Documentary Directors Martin & Lindsay Join Spindle
TJ Martin & Dan Lindsay are a duo that have created some of the most powerful documentaries of the last 20 years, artfully capturing mesmerising moments and elevating rare archival footage into new contexts. They have received countless honours for their film and commercial work, including Oscar, Emmy and Cannes Grand Prix wins among many more.
Dan grew up in the comfort of the American Midwest. TJ was raised by two punk-rock-playing parents in Seattle. After completing film school, the duo came out of the gates strong with their Oscar-winning documentary ‘Undefeated’. The film follows the struggles of a high school football team in Memphis, as they attempt a winning season after years of losses.
They followed Undefeated with ‘LA92’, an Emmy-winning film that takes a powerful look at the 1992 Los Angeles uprising using rarely-seen archival footage from the days following the Rodney King verdict.
Their most recent feature film ‘Tina’ about the life and career of musician Tina Turner, earned them multiple Primetime Emmy nominations including Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction and Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
Alongside their documentary work, Martin & Lindsay have helmed acclaimed commercials for Meta, Google, Comcast, Facebook, Gatorade, and more. Most notably was their ground breaking six-part campaign ‘The Truth is Worth It’ for The New York Times. Made with Droga5 NY, the series emphasised the importance of thorough and investigative reporting. The campaign earned two Grands Prix at the 2019 Cannes Lions, two Black Pencils at D&AD, the Black Cube at the 2019 Art Directors Club, Best of Film at The One Show, and Best in Show and Best of Advertising at the AICP. The duo was also honoured in AdWeek’s 2019 Creative 100 as one of 11 Commercial Directors Who Are Elevating the Craft of Storytelling.
Their impressive body of work fuses their love for both rigorous research and artistic improvisation. Whether connecting with their subjects and capturing heartfelt moments, or recontextualising previously unseen archival footage into vital information, the craft in their work emerges organically and results in powerful stories that stay with the viewer long after they finish watching.
Stitch Richardson, Spindle MD / EP / partner said, "Martin & Lindsay are a special signing for us. When Spindle first started, myself and the original founders connected over our shared love of documentary - and ‘Undefeated' was one of those films that we all loved. The way they handle emotion and story, with such care and depth, runs through everything they do - whether it’s a feature or a commercial. Getting the chance to collaborate with them now feels like things coming full circle. We’re so excited to be part of their future."
Check out Martin & Lindsay's reel here.
