London production studio Blinkink has signed two North American directors, as part of its expanding mixed-media roster: Canadian Cole Kush (above, left) and NYC native Zach Tavel (right).

Cole Kush is an 3D animator extraordinaire, renowned for creating unsettlingly realistic depictions of uncanny, bizarre characters and scenarios, in videos for Mac DeMarco (below), A$AP Rocky and others, and for clients including Nike, Adult Swim, HBO, SNL and Vice. He is also one half of the creative studio Grin Machine, with Dan Streit.

With a background in clinical biology that has contributed to the distinctive flavour of his work, Kush is also working on projects in development with Blink Games and Blink Industries, Blinkink's longform division.

"Cole's been a collaborator with us for years," explains Josef Byrne, executive producer at Blinkink. "He's worked with our long-form division, the Don't Hug Me I'm Scared crew, and is developing a game with our new Blink Games team. It's only natural that we get him even more intertwined with us.

"His music videos are some of the most bizarre things we've seen, and he brings that tone seamlessly into his commercial work, Nike Jordan being a great example. Very excited to push Cole's work even further and into new worlds and techniques."

Zach Tavel is also adept at creating imaginatively bizarre comedy in his work for the likes of Band of Horses (below), Lone Star beer and Ranch Rider seltzer. He draws influence from the bizarre fringes of life and the accidental surrealism of B-movies and old regional TV commercials.

Blinkink EP Josef Byrne adds: "What Zach has created off his own back is incredible - most of the projects on his reel he's written and directed himself. His performance comedy is some of the finest we've seen. His visual style and ability to make weird stuff is exactly what we love in live-action. We can't wait to bring some Blinkink to his work."

• Watch Cole Kush's reel at Blinkink here
• Watch Zach Tavel's reel at Blinkink here