Durable Goods signs Dominique DeLeon
){kind=avatar}
The bi-coastal production company brings on the LA-based director for commercials and branded content in the US market.
Bicoastal production company Durable Goods has signed LA-based director Dominique DeLeon for commercials and branded content in the US market.
DeLeon's eclectic and wide-ranging aesthetic has brought campaigns to life for brands such as Adidas, Sephora, Yves Saint Laurent, and L'Oreal, as well as music videos for Grammy Award-winning artists John Legend and Chance the Rapper. DeLeon has also earned recognition as an indie filmmaker, writing and directing short films that have screened at Urbanworld, DCIFF, Mill Valley Film Festival, as well as on First Nations Experience and MTV.
"Durable Goods feels like family, a haven for creativity," remarks DeLeon. "The crew here is ambitious and willing to take risks, making it a place where I can truly thrive as a director."
Durable Goods Executive Producer/Director of Sales & Talent Management, Roxanne Artesona, became acquainted with DeLeon when he was a 2019 Fellow of the Commercial Directors Diversity Program, where she serves on the advisory board. She remarks, "When I first met Dominique, I saw an incredibly smart and forward-thinking director – an amazing storyteller whose unique point of view needed to be represented in our community. His work is cinematic, with strong visuals and a touch of magic and Afro-Surrealism. Moreover, he is a talented writer who effortlessly conveys ideas with words, regardless of the genre. Additionally, he excels as a director who brings out great performances from the talent and makes them feel comfortable. I have witnessed all of this firsthand. Above all, he is an all-around good person with much to offer the world, and I am thrilled that he is on our roster."
DeLeon's career pursuits in entertainment go all the way back to high school where he secured internships at Universal Music and CNN as an editing technician. He continued his education at Harvard University, taking government courses as a pathway to law school. However, during his time at Harvard, DeLeon continued nurturing his passion for the arts, exploring music and producing two tracks for Bad Boy Records. Meanwhile, Harvard professor and renowned author Jamaica Kincaid recognized DeLeon's raw talent as a creative writer and encouraged him to delve into the realm of film scriptwriting.
Subsequently, DeLeon joined ESPN as a production assistant and associate producer. A fortunate encounter with Spike Lee would open his mind to the possibility of attending film school, leading to his acceptance into NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned an MFA in Film. His thesis film at the school garnered him a prestigious Spike Lee Production Award and went on to air on FNX, the First Nations Experience television network.
DeLeon's unconventional post-MFA journey has featured an impressive mix of projects, from feature scripts on marginalized communities to the founding of his own production company, Special Boy Films, which became a go-to production agency for Sephora, particularly for the launch of new in-store brands. It was during this time that he also gained attention in the music video world for collaborations with John Legend on Penthouse Floor and Preach.
While expanding his music video and branded content portfolio, DeLeon also sold two feature scripts, including one that was recognized as a finalist at the Sundance Lab. He also received a fellowship from the Commercial Directors Diversity Program, further refining his craft in the commercial space. Additionally, he had a tenure at Google as Global Creative Director.
