Eskimo Welcomes Hands-On, Affecting Director Charles Nordeen

Creative studio Eskimo is proud to welcome commercial and creative director Charles Nordeen to its roster. Based in New York City, Nordeen, who initially drew inspiration from the likes of filmmakers Terrence Malick and Wes Anderson early on, has proven equally adept at helming spots and branded content while immersing himself in the worlds of visual effects and post-production throughout his career.

Prior to joining Eskimo, Nordeen was a founding partner of Light of Day, a full-service design, VFX and live action studio. While at the helm there, he served in a creative director and director capacity working with notable brands such as Newcastle and agencies including DDB on several projects for the New York Lottery. Still, while VFX was traced in his footprints, Nordeen says that nowadays, “Being a director is definitely my main focus.”

The focus on directing has prompted his move to Eskimo, which has resulted in lauded recent work such as a somewhat provocative, attention-grabbing collaboration with 360i that promotes Nestle’s “Natural Bliss” campaign for Coffee-Mate. Filmed in Manhattan’s Lower East Side within a pop-up Nestle coffee shop, the stunt features nude baristas handing out coffee with Coffee-Mate all-natural creamer much to the surprise and chagrin of unsuspecting customers. Nordeen explains, “It’s a natural product and we’re trying to put an edge to it. For me, I like to shoot beautiful things with natural light. So, why couldn’t we bring this approach that supports the product and the experience. We found a place with natural light, and we shot it in A and B camera style like you’re shooting dialogue in a movie. Ultimately, it captured the subtleties of the reactions and how they unfold between the barista and the customer.”

Regarding Eskimo’s new hire, Nordeen, who has also directed spots for athletes, artists like Taylor Swift and brands including USA Today with Josh Gad, Bounty, Faherty, Coach and Johnson’s Baby, the studio’s Founder/EP Terry Rayment adds, “There are only two things a director should have: The working knowledge and being hands-on through the directorial process, which not a lot of people possess. Fortunately for us, Charles does.” Nordeen’s arrival at Eskimo, that touts repeat business with clients including Chevrolet, Lincoln, AIGA and Microsoft,  comes on the heels of the studio’s signing of filmmaking duo SÄMEN for stateside representation.

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About Eskimo:

Eskimo is a dog-friendly, award-winning creative studio working in design, filmmaking, and general creative endeavors. We partner with brands and advertising agencies on creative ideation, production, and finishing for commercial and entertainment content. Located in Los Angeles, CA and Brooklyn, NY – Eskimo houses a small team of directors who work extremely hands-on with all spots we create.