The documentary-makers behind Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+ and the BBC — now making films for brands
We represent the directors, showrunners and editorial producers behind the world's premium factual television — we bring them to brand storytelling that earns attention rather than buying it.
Made to a standard, not a deadline
Brands are telling more stories than ever. Very few reach the authority of genuine documentary — the kind of work an audience trusts on sight and stays with to the end.
That gap rarely comes down to budget. It comes down to who is in the room. The films that build reputation, rather than simply chasing reach, are made by people who have spent their entire careers earning an audience's trust on the world's most demanding factual commissions.
Those are the people we represent.
160 million views in three months — for a watch brand
Working with the agency BBL/P Realise, we cast the directors and senior editorial team behind a multi-film documentary series for a leading Swiss watchmaker.
The brief was never a campaign. It was a recurring storytelling platform the brand could return to, made with the consistency and narrative depth of premium factual television.
The result:
- a multi-film documentary series, not a one-off
- more than 160 million YouTube views in the first three months
- a platform the brand still builds on today
Several Stern & Wild filmmakers work alongside one another on the project — directors and the showrunner — holding a single standard across every film.
The people we represent
Our filmmakers work at the very top of documentary and factual production — the directors and editorial producers behind acclaimed work for Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, Sky, Amazon Prime and major international broadcasters.
They bring something a brief alone cannot buy: the editorial judgement to know which story is the real one, the narrative craft to hold an audience for hours rather than thirty seconds, and the credibility that comes from a name an audience already trusts. It is the difference between content that is watched and work that is believed.
Why brands and agencies work through us
We are not a production company, and we are not selling you a roster. Across many of the world's leading factual filmmakers, we know precisely who is right for your subject, your tone and your level of ambition — and, just as usefully, who is not. That casting judgement is the value.
It works in three steps, and we stay close throughout:
We learn the brief. Your objectives, your audience, the story you're really trying to tell — and how far you want to take it.
We recommend the right talent. The director, producer or full editorial team best suited to the project, drawn from people we know personally and represent.
We support delivery. We help make sure the work is led by people with the experience and judgement to deliver at the highest level, from first conversation to final cut.
And because we are paid by the filmmakers we represent, our advice costs you nothing.
Where we make the biggest difference
We are at our most valuable when a story needs to feel observed rather than staged — cinematic, editorially credible, and built to last beyond a single campaign. That usually means projects involving:
- human stories
- culture, sport or innovation
- heritage and craft
- complex or sensitive subjects
- ongoing themes that can carry a series, not just a film
If the subject deserves the highest level of treatment, it's worth a conversation.
“Stern & Wild is an exceptional and unique agency to work with. They have a best-in-class roster of diverse talent from the world of film content.
What is most refreshing is how S&W works closely with you to cast the right talent for the project, especially navigating the cross-over from broadcast into branded content.
They invest their time in understanding the brand and project requirements. There is no push, just simply meaningful collaboration to ensure clients’ needs are matched with the right talent. They understand the long term benefits of this collaboration which for us has
yielded fantastic results.”
If you are developing a documentary project — or exploring how a series might work for your brand — just talk to us.
Some brands that our filmmakers have made content for:
Stern & Wild is a London-based agency representing premium documentary directors and hands-on producers for branded films, digital storytelling and docu-series. We recommend individual filmmakers and help build entire creative teams. We work with creative and marketing agencies, in-house brand, communications and insight teams, and global organisations seeking high-end, authentic factual storytelling. We represent the directors and editorial producers behind much of the world's highest-profile documentary and factual output for international streamers and broadcasters — Netflix, HBO Max, Sky, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Al Jazeera, BBC, Disney+ and others. Contact direct@sternwild.com or call +44 (0)20 3150 3776.