Director Paul Stone Joins Spears & Arrows

It is often noted that many great directors began their careers as editors -- that is certainly true of Paul Stone, the editor-turned-indie filmmaker-turned commercial director who has joined the roster of Spears & Arrows, the three-year-old commercial production company led by Founder/Executive Producer Jason Wolk. Stone joins a diverse Spears & Arrows roster that includes directors Arni Thor Jonsson, Phil Brown, Ago Panini, John Grammatico, Don Broida and Josh Miller.

“Paul’s work as an editor provided him a unique filmmaking education that he uses to great effect as a director,” Wolk says. “Whether on his acclaimed indie films or commercials and branded content for AirBnB, Instagram, NyQuil, Fidelity Investments, Casper Mattresses or DeWalt Tools, Paul effortlessly blends striking visuals with a strong sense of character and story to craft spots that instantly grab viewers’ attention.”

Most recently repped in the US by documentarian Morgan Spurlock’s production company, Warpaint Films, the Brooklyn native began his professional career as an editor at production company RSA, New York and Red Car, New York, before transitioning to director.

His first short film, “Tales of Times Square” premiered at the LA Shorts Film Festival where it took home the top prize for Best Documentary and went on to screen at 30 film festivals worldwide. His short films “Man Under” and “Mulberry” (premiered at the 2015 and 2016 Tribeca Film Festival respectively). Another short film, The Boombox Project, was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick and is currently being developed into a feature film. He also recently wrapped a new short film titled “The King Thing.”

His current commercial work includes a new spot for PNC Bank for Deutsch, New York; a multi-spot campaign for New Orleans-based Community Coffee via TM Advertising, Dallas; three branded content VR films for American Family Insurance through Huff Post/Ryot Media, Los Angeles; spots for Proctor & Gamble’s NyQuil via Publicis, New York; and a beautifully shot lifestyle spot for Fidelity Investments.

“As a filmmaker my background springs from cinematography, documentary filmmaking and post-production,” Stone says. “My experience in all of these realms has informed my process and allowed me to find those ‘perfectly imperfect’ moments that engage an audience and allow them to connect with the story on a human level.”

Stone adds that before joining Spears & Arrows he collaborated with Wolk and the company as a freelancer. Those projects, according to Stone, went exceedingly well and led to his decision to join the company full time.

“The support and the level of professionalism was amazing, so joining Spears & Arrows was an easy decision for me,” Stone says. “Plus, Jason and I are both native New Yorkers -- he is from the Bronx, I’m from Brooklyn -- so ‘Fuhgettaboutit.’

In addition to Spears & Arrows, Stone is represented in Europe by Bakery Films, Hamburg, and in Canada via Spy Films, Toronto.