UNIT9 Films Adds Transcendent Directing Duo Pleasure Craft to U.S. Roster

UNIT9 welcomes the wildly inventive filmmaking duo Pleasure Craft to its U.S. roster of directorial talent. Based in New York City, Matt Ching and Derek Hanson of Pleasure Craft specialise in CGI and live-action cinematography to design visual worlds that make the ordinary extraordinary.

Ornately detailed, every frame of a Pleasure Craft film is uniquely beautiful. Daring and unafraid of offbeat, weird ideas, Pleasure Craft starts by casting a wide creative net and exploring different jumping-off points for the story, gradually paring away excess to get to the core of the idea. Their first project with UNIT9, a film for Oakley, “Crush the Ordinary,” incorporated visuals of larger-than-life sunglasses and apparel descending from the sky and landing on the cityscape of the film’s hero. Pleasure Craft excels in pushing the limits of what a commercial can be, directing rare, delightful spots that stand out. Their live-action filmmaking style blended with CGI can be seen in campaigns for Saturday’s NYC, Instagram, Jelly Smack, Versace, Prada, Adidas, and a music video for indie pop artist Jesse Gibson for his song “The Ride.”

Since their inception, technology has been a major component of Pleasure Craft’s DNA, though their roots remain in live-action filmmaking. Pleasure Craft's deep love for visual effects allows for an expansive sense of possibility when conceptualising a film, using their tech-based prowess to bring deeply imaginative worlds to life. 

Pleasure Craft remarked on signing in the U.S. market, saying, “UNIT9 is the perfect production company for us. We share a love for mixed media and a desire to drive the culture forward with excellent filmmaking and innovation. We’re thrilled to expand our relationship in the U.S. and look forward to creating more films with them.”

UNIT9’s executive producer Emily Malito added, “We were immediately excited about them, and that incredible Oakley project they launched with us really solidified that. Pleasure Craft is in a league of their own, and we couldn’t be prouder to have them with us at UNIT9.”