In 2020, young director, Courtney Brookes, found herself stranded at home in Sydney during a visit from New York. She showed her work to Eight. Eight took her on immediately. Brookes found the perfect home, where young talent is fostered. Eight found a young star.
This year she has won:
- Won Emerging Director at the 42nd AWARD Awards
- Won Shots Awards for New Director of the Year
- Nomination for CICLOPE Asia’s New Talent Award
- Nominations for AWARD Awards
- Nomination for CAANZ Axis
- Nomination for New Director at the London International Awards (LIA) – winner is announced next week on the 17th
- Eight nominated for the diversity award that is announced this evening at the B&T Awards
Brookes commented, “The Girls Will Be Girls campaign for Bumble is one of my favourite projects to date and so incredible to have been given the trust to tell such a femme powered story with a kickass crew at my side. Every part of the process was as fun and colourful as the final film and it is a delicious cherry on top to have this work recognised by AWARD. Big shoutouts to the judges, my incredible team at Eight who are always charging forward with me no matter how bold the idea, and my insanely talented team of collaborators and friends who made this project authentic, a bit cheeky, and unashamedly female.”
Her work is people-centric and she loves to explore the weird, nuanced and downright gorgeous. Brookes comes from the world of fashion and music and her love for high fashion styling, striking sets, and cohesive colour palettes is apparent in her work. Her attention to detail is striking and even extends into post. She knows her way around an edit after spending years as a dedicated beauty editor and creative director and crafting campaigns for Maybelline, Kerastase, and Kaja.
She commented, “It can be an arduous journey as a young female director while you find your footing in the industry and gain experience on jobs where you aren’t hired as a token. The main drawcard for signing with Katie and Lib at Eight was their strong female leadership and the mentorship they provide not only for their directors but also other women and underrepresented people in all production roles.”
Katie Millington, managing director and executive producer at Eight and Lib Kelly, head of production and executive producer, add, “Unearthing and nurturing new talent is what we’re good at and what we enjoy most. It’s a tough slog and a serious investment, but it’s undoubtedly the most rewarding part of the job to see the industry catch on and to watch new directors bask in the hard-earned limelight. We believe we have a natural ability to spot directors who have raw talent and a willingness to take on our advice. It’s easy to spot the ones who will undoubtedly bring something fresh and brilliant, but it’s tough to predict whether the ever-changing advertising industry will embrace them or not and for that reason it’s always a gamble.”
