Canadian Helmer Lands Her First Stateside Representation For Commercials
By Robert Goldrich
LOS ANGELES --Director Jennifer Little has signed with A Band Apart, Los Angeles, for exclusive spot representation in the U.S. This marks her first stateside representation. She continues to be handled in Canada by Circle Productions, Vancouver, B.C., and Toronto.
Little has been active in commercials and episodic television in Canada. Her spot credits include work for such clients as Ford via Young & Rubicam, Vancouver, the British Columbia Lotto for TBWA, Vancouver, and Moule Designer Gifts out of agency Rethink, Toronto. The latter, “The Big Tiff” produced by Applebox Productions, Toronto, won a Bessie Award for direction. The Bessie competition is a leading Canadian awards show.
On the TV program front, last year Little helmed two episodes of the reality series Crash Test Mommy for Canadian broadcaster Atlantis Alliance. She is currently slated to direct four more episodes.
Little holds degrees in acting from Ryerson Theatre School, Toronto, and in film and philosophy from the University of Toronto. She worked as a camera operator and assistant director on a variety of feature and TV projects. She also directed several shorts, including one that screened at the World Film Festival in Montreal.
A Band Apart’s managing director Jeff Armstrong cited Little’s ability to direct talent and her experience in varied media, including TV, commercials and live theater. He said that Little’s work “shows great restraint and allows the story to breathe without rushing to the gag and tag lines. She also produces clean, contemporary film in both her advertising and her entertainment work.”
With her early experience in acting, Little related that she has an affinity for actors and spots with dialogue, particularly realistic, performance-driven ads. She added that she was drawn to A Band Apart by its involvement in different media and its strong presence in the commercials market.
Endeavor Group Sells Professional Bull Riders, On Location and IMG To Parent of WWE and UFC
The parent company of WWE and UFC is buying Professional Bull Riders, On Location, and IMG from Endeavor Group in an all-stock deal valued at $3.25 billion.
The deal is part of Endeavor's efforts to shed some of its assets as it looks to be taken private in a proposed transaction with private equity firm Silver Lake, which was announced in April. Ariel Emanuel, who serves as CEO of Endeavor, is also executive chair and CEO of TKO.
Professional Bull Riders is a bull riding league that has more than 200 annual live events, approximately 1.25 million fans, and reaches more than 285 million households in more than 65 territories. On Location is live event company for more than 1,200 sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, Ryder Cup and NCAA Final Four. IMG is a distributor and producer of sports content, packages and sells media rights and brand partnerships, and provides consulting, digital services and event management to clients such as the National Football League and National Hockey League.
Parent company TKO Group said Thursday that the acquisition from Endeavor Group will complement its existing businesses as well as broaden its reach in the premium sports market.
"PBR, On Location, and IMG are industry-leading assets that meaningfully enhance TKO's portfolio and strengthen our position in premium sports globally," TKO Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro said in a statement. "Within TKO, they will help power the growth of our revenue streams and position us to capture even more upside from some of the most attractive parts of our sports ecosystem: media rights, live events, ticket sales, premium experiences, brand partnerships, and site fees."
As part of the deal, Endeavor will receive about 26.14 million common units of TKO... Read More