Bio
Xander makes great stuff for lucky folks. Xander makes clients happy. Xander makes striking visual storytelling seem easy. Xander makes pals wherever he goes, because he’s a really genuine guy.
Xander dislikes bios. That’s why he asked his pal (me) to write it for him. Xander shouldn’t be afraid to talk about himself though, he’s earned the right. Anyway, here are some more things about Xander.
Xander’s work is a menagerie of different styles, stories, and emotions executed for some of the world’s most well-known brands, including Google, Nike, Yahoo, NFL, Adidas, Clinique, Chevy, Gillette, Asics, MTV, Pizza Hut, Goose Island, Cheerios, and Home Depot.
350 lbs of muscle, and Shaq.
You might call Xander a renaissance director, if you are the kind of person who calls people things. His work runs the gamut from docu-style stories featuring real people, to gritty and visceral sports stuff, to high end visual storytelling. You might say the common thread is a commitment to authenticity, if you are also the kind of person who tries to categorize things that boldly defy categorization.
After leaving the MTV world, Xander went to the ad agency world. He was a broadcast producer at JWT NY, working with their highest profile brands. While at JWT, Xander developed an interest in the entire creative process, and was encouraged to direct in-house. He took advantage by helming spots for HSBC, Smirnoff, and Kleenex.
That led to Xander doing his thing at East Pleasant. He cut his teeth, shot film, and built a post-production facility from the ground up. In between directing several campaigns for brands like Royal Caribbean and ESPN, Xander earned 3 Emmy awards for Executive Producing the acclaimed television series ‘NYC Soundtracks.’ Very hands on, very punk rock. Xander went deep.
Hey, it’s me on The Today Show
Xander spent several years on the roster of acclaimed commercial production company Backyard, honing his ability to capture elusive and indefinable moments of human behavior. To be fair, some of that time has also been spent taking pictures of things and shooting live music. Most recently, cinematography has become a renewed focus for Xander.
Xander hails from Norwalk, CT. He now lives in the comparatively cosmopolitan city of New York with his partner Sarah Roebuck and their dopely named children Axl and Von.
Shooting Mt. Joy at the Salt Shed, Chicago.