Want to hear something funny from Plaza?

Earlier this year, Publicis Mojo handed Frazer Bailey the opportunity to really strut his stuff. The idea behind Air Asia’s Come Back Refreshed is stellar. Comedy is Bailey’s genre. Bailey turned a clever script into a winning ad…

In fact, it had just won Gold for Direction at the BADC awards when Plaza Films plonked another opportunity in his career path.

“This year we made the decision to make Plaza totally about comedy and performance. Frazer’s work is really memorable and funny — beautifully observed with more than a touch of the bizarre. He’s the perfect fit.” [Plaza executive producer, Peter Masterton]

Bailey and his producer, Justin Lyons, have just fitted into Plaza Films.

Being born into production didn’t give Frazer a headstart. His mum’s company was The Best Picture Show, but Frazer spent his first three years of work at a production company called Beeps. When he reached the position of assistant editor and the role of editing retail advertisements he left to work at The Best Picture Show. His first job there was on The Crocodile Hunter. That was unquestionably a leg-up. But then Frazer saw a new ladder. He became production manager on TV commercials. Then, he left. While he was freelancing as a production manager, he directed a couple of short films. He turned that into his own production company called Play TV.

[above and below: stills from Glen Owen Dodds]

As it turns out, Bailey is pretty good at directing. In 2003, his short film called Self Serve came 2nd at the Italian Film Festival and was a Tropfest finalist. It went on to be selected in the Top 8 Tropfest Films of all time and screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. His next short film Silencer was also a finalist at Tropfest and his follow-up Glenn Owen Dodds won the Studio Canal Prize at the Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival in Paris and amassed a showcase full of festival awards. In 2010 Frazer was signed to Hollywood director, Michael Bay’s, branded entertainment production company, The Institute in the US.

Frazer’s reel is also a showcase for work with Saatchi & Saatchi, GPY&R, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy and Clemenger BBDO.

The other half of Bailey’s success story is Lyons: “Justin’s strength is his ability to get the job done no matter what. No shot is too difficult, no request is too outrageous, no amount of fun is too much and no result is unachievable.”

Here’s one of the results achieved: