Director Nick Wenger, known for blending whip-smart dialogue, visual gags, and a splash of quirk, has officially joined Contagious for exclusive U.S. representation in branded content.
Wenger’s reel is stacked with top-shelf brands — Visa, Chevrolet, Durex, Nestlé, Pepsi, Johnny Walker, Twitch — and his storytelling sensibility has always leaned toward the funny-bone-meets-feel-good. “Comedy is always evolving,” he says. “I think we’re entering a super-positive, earnest place. With a little bit of quirk.”
It’s that combo — optimism and oddball — that made him a standout in a sea of snark. “I’ve watched Nick grow so much over the last few years. I’ve just been a big fan of Nick’s work, and it’s really taken off – his voice, and the quirkiness of his comedy, has really shined through,” says Contagious EP Natalie Sakai, who first crossed paths with Wenger at MoFilm a decade ago. “His Visa work leading up to the Super Bowl and his new Jinx Pet Food spots? Total vibe.”
Sakai and Wenger both see the rise of longer-form branded content (hello, 3-minute YouTube films) as an ideal fit for his storytelling chops. “It’s like making a mini short film every time,” says Wenger. Not surprising coming from a guy whose sci-fi short THE KID became the most-watched standalone film on DUST’s Facebook page (hello, 60 million views), and landed on Amazon Prime and DirecTV’s ShortsHD.
Before all the commercial acclaim, Wenger cut his teeth as a writer-director-performer-editor for UCLA-TV’s sketch comedy series — and later earned his MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Editorially, he’s no slouch either, with post credits on Goliath, Bless This Mess, and Hallmark’s Emmy-winning Wonder Women.
He’s a card-carrying member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild and, yes, he’s even directed Jim Carrey, Susan Sarandon, Keegan-Michael Key, and… Crystal the Monkey (which he proudly lists as a career highlight).
Wenger joins a Contagious roster that includes Brandon Bray, Emilie Silvestri, Jeff Jenkins, Kevin & King, Nolwen Cifuentes, Clare Chong, and Tamara Rosenfeld.
As for what’s next? Wenger is prepping his feature debut — an innovative thriller that plans to flex AI tools for VFX and stunts on an indie budget. Contagious is a WBEC-certified Woman-Owned and NMSDC Minority-Owned company.
Reel 360 News wishes Nick the best of luck at Contagious.
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