click HERE to see Goldenberg’s reel and HERE for Viau’s.

Says Society Executive Producer Harry Calbom, “We wanted a comedy director with both a fresh voice and a cinematic aesthetic. Rachel’s experience in feature film as well as viral video make her well suited to direct large, integrated commercial campaigns. And we’ve been fans of David Viau’s design and live-action work for years. When he approached us about dual-representation we saw the value immediately.” Notes Goldenberg, “I connected with Society’s work and people from day one. Their take on filmmaking and art, and how that fits into advertising was instantly appealing.” Viau notes, “Society prioritizes the visual elements first, even with comedy, and that’s been my focus my entire career.”

In 2014, Rachel Goldenberg won her Emmy for producing Funny or Die’s Between Two Ferns with President Obama.  Her directing work at Funny or Die includes Snackpocalypse featuring Michelle Obama, Mary Poppins Quits with Kristen Bell and Modern Office starring Christina Hendricks.  Through Funny or Die, Goldenberg also directed the 2014 Women In Film Awards’ cold open video Men in Film, starring Fred Willard.

Goldenberg’s PSA work for Funny or Die is essentially branded content, making the transition to advertising a natural one. Adds Goldenberg, “I love collaborating on the script, with the actors and with the production team. Tireless planning on my end makes everything easier on set, especially when the sun’s dropping or the budget’s pinched. Such constraints can sometimes be very positive creatively if properly prepped.” Her television directing work includes an episode of Z Nation on Syfy, and a live-action Nickelodeon pilot that shoots this month.

David Viau’s work reflects a number of visual styles, always delivering the message in a clean, straightforward and compelling manner. He applies sound visual theory to everything, even in comedy, which is why he connected with Society. He has directed award-winning conceptual and visual content for spots, TV and film. Adds Viau, “I like to mix things up working in different genres, but I always aim for a cinematic, moody look. Coming up in the design world you see that very few styles are timeless. In live-action, beautiful visuals are timeless so I’m motivated by that.”

After graduating from the University of Washington in graphic design, Viau’s love of motion-based content drove him to embrace the television and film industry, and led him to work as one of the founding designer/animators at Superfad. Over his career, he has led creative and business efforts at various studios and worked on national campaigns for Silk, Sprint, Pioneer, Honda and Visa to name a few.

 

About Society

Society is a live action production company made for this moment. For ten years we’ve cut our teeth in branded content, music video, independent film & broadcast advertising, crafting a tailored production model to support an evolving industry. Our commitment to you is to always be built for now, never struck in the past. Our goal is audacious: to assemble the finest production company of our generation. This company is our passion, and we love what we do.