With a mission to connect high-end talent with awesome brands, iartists has launched in Los Angeles to represent directors, designers, animators, visual effects pros, storytellers and digital experts, working across platforms, devices and spaces. Founded by Danixa Diaz and Ed Rivero, the company’s progressive artists rep model engages hybrid production and mixed-media talent with broadcast networks, advertising agencies, gaming companies and brands from around the globe.
iartists has curated a worldwide roster that includes Prologue, a design and filmmaking collective founded by industry visionary Kyle Cooper; design and live-action production company Süperfad for broadcast, gaming and US Hispanic commercial representation; and exclusive representation of creative shop Iron Claw, Uruguay-based VFX and motion graphics studio Aparato, Madrid-based VFX house La Huella, and COPA, a virtual creative entity founded by visual effects experts Alex Frisch (founder of Method Studios) and former Rhinofx partner Vico Sharabani.
“As a longtime advocate of mixed-media companies, we launched iartists to fill a void in how they’re represented,” remarks Danixa Diaz, partner/executive producer of iartists. “The creative shops and renowned global talent on our roster are not ‘post’ houses. They are full-service production companies with creative capabilities and directors, in most cases treating live-action, visual effects, design and animation as one process.”
“The new breed of directors is more dynamic in all aspects of production,” adds Ed Rivero, managing partner. “They have a strategic, conceptual way of looking at the entire scope of a project, and how everything falls into place, increasing efficiency and continuity. Now we have a more robust budget because it’s being spent on the whole concept versus just one component.”
Diaz will guide iartists drawing from her deep industry roots in branding, production, post-production and mixed media. Prior to iartists, Diaz was Director of Business Development at Imaginary Forces for seven years. In addition to her active involvement with several industry organizations, she has notably served on the PromaxBDA board since 2003, and is currently a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Title Design Executive Committee for the Emmy® Awards.
As hybrid studios continue to play a more integral role in creating content for commercials, broadcast and gaming, iartists aims to bring that trend to the forefront of the industry promoting the full-service capabilities of its client niche. With a single director or team overseeing the project to completion, iartists sees a holistic production approach from which network and agency clients will benefit.
Explains Diaz: “Many jobs are simply more suitable for these companies because nowadays we have designers and VFX artists who are also amazing live-action directors. In the commercial realm, their skills often go hand-in-hand with production and shouldn’t be treated as post; moreover, on the broadcast side, many of them are already acting as creatives for networks developing concepts and producing content from beginning to end. Lots of projects still call for the traditional approach, but we’re here to advocate the alternative when it makes sense in order to get the smartest, best work possible.”
The “i” in iartists stands for “international,” representing the company’s multifaceted mission. On the business landscape, iartists will bring international talent to the U.S. and conversely, it will take American-based talent to international markets.
iartists has already closed several projects for its roster including an ad campaign, branding, promo and main title work for clients in Latin America, Europe and the US.
