Biography
"Rock star" director Erin Sax joins Seed
"Director Erin Sax is a 'Rock Star' in more ways than one," says Roy Skillicorn, owner and EP of Seed Media Arts, the Chicago- and Los Angeles-based production company that recently welcomed Sax to its directorial roster.
Sax directs unique, documentary-style, commercials, branded content, and feature films while continuing as a singer and songwriter for her band, Hands Off My Sister. Besides performing nationally and internationally, she has also written and performed songs for motion pictures like Altered Minds and Wanderland as well as the upcoming documentary series, Resisterhood.
"As a director, her versatile ability to authentically portray the complexities of her subjects in either instantly impactful shorter or longer drawn out formats is amazing," Skillicorn continues. "She is able to quickly put people at ease, delve deep into personal narratives and capture their essence. Each of her stories, from corporation leaders to bank robbers and fishmongers are always compelling and I see her unique talents soon coveted in our ad world."
Sax got her start as a documentarian for Middle East news and has earned an international reputation for her visually captivating and contextual, uncompromising portraits. An L.A. native, she grew up just down the street from George Harrison, next door to the drug dealer for the Rolling Stones, and was baby-sat by the pianist for Jean Luc Ponty, Allan Zavod.
Drug fueled fights, guns a blazing, and middle of the night visits by Robin Williams defined much of her childhood. It was a colorful upbringing that set the tone for the way she sees the world.
Sax developed her photographer's eye and aesthetic early for she was raised in a home with an active darkroom. Her mother, an actress, also supported herself shooting portraits for artists like Kris Kristofferson, Charo, Arthur Rubinstein and John Rubinstein. There was always a parade of actors, wannabes, and artists, and all were larger than life.
According to Sax, "I've long considered myself a closet anthropologist of my own species. Moving through this life, observing, grasping at vignettes, at characters, trying to take it all in and then reflect back to the world what I see - the beauty, the insanity, and the glory of it all. Meeting with Roy, I felt an instant simpatico with the mission of Seed to grab reality and put it in a heightened, elevated frame... they seem to have a real knack for getting people to see differently, to notice details, beauty, complexity in things they might have seen before, but without really seeing them."
Erin's clients include: Stella Artois, Budweiser, Lionsgate, the Nicaraguan Tourist Board, as well as networks such as A&E for whom she has painted nuanced portraits of battle rappers, gay ex-convicts, and the Italian mafia among many others. She has worked with Jerusalem Capital Studios, BTRN Belgian Television, and the BBC.
Sax's work is part of the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art as well as The San Francisco Art Institute. Sax has also been awarded both National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities federal grant.
