Director Darcy Hennessey joins Holiday Films
Automotive and action-sports director Hennessey kicks off her Holiday tenure with a national Chevrolet campaign for Commonwealth//McCann.
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Holiday Films announce the signing of Canadian female director Darcy Hennessey for representation in Canada.
Known for her authentic visuals and nuanced storytelling, Hennessey’s interests, and scope as a director span from narrative to fiction, documentary, automotive and everything (weird and wonderful) in between.
A former pro free-ride mountain biker, she got her start behind the camera directing action-sports content. “After getting injured and completing an MA in Communications, I sold a bike and bought my first DSLR camera and started shooting snowboarding and skiing through my connections with my athletic sponsors.”
Automotive was a logical progression for Hennessey from action-sports. “To me, vehicles, their shapes and how they move through space, feel very sculptural and beautiful. My focus is always how to weave moments of humanity into a piece about sheet metal and how I can bring it to life as another character in the story.”
The significance of Hennessey’s emergence in a sector traditionally dominated by male directors is noteworthy to Holiday Films Partner and EP Josefina Nadurata. “The automotive sector has changed from the grassroots level all the way to the boardroom. Women are influencing most car-buying decisions at home, and powerhouse women are leading the automotive industry client and agency side today. Darcy is incredibly talented and her ability to craft films that cater to a female sensibility just makes good common sense.”
Projects for Audi and Land Rover established Hennessey as a director to watch in the sector and led to a campaign with Chevrolet in the United States last fall. She then teamed with Holiday Films to pitch the 2024 Chevrolet Trax campaign with Commonwealth//McCann. The campaign targeted a young urban female demographic and was specifically designed for Tiktok and Instagram.
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“We were looking for a female director who could bring style and authenticity to the new 2024 Trax,” says Commonwealth//McCann Art Director Vu Song Vu. “Darcy’s well-crafted treatment showed she understood our urban female targets. Her professionalism, expertise and wittiness have brought us three vibrant commercials that resonate with young Canadian female drivers.”
“Darcy helped us crystallise what we were after, even pushing us into new territories we hadn’t considered,” adds the campaign’s Copywriter Sean Pitre. “On set, her problem-solving abilities took centre stage as she navigated every unforeseeable obstacle on a complicated shoot with a jam-packed schedule. The welcoming and warm atmosphere she created put our clients completely at ease and enabled the smoothest shoot I’ve been a part of. We’re looking forward to our next shoot with Darcy and anyone who has the privilege of having her bid on a project should feel the same.”
