Merman Signs Shaun James Grant

​Merman has welcomed the addition of Shaun James Grant to its UK directing roster. Driven by a deep passion for storytelling, Shaun James Grant is a director and writer known for his visceral, timeless and emotionally astute filmmaking.

Shaun’s creative journey began in music and photography before evolving into branded content and advertising, where he developed a distinctive voice directing powerful, human-centred stories for brands and organisations including Bloom & Wild, NFL x Nike, English National Ballet and Women’s Aid.

Using his distinctive style to both entertain and evoke emotion, Shaun’s short film ‘Hope’, a raw and haunting portrayal of a couple in turmoil, captured the attention of industry professionals and proved a turning point in his career. The film paved the way for his transition into long-form storytelling, beginning with his directorial work on Apple TV’s ‘Criminal Record’. He was soon commissioned to direct episodes of Amazon Prime’s ‘The Devil’s Hour’, also starring acclaimed Scottish actor Peter Capaldi. And over the past year, Shaun has deepened his collaboration with Apple, directing episodes of the highly anticipated next season of ‘Hijack’, starring Idris Elba. In parallel, he is developing original screenplays that further expand his storytelling repertoire.

In advertising, Shaun remains committed to directing work that transcends format and genre, always searching for those human truths whilst exploring the breadth of emotion and maintaining an unwavering focus on film craft.

Siobhan Murphy and Spencer Dodd, EP and partners, Merman said of his arrival; “We're overjoyed that Shaun James Grant has decided to make Merman his new home. He is a huge talent with a perceptive ability to cut to the emotional core, combined with a discerning eye for cinematic visuals. His longer form work, coupled with his striking commercial projects and award winning short film ‘Hope’, perfectly compliments our roster for both Branded Entertainment and Commercials.”

Shaun said, “Merman feels like the perfect home to expand my voice in the commercial space - a team full of drive, craft and character. I’m excited to dive in and bring a cinematic narrative lens to bold, imaginative work.”

Watch Shaun's reel here.

For more information about Shaun James Grant contact Ellen Crane ellencrane@hellomerman.com