Editor Jim Hutchins, who had been with Nomad Editing Company, Santa Monica, since its inception, has exited that roost to launch his own Los Angeles-based shop, HutchCo. The new venture opens with two Apple Final Cut Pro suites.
Hutchins began working on Final Cut Pro about five years ago, the impetus being some Apple computer commercials, which carried the prerequisite that he cut them on Final Cut Pro. He enjoyed the experience and went on to become a Final Cut Pro fan, cutting regularly on the system, though he also used Avid for certain spot projects at Nomad.
Now that he’s gone entrepreneurial and started his own business, Hutchins opted to fully go the Final Cut Pro route. Under the HutchCo banner, he has already edited an SBC job directed by Stacy Wall of bicoastal Epoch Films for GSD&M, Austin, Texas, and an EA Sports assignment helmed by Neil Tardio, Jr., of bicoastal Go Film for agency See, San Francisco. At press time, Hutchins was about to take on another SBC campaign, being directed by Michael Downing of harvest, Santa Monica.
Hutchins said he simply felt the time was right to strike out on his own. While HutchCo’s mainstay business is commercials, Hutchins said he also wants the company to serve as a laboratory to explore emerging ad forms–including Internet fare, VOD, TV programs–in the branded content sector. He reasoned that a small nimble company is well positioned to adapt to a changing marketplace and to take advantage of new-media opportunities.
HutchCo is also looking to move into some different areas, working, for example, with a motion graphics artist to explore possibilities in that discipline. Jane Hutchins serves as HutchCo’s staff executive producer. Post producer Shannon Preece is also helping out on a freelance basis. Jim Hutchins currently is the lone editor at HutchCo, and said he’s not actively pursuing other established cutters. He said his plan is to “organically develop new talent” for the company.
Hutchins made his mark as an editor during his longstanding tenure at Nomad. He has cut regularly for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), San Francisco, encompassing such accounts as E*Trade, AT&T Wireless and Anheuser-Busch. For the latter, Hutchins edited last year’s Super Bowl spot, Budweiser’s “Born A Donkey,” which was directed by GS&P’s Jeff Goodby. His other credits include CNET’s off-the-wall campaign directed by Traktor of bicoastal/international Partizan for Leagas Delaney, San Francisco, and the SBC Olympics campaign helmed by Fredrik Bond of bicoastal/international MJZ for GSD&M.