music video directing portfolio

Cole Dabney is an award-winning filmmaker with over a decade of experience in Hollywood. His debut feature as producer, Cotton Candy Bubble Gum starring Morgan Jay — premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival to critical acclaim.

Throughout his career, Cole has collaborated with an eclectic lineup of chart-topping and genre-defining artists, including Jennifer Lopez, Kid Cudi, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, David Guetta, Rae Sremmurd, Macklemore, Pierce the Veil, Black Veil Brides, Motionless in White, Northlane, Of Mice & Men, Asking Alexandria, We Came As Romans, A Day to Remember, Fredo Santana, King Chip, Chali Boy, $NOT, Sueco, Hail the Sun, Attila, Emmure, Sylar, Y2, Boondock, Casey Veggies, and Asleep at the Wheel.

He has also worked with a wide range of record labels, including Atlantic Records, Fearless Records, Rise Records, Victory Records, Warner Bros. Records, Sony RED Music, Drive-Thru Records, Hopeless Records, Street Light Mind, Pick Ya Poison, SharpTone Records, and Nuclear Blast.

A graduate of the University of Texas, Cole began his career in Los Angeles as a production assistant on Top Chef and an unaired Kevin Hart pilot. He later held roles at the Gersh Agency and Mark Cuban’s Magnolia Pictures, eventually becoming a Creative Executive under former DreamWorks and HBO studio head Bob Cooper.

Originally from Texas, Cole founded the Austin Film Critics Association at just 16. Over the next decade as president, he grew it into an internationally respected voice in film criticism—once dubbed “wildly contrarian” by Entertainment Weekly. As a critic, he reviewed hundreds of films across print, digital, and broadcast platforms, including live appearances on CNN and Fox—all while still in high school and college. He now shares his industry experience through guest lectures at schools and universities around the world.