Director Russell Brownley has joined LA-based Raucous Content for U.S. representation. Brownley’s cinematic work is bathed in an atmospheric sensitivity — as if emotion and sensation had its own genre of ASMR. Based out of Southern California, Brownley began his career shooting surf films and documentaries.
So, it’s no surprise that Brownley gravitates his narratives to the ocean, having the keen ability to capture the story both above and underwater.
The director’s penchant for hands-on adventure and multicultural storytelling has led him to work on projects in over 50 countries, lending his creative spirit to clients such as Nike, Google, Disney, Visa, Timberland, Verizon, Sony, Compassion International, World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, SpikeTV, Red Bull and more.
Approaching every project with a collaborative mindset, Brownley is a trusted partner of agencies including Mullen Lowe Boston, having helped to establish their Royal Caribbean campaign for six years running, with the newest ad slated to air during the Winter Olympics.
Known primarily for his hybrid docu-narrative style, Brownley is skilled at directing professionals and non-actors alike. The cinematographer-director keenly captures the essence of people’s real experiences, as evidenced by his upcoming work for barbering brand Andis featuring individual stories from the Compton Cowboys.
He has been a part of multiple award-winning documentaries over the course of his career, including Dare Not Walk Alone, Gum For My Boat, Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Story, and numerous other short docs for universities and non-profit organizations.
Brownley’s documentary projects, both personal and for non-profits, are frequently infused with themes of activism and Civil Rights — issues near to his heart. For his short film, On The Side of Right, Brownley captures surfer Gigi Lucas reveling in the freedom of the waves off of Florida’s St. Augustine beach, the exact location where only 56 years earlier a group of segregationists attacked 100 African Americans attempting to wade into the “Whites-only” water, a movement which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Raucous Content’s EP Steve Wi has closely followed Brownley’s career, and was most drawn to Brownley’s ability to devote himself to the craft in a literal sense: “Russell is clear in his vision yet multifaceted in his abilities. He can direct in water, on land. Next…we’ll go to space.”
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With this new union, Wi and Brownley seek to expand further into the hybrid arena, pushing more into narrative-based projects which still pay homage to a documentary look and feel.
On teaming up with Raucous Content, Brownley shares: “You always want to work with people you like. And that’s Steve. He’s just an all-around great guy. who from day one understood who I really am and where I want to go next in my filmmaking career. As a huge fan of his company for some time, I knew Raucous was the right fit for me.”
Reel 360 wishes Russell the best of luck at Raucous Content.
