ArtClass Adds To Its Comedy Pedigree With The Addition Of Bridey Elliott
ArtClass, the next generation production company recently launched by director Vincent Peone and Executive Producer Geno Imbriale, continues to look to the future by hiring comedic writer/actress/director Bridey Elliott.
ArtClass, the next generation production company recently launched by director Vincent Peone and Executive Producer Geno Imbriale, continues to look to the future by hiring comedic writer/actress/director Bridey Elliott.
Indie darling Bridey Elliott is known for her dry, offbeat sense of humor, which she deftly translates on both sides of the lens. She honed her comedy chops performing stand-up and sketch at Upright Citizens Brigade while studying filmmaking at Brooklyn College. During her time living in New York, she met her creative partner Sarah Winshall while working at famous Kim’s Video (known for being a starting ground for future filmmakers). The pair officially joined forces by co-founding the production company Smudge Films in 2015. Smudge produced Bridey’s comedic short “Affections,” and her debut feature, “Clara’s Ghost,” which both debuted in their respective years at the Sundance Film Festival.
Ever the multi-hyphenate, Bridey wrote and acted in both films. Each project showcases Bridey’s penchant for experimentation and genre-blending; “Affections” is an awkward comedy/drama that zooms in on the destructive behavior that occurs in a dead-end relationship, while “Clara’s Ghost” is a horror/comedy/drama focusing on a family embittered by their experience within the film industry. Other acting credits include “Battle of the Sexes,” “Mosaic,” and the SXSW Grand Jury Prize winner “Fort Tilden.”
Daughter of Chris Elliott, granddaughter of radio comedian Bob Elliott, and sister of Saturday Night Live alum Abby Elliott, Bridey grew up virtually breathing comedy. Coming from American comedy royalty, her background has influenced her approach both in front of and behind the camera, as evident in the awkward silences and unexpected conversational directions throughout “Affections.”
“I’m an actors’ director,” explains Bridey. “I like to follow their instincts and allow for play, nuance, and improv. I enjoy the unpredictability in my projects and want to keep building upon that.” She says directing is a culmination of writing and acting, in that it “follows the vision of what I wrote, while adding in new layers I didn’t expect, depending on how the actors interpret it. Directing creates the ability to voice what I know exists in between the lines, and let the camera follow that to an entirely new and unexpected place.”
Bridey says she thrives on the collaborative process that comes with filmmaking, “I love the freedom of directing and the synergistic nature of it all. Leading the ship of a creative venture gives meaning and resolve to my life.”
On joining the team at ArtClass, Elliott says, “I’m thrilled to hop on the ArtClass train, where artists of different backgrounds and styles can create exciting content with their vision intact. Vincent and Geno really understand the importance of fostering an artistic community while still respecting the ideas of the individual creators.”
