Hey Baby Adds Double the Creative Spark to Roster with Directors Poppy Gordon and Duncan Wolfe

Los Angeles-based commercial production house Hey Baby welcomes two bright young directors to its roster. Poppy Gordon and Duncan Wolfe are filmmakers on the rise; both are on the cusp of breaking through to the next stage of their commercial careers and Hey Baby is the catalyst to make it happen.

As executive producer, Johnny Parker says: “Hey Baby’s focus is on best-in-class storytelling, and these two directors put their heart into their work in a way that’s pure magic. Duncan and Poppy are both self-starters with clear and inspired voices, and understand the flexibility required in today’s production landscape.”

While Hey Baby marks Poppy Gordon’s first commercial representation, directing has always been her passion. She studied at the European Graduate School in Switzerland under image-makers such as Chris Kraus, Claire Denis, and Catherine Breillat. With a background in both production and agency roles, Poppy is uniquely equipped to understand the challenges felt on all sides of a project. Most recently, Poppy has worked with brands via her creative studio, Feral NYC, which specialises in projects spanning print, film, and new media, as well as immersive experiences.

Her work for Nike, Unilever, PayPal, and the WAV app reveals Poppy’s knack for crafting highly visual narratives that combine vibrant art direction with pop-influenced VFX. On the film side, Poppy entered 2020 with her debut short, 'For Your Consideration', which was quickly selected to screen at several film festivals, seven of which are Academy accredited. The film follows three entitled young women determined to party at Sundance by making a selection-worthy film. In an unholy fusion of wokeness and cluelessness, they build a narrative from atop the high perch of their privilege.

Pointing to what drew her to Hey Baby, Poppy says: “[EP] Johnny Parker is super fearless, entrepreneurially-minded and supportive. He sees my motivation and understands what it takes to back a female director in our industry. That’s so important to me, to have the mentorship of a company that has the desire and the ability to truly facilitate my creative growth and success.”

The second signing only further confirms Parker’s eye for spotting talent. Hailing from the Midwest, Duncan Wolfe has a background in art history, photography, and political communications. Duncan’s interest in politics intersected with his growing obsession for emotional yet efficient storytelling, leading him to land the dream gig of working in Barack Obama’s White House. The images captured by Duncan while serving as a digital content strategist and filmmaker for the 44th president reveal his ability to humanise policy through real-life narratives and moments of fleeting beauty.

Duncan’s impeccable eye for composition, combined with his nimble approach, naturally translates into the commercial realm. He has crafted stories full of warmth and sincerity for a diverse range of clients including Amazon, Jack Daniel’s, Miller Light, Fossil, McDonald's, Lincoln, Toyota, and HP.

Duncan, who was previously represented by ONE at Optimus then by Chicago-based Tessa Films, has also earned a Vimeo Staff Pick for his film 'Ponokamita' about Montana’s Blackfeet tribesmen who break wild horses for the rodeo.

Recognising the course of his trajectory, Duncan says: “Right now I’m growing into that sweet spot where I know what appeals to youth but can also communicate effectively to a more experienced audience. I feel so aligned with Johnny and the team, creatively and personally. They understand who I am and my strengths, and where I want to go from here. Hey Baby has the creative vision and know-how that allows me to use the full arsenal of tools that a filmmaker has to paint stories rather than simply telling them.”