A native New Yorker, Chad Sipkin started editing out of a spare bedroom on 7th and Morton, and has since seen his catalog expand in tandem with the success of Consulate—the currently 30-employee studio that he founded in 1988.
Sipkin began his career partnering with photographers and cinematographers making the transition to directing.
Early and on-going collaborations with Matt Mahurin, Bruce Weber, Terry Richardson, Mario Sorrenti, Ryan McGinley, Steven Meisel; and the late Harris Savides form the foundation of Sipkin’s unique style and narrative.
His commercial work covers a spectrum of clients, from top fashion houses such as Dior, Versace, YSL, Ralph Lauren and Gucci, to the likes of Nikon, Ebay, DHL, Bacardi, Belvedere, Coca Cola, Ketel One, Martini & Rossi and Hudson Jeans.
Over the past few years, Sipkin has collaborated on large broadcast assignments with Sofia Coppola, Roman Coppola, Kathryn Bigelow, Peter Berg, Paul Haggis, David O. Russell, Robert Roderiguez, – to name a few. He has also sought out premium non-traditional opportunities like editing content shot by Sorrenti for an experimental art installation for Barney’s windows.
Among his long-form works are the acclaimed 2002 ABC documentary “Report from Ground Zero”—an affecting portrait of NYC firefighters, post 9/11—and Bruce Weber’s “A Letter to True,” a lyrical film tribute to animals and the resilience of the human spirit, with Marianne Faithful and Julie Christie.
While creating his own work, Sipkin also devotes time to the mentorship of future visionaries, helping these young artists find their own voices and working to ensure the innovation of film and video art for future generations.