About

Simon Joanes is a London born Director / Filmmaker now residing in Dublin, Ireland. 

For over 14 years Simon has been producing branded content, live music performances, observational documentaries and development.  He has extensive experience of directing presenters, recording artists, celebrities and contributors.

Over the past 8 years, Simon has specialised in branded content creation, working with some of the world’s biggest agencies on highly successful, non-traditional advertising campaigns.

This work has led him to travel the world creating compelling content for brands such as Sony Pictures Animation, Apple, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels and Red Bull, amongst others.

He has a wealth of global experience across a number of channels including: TV, online, radio, digital, social, content and experiential. His creative mind and eye deliver campaigns that reach consumers who don't generally buy into traditional brand advertising, giving clients content that they can't wait to share.

From 2002 Simon directed on T4's Popworld, a magazine style youth show where he produced VT’s and directed multi-camera performances for the biggest stars in the music world, including Beyonce, Rihanna and Britney Spears.

One of Simon’s multi-cam directing highlights was the main stage at Bestival, resulting in three Channel 4 shows, which included explosive performances from the Beastie Boys, the Chemical Brothers and Primal Scream.

He loves music and tries to use this art form as a creative tool in his storytelling. His passion for music is reflected in the vast diversity of projects he has undertaken-from the multi-camera shoot of BBC’s 'Sir John Eliot Gardner Presents Bach' Special, to Red Bull's Legendary Culture Clash, where the worlds of Dance, Dub, Reggae and UK Grime collide.

Branching out into observational documentary, he produced and directed "Chancers", a 9-part, fly-on-the-wall prime time series for Channel 4, following the progression of six young musicians as they crossed the Atlantic aiming to break the American market. Simon has worked on many documentary films since.

Simon has developed multiple projects for the BBC, Maverick TV and CTVC, but cut his teeth with Jamie Oliver’s production company Freshone Productions, where he directed eight, 5-minute pilots - two of which were commissioned for the BBC and Sky TV.