Clayton Jacobson
- Born
- 1963
- Nationality
- Australia
- Occupation
- actor · director
In this article
Key facts
• Name — Clayton Jacobson • Occupation — Film director, writer, producer, actor, editor • Years Active — 1989–present • Relatives — Shane Jacobson (brother) Clayton Jacobson is an Australian film director, writer, producer, actor, musician, and editor. His debut feature film was Kenny, which was released in 2006 in Australia to critical acclaim, winning a number of awards. He has acted in a number of films, including Animal Kingdom (2010).
Early life and education
Clayton Jacobson is the brother of Kenny actor Shane Jacobson. He graduated from the Swinburne Film & TV School.
Career
Jacobson began his career editing music videos and features films. He then directed music videos, television commercials, and short films until making his debut as a feature film director with Kenny in 2006. Jacobson first had the idea of improving the green screen technology in use for filming special effects when filming a TV ad for detergent in 2003. Watching his son playing videogames and seeing the 3D technology used in them gave him the basic idea for developing on-set virtual production. In 2016, Jacobson and his son made one of the first prototypes for a virtual production stage in their shed, using a set of LED screens. However, he could not get anyone to take an interest in developing the technology further, so gave up on it. Other filmmakers had also caught on to the idea though, and in 2018 Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser used the technology to film the Star Wars franchise spin-off series, The Mandalorian (released 2019).
Kenny
Kenny received several awards and nominations, including: • 2006: Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards • Nominated - Best Film (Clayton Jacobson, Rohan Timlock), Best Direction (Clayton Jacobson), Best Original Screenplay (Shane Jacobson, Clayton Jacobson), Best Editing (Clayton Jacobson, Sean Lander), Best Supporting Actor (Ronald Jacobson); • Won - Best Lead Actor (Shane Jacobson); • 2006: Film Critics Circle of Australia • Won - Best Actor (Shane Jacobson), Best Original Screenplay; • Nominated: Best Film, Best Director; • 2006: IF Awards • Won - Best Feature Film, Best Script (Clayton Jacobson, Shane Jacobson), Best Sound (Craig Carter, Peter Smith), Box Office Achievement; • Nominated - Best Director (Clayton Jacobson), Best Editing (Clayton Jacobson, Sean Lander)
Brothers' Nest
Brothers' Nest (2020), directed by Jacobson, was nominated for the inaugural AACTA Award for Best Indie Film in the 8th edition of the AACTA Awards.
Personal life
Jacobson plays double bass in the Appalachian folk band the Duck Downpickers.
Filmography
Jacobson has been involved in the making of the following films:
As editor
• Year — |Film — |Notes • 1989 — Houseboat Horror
As actor
• Year — Film — Role — Type • 1988 — Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em — Feature film • 2001 — He Died with a Felafel in His Hand — Repo Man — Feature film • 2001 — Tickler — Man • 2003 — Buried — Angus — Short film • 2003 — Ned Kelly — Sullivan — Feature film • 2003 — Roundabout — Paramedic 1 — Short film • 2003 — Take Away — Waster 2 — Feature film • 2005 — The Illustrated Family Doctor — Phil — Feature film • 2005 — Blacktown — Clayton — Feature film • 2006 — The Water Diary — Lunch Guest — Short film • 2006 — Kenny — David Smyth — Feature film • 2010 — Animal Kingdom — Gus Emery — Feature film • 2017 — Top of the Lake — Adrian Butler — TV series, season 2, episode: "China Girl" • 2018 — Upgrade — Manny — Feature film • 2018 — Brothers' Nest — Jeff — Feature film • 2019 — Metro Sexual — Bruce the Bikie • 2025 — Cook Serve Forever — Baz — Video game
As director, producer, and writer
• Year — Film — Type — Credited as • Director — Writer — Producer • 1994 — EnvironMental — Short Film • 2001 — Tickler — Short Film • 2002 — I Love U — Short Film • 2002 — Tanaka — Short Film • 2006 — Kenny — Feature Film • 2008 — Kenny's World — Television Series • 2009 — Mordy Koots — Web Series • 2018 — Brothers' Nest — Feature Film • 2019 — Mr. Black — Television Series
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Clayton Jacobson (director), revision 1353328267 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Jacobson Brothers reunite for their new drama-comedy. VicScreen.
- 2.Clayton Jacobson. Bison Films.
- 3.Guilty. Clayton Jacobson.
- 4.Innersense. Clayton Jacobson.
- 5.Canon: Experimenting With Full HD Video - The Trainer.
- 6.Screen Australia. Australian Films and Awards - Australian Features 2006. 2010-05-20.
- 7.Purtill, James. Virtual production studios are replacing green screens as world's largest opens in Melbourne. ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 March 2023.
- 8.AACTA. Past Awards.
- 9.2018 AACTA Awards Winners. Mediaweek. 4 December 2018.
- 10.https://tlnews.com.au/claytons-story-telling-dream/
- 11.IMDb name nm0414814
Citations
References
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reference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 September 2026.
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