Hybrid Creative Director

Marielle Tolen

I’m a multi-disciplinary creative and film director with a strategic mind and a sleeves-up mentality. By embracing the latest AI tools, I find efficiencies that ensure budgets go to the screen and that the output is timely and relevant to the audience.

I believe the best work comes from critical thinking, deep curiosity, open collaboration and a good sense of humour.

Hi, nice to meet you!

Whether it’s about kicking-off with a blank canvas or translating your big idea to the screen, you can count on me to handle the work to the very last pixel.

Select Works

My work, from one-off brand films to full creative frameworks, is all about one thing: the action it inspires.

I specialise in brand-building stories and films, guiding the entire creative process from strategic ideation to final post-production. 

My work extends to translating a single concept across all brand touch points, from TVCs and online videos to 360 campaigns, websites, and podcasts, ensuring a consistent brand voice across all platforms.

Services

  • Leading pitches, setting art direction, and guiding project teams, I find creative solutions that also prioritize production efficiencies. With a decade of experience at Monks, I’ve finessed the art of thinking, crafting, and selling great ideas that get made.

  • Great creative work starts with a compelling story. As a lead on Monks' dedicated film team, I've guided projects from start to finish. I'll always push beyond the brief to find original angles and crafted executions, while ensuring concepts remain within the time and budget.

  • Working cross-discipline, I translate big ideas into cohesive, multi-platform campaigns. From heavyweight 360 campaigns to smaller, asset-based projects, I ensure consistency and quality across a full suite of deliverables.

  • With a background in Literary Studies and a career dedicated to the best words, any brief that requires word wizardry gets my full attention. From compelling scripts to captivating headlines, I’m just as comfortable using traditional writing skills as I am creating custom AI prompts to increase speed and efficiency.

  • From social-first videos to big brand films, nothing beats seeing a script come to life on set. As a creative/director hybrid, I craft treatments that paint a clear picture on paper (in a deck), I then roll up my sleeves and direct the work myself.

  • I can brief, guide, and oversee a team of makers to ensure the final output meets your expectations. Experienced in creative leadership, I prioritize a collaborative environment based on empathy and trust while ensuring the work is delivered with excellence.

I can plug into your team, or assemble a full crew to handle your project from concept and script to capture and final output.