Directors

Michael Thomas DeLano  grew up around the corner from Willow Springs Raceway — which probably explains a few things — and founded COTU Media in 2008, building it into a full-service production house with a reputation for pulling off the impossible on lean schedules and sometimes even leaner budgets. He's directed over 1,200 car features and commercials for Kelley Blue Book, plus launch films for some of the most iconic nameplates in the industry — VW Atlas, Jetta, Passat, Beetle, Toyota Supra, Mazda Miata, Honda Passport, Acura MDX, NSX, and Prelude. Industrial heavyweights ABB and KUKA Robotics have flown him around the US, Germany, and China to direct campaigns when the stakes are high and the schedule is brutal. Three Motor Press Guild Best of the Year awards and a Dean Batchelor Award for Excellence sit on the shelf as evidence. Specialist in automotive, fluent in everything else, allergic to boring.

Known for leaning into ambitious ideas and chasing the difficult path, Dean approaches filmmaking with a simple belief: Make it real. Then make it unforgettable. Dean’s Dead is the directing identity of filmmaker, cinematographer, and creative strategist Dean Aguirre, a Southern California creative working at the intersection of automotive, music, culture, and live experiences. A Mexican American filmmaker with deep roots in automotive and Chicano culture, Dean is drawn to stories that feel lived rather than manufactured. His work balances cinematic ambition with honesty, favoring real people, real moments, and emotional connection while still pushing scale, movement, and visual impact. His portfolio spans national automotive campaigns, artist collaborations, branded entertainment, collegiate athletics, experiential productions, and social-first storytelling, with projects involving Honda, Acura, Volkswagen, Lincoln, Ford, Monster Energy, Lowrider Magazine, Thermo Fisher Scientific, global technology partners, and ongoing work with London-based label Big Family Music. Dean has also partnered with Relevant+ on culture-driven campaigns for Lexus and McDonald’s, including bilingual English and Spanish creative developed for Latino audiences. This work included the award-winning Lexus “En Camino” campaign, which received two Gold MarCom Awards for Digital & Integrated Marketing. Beyond directing, his experience extends across creative development, campaign strategy, live activations, and visual identity, including long-term art direction for artist Obed Padilla during a period of significant audience and brand growth.