Diane VAN USSEL

Diane Van Ussel is a highly regarded visual director who specializes in projects that call for high design elements. Her spots are often created using a multitude of disciplines including live action, motion graphics and state-of-the-art post production techniques.

After working at Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, she moved to Madrid to work in Studio Victor Lopez Cotelo’s Architectural office on the Munich Museum of Modern Art competition. She then attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena where she studied graphic design and film, graduating with Honors. Diane founded her own company, AKUT, working on commercials and designing motion graphics for various clients as diverse as Aetna Health Care and Amnesty International.


In January 1999 Monkeyshine was launched as a separate entity to produce commercials, motion graphics and movie titles with Diane as Director and Creative Director. She was awarded the Art Director’s Club Merit Award for the main title sequence of the Rupert Wainwright film, Stigmata.


Since 2000, Diane has continued her trademark live action work for clients such as Nestle, Mars, Honda, Nissan, Colgate/Palmolive, General Mills Philips and SC Johnson.

Diane continues to work on a worldwide scale. A truly global citizen, Diane has lived in more than 7 countries and is fluent in 4 languages.