equals mgmt.

The right director.
The right production partner.
Anywhere in the world.

Director sourcing and production matchmaking for independent agencies

Prepared for thenetworkone · April 2026

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The Problem

Finding the right director
shouldn't be this hard

Your agency wins a brief. The creative is locked. Now you need a director who can deliver the vision, on budget, in a market you may not know well.

A Google search gives you whoever has the best SEO, not the best fit. An AI-generated list gives you names without context. You end up watching dozens of reels, guessing at availability, and hoping the production company you picked can actually deliver.

That's where the time goes. And that's where quality gets lost.

What agencies tell us

  • We don't know where to look for directors outside our home market
  • We spend too long searching and still aren't sure we found the right person
  • We don't know which production companies are reliable in other territories
  • We assume local is cheaper, but the end product doesn't last
What You Get

One call. Director and production
partner sorted.

Curated director shortlists

Tell us the brief, the budget, the genre, the market. We come back with directors who genuinely fit, not a spreadsheet of names to sort through. Every option is pre-vetted and matched to your specific project.

Production company matchmaking

We maintain relationships with production companies in 40+ markets. We know who delivers, who's difficult, and who's right for your budget. We pair the director with the right production partner on the ground, wherever the shoot is.

Higher production value, smarter spend

International production, paired with the right director, typically delivers higher quality that lasts longer. We find solutions that increase your production value while keeping costs smart. The product looks fresher and stays relevant longer.

We handle the rest

Rates, contracts, schedules, visas, logistics. You focus on the creative relationship with the director. We make sure everything behind the scenes runs smoothly and to contract.

How It Works

Brief in. Solution out.

01

You share the brief

The more you can tell us, the more precise the match. Genre, deliverables, budget, whether it needs to be shot domestically or could go international. Even rough creative direction helps.

02

We send curated options

A small number of directors who match the brief, the budget, and the culture of the project. Tailored reels, not generic portfolios. If we don't have the right option on our roster, we'll invest the time to find one.

03

You pick. We pair.

Once you've chosen a director, we pair them with a production company from our global network that fits the market and the budget. You get a complete production solution, not just a name.

04

Creative call to delivery

The director briefs with your team directly. They develop their treatment and vision. We handle negotiations, contracts, and logistics in the background. You stay focused on the creative.

Scenarios

The kind of calls
we get

Every brief is different. Here's what it looks like when agencies reach out.

Niche Specialist
"We need a director who specialises in bear commercials. Live action, CGI, animation. Got anyone with bears on their portfolio?"
We know a director who has built an entire career around bear commercials. That level of specificity exists on our radar because we see every corner of this industry. You'd never find him on Google.
Cross-Border Production
"We're an agency in Turkey. We just won a job with a local celebrity based in the US that we need to shoot with. We don't know anyone there."
We pair you with a US-based director and a production company we trust on the ground. We handle the logistics of working across time zones, budgets, and production cultures so you don't have to figure it out alone.
Cultural Fit
"We're pitching a tourism board campaign. They want someone from the target market to direct it, not an outsider looking in."
We've done this before. A South African director selling Dubai to South Africa. A Korean director for a Korean audience. We match the cultural lens to the brief, not just the skillset.
Budget Stretch
"The creative is ambitious but the budget is tight. We can't afford to shoot this in London or New York."
We find you a director and production company in a market where your budget goes further without sacrificing quality. The end product looks higher value and lasts longer than a cheap local shoot would.
Last-Minute Search
"We need a food director who can shoot in Barcelona next month. We've been looking for two weeks and can't find the right person."
We respond faster than anyone in the industry. We'll come back with curated options, paired with a local production company, within days. Probably hours.
No Idea Where to Start
"We've never worked with a director rep before. We usually just ask around or search online. Is there a better way?"
There is. Tell us what you're working on and we'll show you what's possible. No commitment, no cost. One conversation and you'll see the difference between a Google search and a guided one.
Your Global Resource

We have people
on the ground

Over 13 years, we've built relationships with production companies, directors, and industry contacts across more than 40 markets. That network is a resource your agencies can tap into.

Need to know which production companies are reliable in Vietnam? We can tell you. Need a local fixer or a recommendation for a post-production house in Dubai? We probably know someone. Curious whether a particular director is actually as good as their reel suggests? We've likely worked with them or know someone who has.

Think of us as your international production contact book. Even when the brief doesn't call for a director from our roster, we can point you in the right direction.

Production company intel

We work with production companies in every major market. We know who delivers, who's difficult, and who fits which budget range. Ask us before you commit.

Market knowledge

Each territory has its own production culture, rate expectations, and working style. We can brief your agencies on what to expect before they commit to shooting internationally.

Industry introductions

If we can't help directly, we probably know who can. Our network extends beyond directors into producers, post houses, and other industry contacts globally.

Global Reach

Directors and production partners
across 40+ markets

There's a bias toward British and American directors for international work. The truth is there are brilliant options globally that most agencies don't know where to find.

We've matched directors to briefs based on cultural fit, language, and local market knowledge. A South African director selling Dubai to South Africa. A Venezuelan-German food specialist shooting for McDonald's in Germany. The right pairing changes the outcome.

Our production company relationships span every major advertising market. We know who's reliable, who delivers on budget, and who to avoid. That saves you the trial and error.

Where we operate

Middle East South East Asia East Asia South Korea Japan China India Europe Eastern Europe North America Northern Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Australia South America Central Asia

We source directors and production partners across all regions.

40+
Markets covered
500+
Directors worked with
13
Years in the industry
Fast
Fastest response in the industry
The Calibre

A sample from
the roster

Bailen Estrada director reel
Bailen Estrada
Los Angeles, USA
Elegance meets energy. Acting background drives sharp talent direction. Bold visual storytelling with raw emotion.
Asics · MaxBet · Care Bears · New York Bakery
Michael Medoway director reel
Michael Medoway
Philadelphia, USA
Documentary instinct applied to commercial work. Blends verité realism with cinematic polish across sports and culture.
Nike · Under Armour · Red Bull · U.S. Air Force
Emmy Award Winner
Ekta Saran director reel
Ekta Saran
Dubai, UAE
Editorial and commercial blend with deep Middle East expertise. Former copywriter with a strong conceptual eye.
Nike · Emirates · Pepsi · Hewlett Packard
Natascha Brandt director reel
Natascha Brandt
Barcelona, Spain
Food and product specialist. Bold art direction with playful, experimental camera work. Venezuelan-German perspective.
McDonald's · KFC · Nespresso · Lay's · Nestlé
Why equals

What makes this
different

We see hundreds of briefs across every major market, every month. That gives us pattern recognition that's hard to get anywhere else: which directors are winning, which production companies are delivering, what's working in each territory.

The more transparent you are with us about your brief, budget, and creative ambitions, the more accurate we can be. This isn't a database lookup. It's a pairing of minds, personalities, and portfolios. That's a human process.

There's no cost to the agency. Our commission comes from the production side. You get the director search, the production matchmaking, and the logistics handled at no additional expense.

At a glance

  • Pre-vetted directors across 40+ international markets
  • Production company matchmaking, we know who delivers on the ground
  • Fastest response time in the industry
  • 13 years of relationships, 500+ directors worked with
  • No cost to the agency
  • One point of contact for director, production partner, and logistics
equals mgmt.

Let's find the
right director

Send us a brief. Ask us a question about a market. Or just tell us what you're working on. No commitment, no cost. We'll show you what's possible.

Scott Pugnetti
Commercial Directors Manager · London, UK

scott@equalsmgmt.com
WhatsApp: +39 340 7904549
UK: +44 7899 030833

www.equalsmgmt.com