CONVICTS
New York City | Founded 2015
Founded in New York in 2015 by four Australians, Convicts began with an ambition to build an independent media company dedicated to original films about people doing things differently.
Ben Everden, Co-Founder, Creative Direction, Production, Cinematography & Editing · Convicts, Original Publisher
The name was a nod to our Australian roots, but the idea was distinctly New York. We wanted to find the characters, creators and outsiders doing interesting things, spend time in their worlds and tell stories worth watching.
As one of the four co-founders, Ben Everden helped establish the creative and editorial direction of Convicts, working across production, cinematography, editing and publishing. Those early years were an ambitious exercise in independent filmmaking, building an original content platform from the ground up while producing and releasing films at an extraordinary pace. At one point, Ben edited and published around 30 films in just 30 days.
The stories took us everywhere. From comedians and DJs to a pizza maker in Greenpoint and an Australian bull rider competing at Madison Square Garden, the subjects were as varied as the city itself. What connected them was a willingness to follow their own path, often well outside the conventional idea of success.
What started as a small independent publisher eventually grew into an international creative studio, working with some of the world's most recognisable brands while continuing to produce its own original films.
The collection presented here is a small selection from those formative years, when Convicts was finding its voice, building an audience and establishing the foundations of what it would become.
The work
Co-Founder · Creative Direction · Original Content · Editorial Development · Film Production · Cinematography · Editing · Publishing
Carl Barron
A walk through Brooklyn with the Australian comedian, talking about getting started, finding a rhythm on stage and the things that still make him laugh.
Ben Everden / Production, cinematography & editing. Convicts NYC.
Nora En Pure
A profile of the South African-born DJ and producer, whose deep house tracks draw on nature and her connection to her homeland.
Ben Everden / Cinematography & editing. Convicts NYC.
Paulie Gee’s
From making pizza at home to opening a restaurant in Greenpoint. Paulie talks about the oven, his New York upbringing and doing something of his own.
Ben Everden / Cinematography & editing. Convicts NYC.
Cody Heffernan
Eight seconds in the arena, and the preparation before it. We follow the Australian bull rider to New York for competition at Madison Square Garden.
Ben Everden / Production, main camera & editing. Convicts NYC.