Can you define rakish?

Former live action executive producers of Tool of North America, Preston Garrett and Brad Johns have launched Rakish, a boutique live action production company. 

Commercials, branded content, and IP development are the foundational targets of the Rakish business model. Says Garrett and Johns, “We’re in love with traditional filmmaking--so we’re keeping the focus on just that. Arresting, cinematic visual content is what you’ll be seeing from us.” Feature and commercial director Marc Forster is a co-founder along with Garrett and Johns. Forster is joined by directors Kevin Foley, Noah Marshall, and Columbia Tatone for Rakish’s commercial representation in the USA.

Notes Garrett, “‘Rakish’ is a word of the Old English persuasion to describe someone with mischievous charisma, casual swagger. The personality behind it is in line with our focused approach Our philosophy is to create content that challenges us as artists, work with people you enjoy spending time with and who share common goals, and always be transparent with directors and agencies. Brad and I failed rocket science class, so we’ve opted to keep the core values simple.”

Says Johns of the Rakish ethos, “Our core values are articulated for everyone in the Rakish family and we all stick to them. It’s also just as much about being partners with agencies, not their competitors. The cornerstone of the ad industry is agency-generated work. We put a significant focus on listening to our directors and, just as much, articulate visions for their careers with them.” 

Golden Globe-nominated Forster has over two decades of experience as an accomplished director across feature film and commercial work, with credits including Monster’s Ball, World War Z, Finding Neverland and Christopher Robin, and award-winning commercials for brands such as Audi, SoFi, Cadillac and T-Mobile, as well as a film Lost & Found for Walmart that aired during the Oscars and Wizard, a Super Bowl spot that reintroduced the iconic Toyota Supra. Says Forster of Rakish, “We’re small because we choose to be. The intimacy it affords us both within the company and with agencies is something we knew we very fervently wanted--to work on a nimble scale and so I can forge meaningful relationships with the entire director roster. Quite frankly, I love it.”

Rakish deliberately launches with a highly curated roster of directorial talent. They prioritize guiding the creative aesthetic of their directors, along with growth strategy, to ensure the highest-quality results for their clients.