Bob Industries Signs Two Young Filmmakers Breaking into the World of Advertising

Bob Industries announces the signing of Alissa Torvinen-Kouame and Randy Wilkins for US commercial representation, having already made names for themselves in music videos, television, and film.

Randy Wilkins is a three-time EMMY award-winning writer, director, cinematographer, and editor from the Bronx, New York. As a burgeoning filmmaker, Wilkins has come up the ranks as a Spike Lee protege, working as an editor and cinematographer on several of the eminent director’s projects, including 'She’s Gotta Have It' and 'Rodney King', both for Netflix.

As a director, he helmed the ESPN 30 for 30/Lil’ Spike Joint 86-32 which chronicles the story of 19-year-old boxing Olympian Roy Jones, Jr. and the harrowing lesson that all that glitters isn’t gold. In addition, he has enjoyed success with his award-winning digital series Docket 32357. Wilkin’s latest effort is directing the series premiere episode of 'Dear…', featuring Spike Lee for Apple+. He is currently in development for both his feature script 'Pray For A Little More Spring' and the feature documentary 'MOVE', while also in co-development for the miniseries 'Forward Ever'.

Wilkins’ first foray into commercials launched last month with his ad for Major League Baseball’s tribute to the great Jackie Robinson, commemorating Jackie Robinson Day. MLB executives specifically approached Wilkins to direct the ad, and he subsequently singled out Dodger’s rookie Mookie Betts to narrate the piece.

Alissa Torvinen-Kouame is a visual storyteller with a fresh and vibrant creative perspective, training her eye on moments of lyricism and magic in the everyday world. She has collaborated with artists such as P!nk and Will.I.Am, actors Liev Schreiber and Zooey Deschanel, and has helmed campaigns for clients including Johnson & Johnson, HP, and RAINN. Her first feature film, K-12, is an eerily enchanting feature-length musical film written and starred in by Melanie Martinez to accompany her second studio album. The narrative is interwoven with 13 album tracks featuring dance sequences by choreographer Brian Friedman. It opened last year in theatres across 32 countries and garnered over 20 million YouTube views within its first week alone.

Torvinen-Kouame’s latest haunting video for Phoebe Bridgers, 'I Know the End', is “a brief cinematic masterpiece, eliciting the chilling horror of a cryptic fever dream. Ending with a spectacular shot in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the video is an unforgettable feat from start to finish,” as described by Frank Ockenfels of Paste Magazine.

T.K. Knowles, executive producer/managing partner at Bob, said: “We are so excited to welcome Randy and Alissa to the Bob family. These two incredibly brilliant young directors are the future of advertising. What they are able to elicit with their visual language and already highly developed sense for natural performance is extraordinary. Our team is looking forward to cultivating their talent and pushing their creative capacity to develop their singular voices further.”

Executive producer/managing partner at Bob, John O’Grady, added: “As a company, we have always strived to introduce new voices that we feel are important to be heard. Both Alissa and Randy are truly inspiring at what they do and we are thrilled to be a part of their creative journey.”