Graduated from Teesside University, England with a degree in Interior Design / Architecture.
He moved to Scotland where he got his first break although by accident. He has always be enamored by the film industry and was asked to help on a music video shot in Edinburgh.
He was then asked to join a company in Aberdeen Scotland directing films for the oil industry.
While in Scotland he entered a film competition run by “Creative Review” for Absolut vodka. His film Absolut “Intrigue” was one of the winners Shots no 2.
This gave him the momentum to move to Vancouver Canada where he joined BBDO as an art director. However still fighting the directing bug he left the agency to pursue directing fulltime.
He immediately gained success with a film called “Dead chicken” which garnered awards at Cannes and the Bessies and was featured on shots 39.
From then on he never looked back. He was signed to production powerhouse Partizan where he worked for several major brands.
He has learnt to be highly versatile. He has created a reel that bristles with a wide range of talent.
There’s elegant observational spots for VW, funny spots for West jet, the internal Canadian airline, big classy car ads for Lexus and Kia and an almost unwatchably poignant film for Toronto’s Sick kids hospital, shot using genuinely ill children. He has honed his skill into developing a very naturalistic approach to his films. One just has to look at the film he directed for the First National Bank of Omaha. He has produced very genuine, uncontrived and honest moments which is quite unusual for a bank.
He has created films that have an epic feel to them not only in scope but also in intimacy.
His client list is impressive – VW, Ford, GM, Kia, Toyota, Budweiser, Coors Labatt, Molson, Pepsi, Visa, Bell, Verizon, GE, Honda, Ikea , Blue Cross, Pillsbury,Hasbro, Bayer, Kraft, Samsung,Commerzbank,Wind.
Phil is based in Toronto Canada