Great Guns, the international production company headed by founder/chairman Laura Gregory, has grown its global footprint with the opening of shops in Shanghai, Singapore and Mumbai. These offices join the company’s continuing operations in London, Bangkok, and Venice, Calif.
As part of the deal facilitating the Mumbai launch, Great Guns has entered into a joint venture with Sajiv Kurup’s Crocodile Films, an Indian film production company with representatives in Kuala Lumpur and the Middle East. Crocodile has produced notable campaigns for Appy Fizz and Grappo Fizz, the Frooti “Mango Theme” commercial, and the Medimix relaunch campaign.
To oversee its expansion, Great Guns has appointed Janene Fitzgerald as head of the Asia Pacific region. Based in Shanghai where she has most recently been producing with Black + Cameron, she will work closely with Kurup. Sheridan Thomas is head of production in London and Kojo Abban has been promoted to head of sales for the U.K. and Europe.
The move to expand globally comes at a time when more clients and agencies seek an international approach to communications, demanding multi-disciplinary directors that can operate in different markets.
To further support its expansion, Great Guns has signed exclusive deals with established directors based in Asia, including Bo Krabbe, Marco Pinesi and Squid. Krabbe, Pinesi and Squid will also be repped out of the London office. Additionally Great Guns has secured animation and design collective MIE for exclusive Asia representation while signing K-Roll from Gang Films, Paris. K-Roll directs both music videos and advertising, having recently helmed a Nina Ricci ad. As part of a crossover deal with Gang Films, the Paris house will be representing Great Guns Paul Shearer and Roar Uthang in France.
Shearer directed Volvo’s Blind Preview, a short film which earned SHOOT Top Spot (11/27/09) distinction. Out of Euro RSCG 4D, Amsterdam, the short introduced the new Volvo S60 without showing the car–instead offering detailed drawings and a painting by blind Turkish artist Eşref Armağan.
As for greatguns:USA under the aegis of managing partner Tom Korsan, the company recently had a hand in a Gold Lion and a Bronze Lion in the Cannes International Advertising Festival’s Direct Lions and Cyber Lions competitions, respectively, as well as a D&AD Yellow Pencil–all for the Virgin Australia “4320LA/SYD” initiative out of Droga5, Sydney. Greatguns: USA and Goodoil Films, Sydney, teamed on the job, which was billed as Australia’s first Twitter-based campaign, giving three Aussies the chance to travel to L.A. for three jam-packed days. The catch: they had to Tweet every minute of the trip, generating buzz for Virgin Australia’s “3 Day L.A. Deals.”
David Nobay was executive creative director for Droga5, with Ben Akers serving as senior copywriter, Ben Smith as senior art director, Paul Johnston as agency producer and John McLean as digital producer.
Actor Steve Guttenberg Returns To L.A. Neighborhood Now Charred By Devastating Wildfire
Steve Guttenberg awoke Thursday morning to a grim reality: The treacherous wildfire that tore through the Pacific Palisades had left his once-lush neighborhood charred and unrecognizable.
With homes smoldered, streets emptied and friends scattered by evacuation orders, Guttenberg counted himself among the fortunate. His property was miraculously spared. But the actor-producer still struggled to reconcile his relief with the haunting sight of his ravaged, once lavish community.
"Just this morning, I woke up and I was really conscious of my mental state and my mental health, because the last three days, I've seen so much tragedy," said Guttenberg, pacing through the ruins of his neighborhood. He said his home has electricity but no running water.
Guttenberg thanked God that his block was safe, but he said about 20 homes were burned "pretty bad" in his 80-home community after wind-whipped fires tore across Los Angeles, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled as the fires burned uncontained Wednesday. He said the fires are the worst he's ever seen in his 66-years.
The wildfires have burned the homes of several celebrities including Billy Crystal, Carey Elwes and Paris Hilton.
Guttenberg said he never expected all of this to happen.
"It's like when someone dies suddenly," he said. "It's like when someone gets hit by a car. You never expect that to happen. That's how shocking it was."
During Guttenberg's stroll, it was an eerie scene with scorched palm trees, homes reduced to ash and rubble, and the daytime skies casted an ominous twilight over the devastation.
"I've seen people scared, people in wheelchairs, mothers and fathers trying to find their kids, people having anxiety and panic... Read More