David Shane

David Shane began his career as an advertising copywriter in New York. He went on to study acting in L.A. under coach-to-the-stars, Cameron Thor, then worked with Trey Parker and Matt Stone on the first season of South Park. He’s since become one of the most sought after commercial comedy directors in the world.

David’s work is so deft, smart and subtle, he’s gained an almost cultish fan base as a commercial director. He was named 2016’s #1 most-awarded director in the world by ad industry bible, The Gunn Report. He was recently included in two benchmark editorial features, the Creativity 50 and Adweek’s The Creative 100. Creativity has called him “the performance artist” and a “comedic genius.” He was the most awarded director at the Cannes International Advertising Festival in 2014, winning six Lions including a Gold for Casting for HBO GO’s “Awkward Family Viewing” campaign, which Time magazine called “the most supremely uncomfortable ads of all time.” The campaign picked up One Show, D&AD, AICP and Webby awards. David was also the most awarded director at the AICP Show in 2015 and his Currys “Spare the Act” campaign featuring Jeff Goldblum won Silver this year in Cannes.

He received an EMMY for Bud Light “Swear Jar,” a pioneering viral that Harvard Business Review cited for its technique in an article about the science of viral ads. His branded content film for Nerve.com—“Ghost Story,” was described by FastCoCreate as, “… complex, movie like, touching and refreshingly real;” it was also honored with a Webby. And his recent campaign for Currys with Jeff Goldblum was widely praised in the press, with David Reviews calling out Goldblum’s performance as “Oscar worthy.”

He’s enjoyed a similar reception for his films. David’s Playdate premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2013, had its Los Angeles debut at Flux’s Film Series at The Hammer Museum and its online premiere on Vimeo as a Staff Pick favorite. Another short, Plane Crash, debuted last Fall on Funnyordie’s home page. Tastemaker Creativity curated the audacious short as well, praising David for pushing the bar on awkward comedy. And his next short, Second Thoughts premiered in April to unanimous rave reviews, again a Vimeo Staff pick. He’s attached to direct his first feature, which he also wrote, called SixtyNine with comedy powerhouse 3-Arts Entertainment. His short, The One, premiered at The Palm Springs Film Festival in June. His short, Second Thoughts premiered at last year’s Austin Film Festival. And his latest short, The Board, premiered at TriBeCa this spring.

David’s idiosyncratic comedic sensibility generated a certain knowing buzz in comedy circles on both coasts. He’s been invited to speak at the AICP Director’s Lecture Series “Comedy is (Still) King” moderated by Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Susie Essman where his charmingly, self deprecating web film for AMV BBDO?Doritos’ “King of Ads,” screened. He was also a panelist at Woodstock Comedy Festival.