Latest Projects - as ECD of ATTN:
About Dee Austin Robertson
Dee is an Emmy award winning writer, director, creative director, producer and content creator for both the traditional and new the media industry. He's been recognized by the creative industry with awards from NATAS, Digiday, and Adweek. In addition, his directing and creative producing work on BuzzFeed and Purina’s DEAR KITTEN has amassed over 250+ million views and was turned into a Super Bowl commercial in 2015. He also Executive Produced the award winning branded series PUPPYHOOD for Purina.
Dee co-wrote (story) and Executive Produced the divisive feature length film 'The Happytime Murders' starring Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Elizabeth Banks and Joel McHale.
Most recently, Dee served as the first ECD for the digital publisher ATTN: leading a creative department to create premium, forward-thinking branded content for some of the biggest brand partners in the world including adidas, T-Mobile, Unilever, Microsoft, Netflix, Amazon, Geico, Disney, Apple, etc.
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As ECD of ATTN:
GIRLS ROOM
GIRLS ROOM is an original, five-part scripted narrative show produced by ATTN: in partnership with Unilever Entertainment and Dove's Self Esteem Project, which found that 6 out of 10 girls are so concerned with the way they look that they opt out of important activities.
Written and co-created by Lena Waithe, the anthology-style series will explore the pain and power of female adolescence as told through the eyes of an interconnected group of girls, relying on the unique setting of girls’ bathrooms as our story's primary framing device. With each episode, we aim to inspire and empower a young generation of girls to feel more self-confident.
SHE BREAKS BARRIERS
Developed a campaign with adidas to help educate people about the barriers that females face in sports. We created a 360 campaign “She Breaks Barriers” with social video content (FB, Insta, Twitter), an experiential activation, a website, a digital curriculum for coaches, and white label content.
ALZ Association - MUSIC MOMENTS
In partnership with ALZ and CAA, our team created a video content campaign called “Music Moments”. An album was produced that features award-winning artists coming together for a collection of new recordings and unreleased tracks. These songs honor the personal, emotional connection between music and the most important moments in life that we never want to lose.
Artists include: Sting, Joan Jett, Sharon Von Etten, Band of Horses, Nile Rodgers, Lee Ann Womack, The Head & The Heart, etc.
THE TROUBLE WITH - FREEFORM
ATTN: created a digital after show with Freeform for the show Good Trouble. Every week, we released a short form video called "The Trouble With" where we unpacked the issues in each week's episode of Good Trouble. Issues that were discussed included gentrification, hiring bias, student debt, racial profiling, equal pay, media representation, depression, etc.
HUNTED - SPECTRUM
ATTN: created a six-part, short-form docu-series, Hunted, to coincide with the Lionsgate produced drama MANHUNT, which stars Jack Huston, Judith Light, Gethin Anthony, Kelly Jenrette and Cameron Britton.
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OUR COMMON GROUND - NEW BELGIUM / FAT TIRE
New Belgium wanted us to create custom video content that illustrates how our public lands can be a common source of unification. The result was a short form social video shot on location called "Our Common Ground". The video had the highest retention of all ATTN: branded videos produced in 2019.
As Executive Producer at BuzzFeed:
DEAR KITTEN - PURINA
Served as the Creative Director and also served as the co-writer, director, producer and shooter/editor for one of the most successful co-branded digital campaigns in the last 8 years (300mm+ views across YT and FB). It also drove purchase intent and we even turned it into a Super Bowl Commercial that I directed. ​
TASTY - BRANDED
Led a team to create and produce branded content for the world's largest food network in the world, TASTY. Clients included endemic brands such as Kraft, McCormick, Pillsbury, Walmart, Diageo, etc. to non-endemic brands like Google, Toyota, and major entertainment and gaming studios like Activision.
BuzzFeed and James Allen Jewlery
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Online jewelry retailer James Allen’s latest marketing video delivered more than the usual sparkle.
The retailer developed the video with BuzzFeed. And the video, which BuzzFeed published on YouTube on Aug. 23, brought the e-retailers’ traffic to 76,300 site visits that day, a 270% increase from its average of 20,600 visits per day during the previous 28-day period, (July 25-Aug. 22), according to data from digital analytics firm SimilarWeb Ltd.
PUPPYHOOD - PURINA
I was the Executive Producer on this award winning campaign. I worked directly with a Creative Producer & Director to develop, pitch, and execute this series about a man who adopts a puppy. It was turned into a successful series.
