Full-service creative production company Where The Buffalo Roam (WTBR) has signed director Jack Henry Robbins for U.S. commercials and branded content. Hailed for his exploits as a writer and director of feature films and shorts that have screened to rave reviews at Sundance and Tribeca. Robbins is bringing his off-beat filmmaking style to the commercial space, where he found success early in his career with a viral web campaign for Hot Pockets.
“Jack is a really engaged and talented writer/director, on top of being an hilarious and lovely guy,” remarks Simon Mowbray, creative director at WTBR. "I met him through my husband, who owns a plant shop. He told me about this too-tall, very strange and funny guy he met there who made films. This is LA, so even tall and odd filmmakers aren’t exactly thin on the ground. Anyway, we went to see Jack’s film VHYes, and it was bizarre, strange, and touching. It made me laugh a whole lot."
Robbins’ other cinematic projects range widely from These Storied Streets, an award-winning documentary on America’s homeless crisis, to a feature-length comedy, VHYES, which had a theatrical run and was sold to Hulu in 2020 after being certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
More recently, Robbins has created and wrote an animated half-hour series in development with Bento Box, the creators of Bob’s Burgers. He sees his storytelling style as Christopher Guest-ian, with an eye to comedic realism and the self-reflexive, but has the ability to shift his aesthetic to fit the needs of each project. He’s also well-versed in editing and, consequently, has an incredibly precise eye.
“I take on every project with a sneakiness to make the viewer think,” concludes Robbins, “with the hope that my films make the world feel a bit more agreeable and a whole lot more fun. I look forward to bringing my experience and worldview in a way that is complementary to the WTBR team.”
