BRW USA, Los Angeles, has signed the Canadian visual artist-turned-director Troy Nixey for commercial representation. Nixey brings his singularly fantastical visual style to the commercial world fresh on the heels of wrapping his feature directing debut, Don’t Be Afraid of The Dark, for Miramax Films, co-written and produced by legendary horror-fantasy filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro.

The spine-tingling film, starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, screened last night in Los Angeles and is slated for a late summer theatrical release.

Del Toro’s discovery and mentorship of the Canadian-born Nixey came after the latter’s eye-popping short, Latchkey’s Lament, drew raves at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival. Nixey’s evolution as a visual artist dates back to his beginnings in comic books and graphic novels for high-profile publishers such as DC Comics during the 1990s. While his early grounding in Batman, X-Men, The Simpsons, The Matrix and other iconic comic franchises honed his artistic talents, it was not until Nixey branched out into more distinctly personal work, creating the acclaimed Trout for Oni Press, followed by Bacon and Jenny Finn (co-created with Hellboy author Mike Mignola) that he received widespread recognition. His reputation as an artist who draws some of the most haunting stories in comics was further cemented through illustrations for stories by comic book luminaries Neal Gaiman and Andrew Cosby.
As his creepily elegant art style continued to win him kudos, the success of Nixey’s work in comics inspired him to revisit his childhood love of motion pictures with the ambitious 17 minute Latchkey’s Lament.

The short, which blends CG and live action in an epic tale depicting a key’s abduction, adventure and escape from a monstrous key-eating creature, showcases some of Nixey’s signature visual motifs. “I like to create my own worlds. So, I often set a story in an environment that feels antiquated, and then give it my own fantastical spin,” says Nixey. “To me, it’s about combining fantastical worlds with grounded characters and taking viewers on an emotional journey.”
Click here to see Latchkey’s Lament.

Almost immediately, Latchkey’s Lament earned Nixey comparisons to Pan’s Labyrinth creator Del Toro, who shared a common connection to Nixey, having shepherded Mignola’s Hellboy to the screen. In short order, Del Toro hired Nixey to direct his and Matthew Robbins’ scripted remake of Don’t Be Afraid of The Dark, starring Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes, which is coming to theaters soon. For Nixey’s next feature, Simple Machines, he penned the script himself from an original idea. It is currently in development at Phoenix Pictures.

The visual virtuosity of Latchkey’s Lament also landed Nixey on the radar of BRW USA’s Gianfilippo Pedrotti, who recalls, “When I saw Troy’s short film, I was blown away and instantly knew that his talent in both live action and animation would translate beautifully within the short form approach of the advertising world.”
Nixey sees his entry into commercials as a natural extension of his work as a feature director. “The ability to tell stories is what I love to do, both long form and short form. Commercials are a great arena for flexing creative muscles without the long development periods that can be involved with features.” For Nixey, spots presents a continued opportunity to hone his signature sensibility, “I’m really drawn to spots that can tell a story with heart and soul, and especially ones that know how to wink at the camera.”

About BRW USA, BRW FILMLAND AND INDEPENDENT

BRW USA is a creative content production company founded by Andrew Traines, Gianfilippo Pedrotti, Michele Nocchi and Marco Bussinello. The L.A.-based shop is home to a team of seasoned producers and A-list directing, design, VFX and interactive talent. The diverse collective offers integrated creative solutions for agencies, brands and the entertainment industry. With its sister companies Independent, London and BRW FILMLAND Milano, BRW USA has a reach that extends to Europe, South America and beyond. BRW USA is able to employ top talent from around the world to ensure the finest work at the most cost-effective price.

Established in 1974 as BRW & Partners, BRW was the first commercial production company in Italy to work with only the best American and British directors, and quickly became one of the most award-winning production houses in Europe. Currently run by Marco Bussinello, the company changed its name in 2009 giving birth to BRW FILMLAND.

INDEPENDENT (LONDON), headed by Jani Guest, is recognized as one of the UK’s top production companies with a wide array of top-tier talent in both live action and animation.
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