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HYUNDAI + INNOCEAN
At BuzzFeed, I creatively oversaw the first partnership with Hyundai / INNOCEAN: “Couples Imitate Each Other Driving” and subsequent partnerships like the Hyundai Young Entrepreneurs Series and even a Kia campaign How To Buy A Rio
BuzzFeed + GE
Created a three part series with GE utilizing a top down style with a custom built three layer animation table.
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"Do You Have A Wandering Mind?"
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"What Are Your Creative Habits?"
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BuzzFeed and Target
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I developed and created 2 videos with Target one was scripted and and one was unscripted. I wrote and directed both of them
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Why You Should Thank A Teacher
Target is on track to give $1 billion to education by the end of 2015 to help teachers keep helping kids. Learn more at https://www.target.com/community
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Kids Teach Us How To Say Thank You
How do you say THANK YOU? Target and kids send thanks for helping to provide over $25 million in supplies to the Kids In Need Foundation. This is helping Target stay on track to give $1 billion to education by the end of 2015!
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BuzzFeed and Ubisoft
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Ubisoft wanted to promote their game Just Dance and we came up with the video "Teens Teach Their Parents How To Dance" In addition to creatively overseeing the campaign, I also directed this video.
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New Parents Reveal Life Changes // Presented by BuzzFeed & JOHNSON’S®
As an Independent Creative Producer, Director, Writer
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"I never thought I would poop holding onto someone else"​. This equal part tear jerker and comedy, was conceived and executed under my direction.
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BECU + UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
In 2010, I signed on to shoot, edit, and creatively consult on a branded video that involved famous alumni from the University of Washington to promote a new credit union card. I worked closely with Liv Faris at Colehour+Cohen to create a piece of content that became an Emmy and Telly winning project.
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What is very clear in the video, shot by the filmmaker Dee Robertson, is that the singers were not cast based on talent.
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The Happytime Murders - STX Entertainment
I co-wrote (story) and Executive Produced the divisive feature length film 'The Happytime Murders' starring Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Elizabeth Banks and Joel McHale. The Hollywood Reporter calls it "uproariously funny," The Boston Globe calls it "undeniably hilarious," and Vanity Fair calls it "maybe the worst movie of the year”.
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Watch trailer at your own risk.
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Charley - Killer Films + ACE HOTELS
ERIC GOES WEST
Producer/ Writer/ Director/ Editor ​
Broadcast on Ace Hotel networks; screened internationally at film festivals; featured in the NY Times.
From a NEW YORK TIMES Article:
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“This is cheesy to say, but it was a dream come to true to work with Killer for me because I’ve been studying their films since film school,” said Mr. Robertson, 32, who studied film at the University of Texas, Austin. “They gave great feedback during the screenwriting process, and they were on-set, but hands-off in terms of creative, which is the way they make films.”
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Writer/ Director/ Director of Photography ​
In 2011, I got in the ocean with no crew and made this short film as part of a feature length anthology Holiday Road which screened at Slamdance 2012.
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Film School Rejects: "Eric Goes West is a success on every level... A smart, perfect balance of conflicting tones."
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John August (screenwriter Go, Charlie's Angels, Big Fish, etc) ​
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I love that Ryan, Amy and director Dee Austin Robertson simultaneously followed and ignored the standard advice for filmmakers:
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The used what they had. They’re sailors, and they had a boat. That boat became the set, and the centerpiece of the story.
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They shot on open water, which is a terrible idea. And yet it gave them tremendous production value. It looks expensive, but it was actually just really difficult.
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Sunset Strip Music Festival 2009-2013
Producer/ Shooter / Editor ​
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2011 SSMF video featuring Matt & Kim's "Daylight"
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About the Festival:
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The Sunset Strip Music Festival was created in 2008 to preserve, promote and perpetuate the legendary Sunset Strip music experience. In 2009, The Sunset Strip was closed for the first time to feature The Strip as an outdoor music venue during the festival. The annual festival has featured performances by Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Offspring, Marilyn Manson, Steve Aoki, Slash featuring Fergie, Public Enemy, Bad Religion, Common, Bush, LMFAO, Kid Cudi, Neon Trees, Matt & Kim, Cobra Starship, Shiny Toy Guns, The Head Cat, Andy Grammer, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors, She Wants Revenge, Awolnation and Imagine Dragons, among many others.
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dee.austin.robertson@gmail.com | 323-376-1966