Merman is excited to announce the addition of Paul Briganti to their directing roster. Paul Briganti is a comedy television, film, and commercial director in Los Angeles whose filmed pieces for Saturday Night Live include Melissa McCarthy’s musical transformation into Sean Spicer and Totino’s parody spot starring Kristen Stewart.
“Paul is a director whose film is driven by concept, and where his astute observations of pop culture and brand allow him to craft films that capture specific visual genres for great comedic effect,” comments Merman Global Managing Partner/EP Kira Carstensen. “Paul is a multifaceted talent – he writes, directs, and has been in front of the camera, too. That versatility makes him the perfect fit for Merman.”
“Merman is an amazing company with inspiring people, and I hope it will allow me to work with brands on projects that advance conversation through comedy and irony,” says Briganti. “I think Merman is becoming a pioneer of that voice.”
Paul has directed and produced several comedy TV pilots: Adam Ruins Everything (TruTV), Imaginary Friend (NBC), Pick Me Up (MTV), and Middle Of The Night Show (MTV). He's directed episodes of those shows, as well as an episode for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW). His award winning short films have premiered at many festivals, including South By Southwest, Clermont-Ferrand in France, LA Comedy Fest, and Palm Springs Shortfest. His debut feature film, "Village People,” shot last March in Nicaragua will be released next year. He has also made films for Comedy Central, CollegeHumor, The Late Late Show With James Corden, Funny Or Die, The Onion, and more. Paul played Ryan in the movie "Obvious Child,” and was in a few comedy groups, including UCB's Onassis and Bleak! Comedy.
Merman was founded in 2014 by award-winning duo Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford. Merman works in all areas of entertainment and communications, from award-winning TV and film, to creating and executing the next generation of branded entertainment. Beyond traditional ads, Merman’s focus is to bring writers and creators from their TV and film family into scripting entertainment for brands.
The Merman family of talent includes David Cross, Rob Delaney, Dennis Kelly, Graham Linehan, Jack McBrayer, Sara Pascoe, Shaun Pye, Aisling Bea, Sarah Jessica Parker, Morgana Robinson and of course Sharon Horgan. Merman’s commercial directing roster features multi-faceted talent like MJ Delaney, Peter Lydon, SNL director Paul Briganti, Frank Coraci, rising star Mariana Youssef and Academy Award nominee Lucy Walker. Global Managing Partner/Exec Producer and Academy Nominee Kira Carstensen runs the LA and NY offices. Global Managing Partner/Executive Producer Jeremy Rainbird, Executive Producer Dan Dickenson, and Development Director of Commercials & Branded Siobhan Murphy, lead the London office.
Find out more at http://www.hellomerman.com/