Gifted Youth Adds Director Evan Silver

Los Angeles, CA, July 30, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Los Angeles-based production shop Gifted Youth has signed award-winning director Evan Silver for U.S. commercial representation. Coming to Gifted Youth from Tool, Silver has written and directed content for such top brands as ESPN, Nike, Xbox, Audi, Honda, MTV, HBO, Paramount Films and Dr. Pepper. He has earned numerous accolades for his advertising and film work, including an Emmy nomination, as well as wins for AICP, The One Show, Clio, Addy “Best in Show,” Webby, PromaxBDA, GLAAD and Communication Arts ‘Best of Year’ Interactive Annual. His finesse for impeccably timed character-driven comedy had led to collaborations with such well-known talent as Conan O’Brien, Michael Cera, Sarah Silverman, Aziz Ansari, Chelsea Handler, Rebel Wilson and Jason Segal. Upcoming work includes an interactive Halo spot for Xbox as well a comedic short film “Cheese at the Beach,” written and directed by Silver, about two businessmen and their struggle to attain the perfect beach photo before one of the falls apart—literally and physically.

Silver also directed the recently released “White Squad” campaign as part of an anti-prejudice initiative for MTV’s “Look Different” project, through agency Party NY. The satirical firm offers people of color with white stand-ins for “racially unbalanced” situations such as hailing a cab, searching for an apartment, appearing in court and securing academic scholarships. Silver leveraged his signature brand of biting, shareable humor to create the mock infomercial, eliciting a frenzy of digital debate that sparked conversation and was picked up by news outlets worldwide.

Notes Gifted Youth Executive Producer Dal Wolf, “We’re very excited to have Evan join the Gifted Youth team. Evan has a rare combination of experience, intelligence and comedic timing and we’re lucky to have him on our roster.” Adds Silver, “I love the work that Gifted Youth is doing—it’s smart, brash, creative, and fresh effortlessly blends advertising and entertainment. They come straight from the heart of the entertainment world, and it truly shows in their deep understanding of comedy.”

Growing up with a father who was a well-known Creative Director in advertising, Silver was hooked on storytelling early on, frequently sketching movie ideas on storyboard pads as a youth. He kicked off his career in advertising as an Art Director before moving over to the broadcast side to write and direct. He started out in the promo department at the Sundance Channel, later moving on to MTV Networks, where he wrote and directed some of their most well-known campaigns, including work for the VMA’s, The Movie Awards and the launch of the topical teen show, “Skins.” In 2011, he joined Tool of North America, where he worked on a wide range of award-winning projects, including a Sour Patch Kids digital campaign for Mother New York, an interactive video campaign for Honda, co-branded spots for ESPN and Dr. Pepper via Deutsch LA as well as a recent series of online videos for Jimmy Dean out of TBWA\Chiat\Day.

About Gifted Youth

Gifted Youth, the commercial division of Funny or Die, is a full service creative production company nestled comfortably in the heart of Los Angeles in the belly of our mother ship Funny or Die. We make funny content for television, the web, and your phones.