Commercial production company Good Times has announced that it has signed filmmaker Rob 'Whitey' McConnaughy to its directorial roster. A Cannes Lion-winning director, Rob鈥檚 specialties include comedy, hidden camera / man-on-the-street, action, and celebrity-driven projects. He鈥檚 a multifaceted director whose skill set includes shooting, editing, and writing.
鈥淚鈥檝e been happily independent for years, but I couldn鈥檛 resist the chance to get down with Good Times,鈥 said Rob. 鈥淚鈥檝e known EPs Eric and Bernadette for many years; they鈥檙e great at what they do, and just as important, they鈥檙e fun to be around. I think enjoying your work is how you get the best results in this business. Funny commercials should be fun to make!鈥
A lifelong skateboarder, Rob began his filmmaking career in true punk rock fashion when he started his own DIY production company at 21 years old. He鈥檚 produced and directed 16 best-selling skateboard and snowboard films and was instrumental in launching the Jackass franchise, including shooting material for the TV series pilot and shooting and writing on the first two feature films.
Rob has successfully taken the youthful, off-the-rails spirit that he gleaned from Jackass and a lifetime of skateboarding into his two decades of directing commercials for the world鈥檚 most notable companies. He鈥檚 directed spots for Nike, Nissan, Burger King, Honda, Sprint, Mountain Dew, Coors, State Farm, Coca-Cola, Progressive, Farmers, Activision, Sprint, EA Sports, Dominos, and many more. One of Rob鈥檚 many talents is working with celebrities; he intuitively knows how to make everyone feel comfortable on set, setting the stage for memorable performances, whether scripted or not.
鈥淩ob can take a dull idea and make it razor sharp, then execute that idea in a smart, organised manner,鈥 shared Eric McCasline, Good Times executive producer and co-founder. 鈥淲e鈥檙e stoked to bring his unique energy to Good Times and leverage his talents in a wide range of projects.鈥
In addition to his commercial work, Rob has written and directed shorts for the Late Late Show with James Corden, and Funny or Die, and helmed the Chris Fairbanks stand up comedy special Rescue Cactus for Amazon Prime. His inventive and comedic music videos have racked up hundreds of millions of views and sparked record deals for emerging artists. He won a Bronze Cannes Lion for an outrageous spot where he placed the legendary band ZZ Top in a beer cooler and surprised the living daylights out of unexpecting customers, and also directed one of the world鈥檚 first viral videos for Nike via Wieden+Kennedy featuring Kobe Bryant appearing to jump over a speeding Aston Martin.