Ashley Armitage (a.k.a. Ash) and Sam Kelarakis-Taylor are a duo based in Chicago whose work blends strong visual design with a sense of humor. Their films sit somewhere between carefully composed and slightly chaotic in the best way, polished enough to feel cinematic, but never so slick that the personality disappears.
Ash, originally from Seattle, dove into photography at the age of 15 after noticing a lack of diversity and representation in the media. She brings a distinctive visual sensibility shaped by her background in photography, where her work has gained international recognition for its bold style and playful point of view. In 2018, she directed the launch campaign for Billie, which became the first commercial to break beauty standards and taboos by showing real women shaving real body hair. The bold approach was a global success and launched an industry-wide trend. The campaign also made the Glass Lion shortlist and won a People’s Voice Webby for Advertising, Media & PR Brand Strategy.
Sam, on the other hand, comes from a multidisciplinary creative background spanning filmmaking, writing, performance, and music, bringing a strong instinct for character, pacing, and tone. He’s a graduate of the University of Chicago, where he studied sociology and film. His expertise in comedic acting makes the work with actors very personal and also highly successful.
Now that these two have joined forces, with Ash bringing the visual eye and Sam focusing on acting, we are excited to have their refreshing and colorful style of humor in our roster.