Phebe Schmidt, the Melbourne creator of striking hyperreal photography, turned her eye for singular and fun imagery to directing a while ago, creating films for both bands and brands that demand attention with her unique visual language. She has now joined Sweetshop for representation in Australia.

Wilf Sweetland, global chief executive officer and partner at Sweetshop, stated, “Phebe has a special talent that pulls viewers in through her unique approach to fashion, hyper-realism, youth and street culture. Her work is absolutely curious and aesthetically confronting. I can’t wait to see what we’ll make together.”

Schmidt’s background in stylised character-based photography that draws on the surrealism of glamour and consumption is evident in her directorial work. She is inspired by science fiction and a culture of online self-performance and approaches complex topics with a playful sense of humour and a cutting-edge sense of style.

She has worked for top national and international publications from Vogue to Vault Art magazine and directed a range of music videos for artists such as Banoffee.

Edward Pontifex, managing director of Sweetshop Australia, commented, “I’m really excited about what Phebe can offer our creative agencies here in Australia. She has such a unique voice, evident in her visual language and how she translates surrealism of glamour and stylised characters. Her work is super fun and irreverent.”

Phebe Schmidt added, “Since I started talking to the team at Sweetshop, it’s always felt like exactly the right place for me to take my next challenge. Their commitment to and culture of craft is inspiring, and I know I’m going to be in the safe hands of some very accomplished humans – they are all total pros. To be working alongside their impressive Director roster is also really exciting and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone.”

Watch Phebe’s work here.

To work with Phebe contact Edward Pontifex, epontifex@thesweetshop.tv or Greg Fyson, greg@thesweetshop.tv.