Backyard Welcomes Anne Paas for US Representation

Jan. 17, 2023

Backyard Productions announces the signing of award-winning commercial and film director, Anne Paas, for US representation. 

Leaning into her midwestern approachability and love for people-first content, Anne creates work distinguished by both its stylishness and unguarded authenticity. She has spearheaded creative campaigns for global brands including Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Verizon, Ebay and Spotify. 

Anne grew up in Minnesota and received a BA in architecture from Princeton and an MFA in film from NYU. She saw her first short, "The Greatest Show on Earth," selected at Sundance before screening at over thirty festivals worldwide. Following graduation, Anne dove into creating short digital content – shooting and directing branded content for Puma, in addition to over fifty EPKs (electronic press kits) and lifestyle spots featuring NYC hip hop artists and street culture.

Anne’s eye for strong characters and engaging points of view captured the attention of the prestigious Art Director’s Club where she was named a Young Gun (“an explosive creative under 30”). She then went on to use that same documentary eye and sensibility to segue into unscripted shows where she traveled throughout the United States for MTV, A&E and VH1.

Returning to NYC, Anne transitioned to an in-house creative producing/directing role, first at boutique agency Hiker, followed by The Front, a women-led creative agency, which allowed Anne to expand into more heavily-scripted, comedic and narrative work. Highlights include spots for Verizon and Swiffer, Procter & Gamble’s #NYTOUGH campaign and over seventy shoots for Royal Caribbean worldwide. Passionate about working across multiple formats and combining live action, tabletop, archival and animation, Anne also directed four seasons of Spotify’s original series, The Game Plan, featuring music industry heavyweights Rick Ross, Sheryl Crow, A$AP Ferg and more. 

In addition, Anne’s work for Microsoft Teams' International Campaign, highlighting Hasbro, Priority Bikes & Clifton Coffee, is a standout achievement for the director. A technical challenge that was crafted during lockdown and shot entirely within Teams, the campaign was a huge success, with the "Priority Bikes" spot alone breaking viewer engagement records for Microsoft. 

Anne Paas, director, commented:

"When I was considering representation, I wanted to sign with a company whose values aligned with mine. Backyard felt like the perfect fit -- it’s a great down-to-earth team with a diverse roster creating high-caliber work. This is exactly the type of team I want to collaborate and grow with. Together, I think we can really continue to push the creative envelope with fresh and innovative storytelling."

 

Rich Schafler, head of sales, added: 

"At Backyard we are always seeking filmmakers who strive to evolve and work in different genres and embrace new directing challenges. Anne Paas has directed high end and stylized docu-style films, and she also excels in the visual storytelling arena. More recently she's directed spots and content featuring celebrities in the comedic performance space. In a crowded competitive marketplace where directors are often pigeon-holed, Anne always strives to break out of one particular genre."

 

Rich continued:

"We have been really fortunate to attract and sign several great artists post pandemic. I met Anne a few years ago, and we had kept in touch and always imagined that we would all work together when the time presented itself. Backyard has been growing incrementally over the past several months and we now feel we have the bandwidth to be able to bring on additional artists and support them. in all aspects of their careers."