Recent Work

about

Turtleneck Studios is a boutique engagement agency, in Camden, NSW. What’s an ‘engagement agency,’ you’re probably asking? It’s a new term we’re coining to describe what we do. Due to the huge change to business marketing opportunities that the online world has presented us with, we thought it necessary to combine the traditionally separate services of advertising and production, and offer them both in one service. Gone are the days when it was too expensive for small-medium business to reach a targeted market with engaging content, and so here we are for you. We’ll analyse your brand, your target markets, conceive content that will resonate and engage, make all your necessary assets and handle release. We’re based in Sydney’s south-west, but we service the entire Sydney Metropolitan, as well as the Southern Highlands, Illawarra, Shoalhaven & Blue Mountains Districts. 

Our team is led by Writer-Director-Producer, Rhett Deighton, and includes a significant network of industry professional freelancers - crew that have worked on popular Australian shows, such as: Todd Sampson’s Body Hack series, The Living Room, The Bachelor(ette), My Kitchen Rules; feature films like: Happy Feet, The Great Gatsby, Gods of Egypt, and many more.

Rhett Deighton

writer / director / producer

Hi, I’m the owner and main project manager for Turtleneck Studios.

I have passion for a lot of things - too many things my wife says. I like metal work, wood work, landscaping, masonry, cooking, hiking, snowboarding, drinking coffee, drinking beer, drinking port (- I try to balance the stimulants with the depressants to come out in a happy middle). But most of all, I’m obsessed with story and humanity. I love experiencing a good story, well told. And I’m fascinated by the craft in learning to understand people and appeal to the universal qualities connecting us all. Even on my days off, I end up just doing work relating to film and storytelling.

Initially, I got my stripes running a channel in the early days of YouTube. It was reasonably successful for the scope of YouTube in those days, but regrettably I ended up abandoning it to focus on the HSC (who needs a HSC??). Also during this time, and then into the years following, I operated as a sole-trader in event videography. This was a great experience learning client management, production planning, shooting coverage for edit options and media management. I did this between 2009 and 2013.

In 2013, I went to film school and studied under a number of significant industry professionals - learning story craft from the expert script editor Duncan Thompson (ANIMAL KINGDOM [2010], THE BLACK BALLOON [2008], THE ROVER [2014]) and Directing from the long-term Australian director David Caesar (UNDERBELLY, ALL SAINTS, LOVECHILD, WATER RATS). This was a very significant chapter for me in learning how to plan for productions with many logistics; how to write accurate production budgets and how to craft story structure to generate and maintain engagement.

In 2014, I started work in the Australian Film & TV industry. I worked for the networks and other production companies up until 2018. During this time I was also taking on side projects for commercial clients, and shooting these under the banner of a completely unbranded Turtleneck Studios. In Oct. 2018, I decided to take Turtleneck Studios full-time and I haven’t looked back (much) since.

What I love about Turtleneck Studios is the opportunity to get invested in other people’s brands and show them how to transform their engagement. I love helping good people get better results and to see their hard work pay off. I also just love collaborating with people on content that means something to them - seeing the passion they have for their services/ products and how these can positively effect the community.

My long-term interests lie in writing, directing and producing long-form drama and comedy - content for streaming, VOD services and cinema release.