Alex Frisch–who spent the past year focused on building a global network of digital artists after having left his managing director’s post at Method Studios in 2009–has joined creative studio/digital agency Imaginary Forces (IF) as a creative director and VFX supervisor.
Frisch brings a much needed special brand of expertise to IF, said Peter Frankfurt, managing director of the studio. “IF has seen an explosion of VFX in our projects and its importance in our storytelling. We are re-thinking the way to use VFX, and having Alex here gives us an opportunity to increase our capability for doing that,” related Frankfurt.
Fellow IF managing director Chip Houghton added, “It’s important to note that the idea is not to become a VFX studio but to harness what’s going on online and across every platform right now.”
Frisch is known for his VFX work on high-end commercials, feature films and music videos. In 1998, he co-founded Method Studios where he specialized in creating VFX for commercials. He became the shop’s managing director in 2002 and departed the company in ’09 to channel his efforts into the alluded to global network of talent. The idea behind the network was to set up a pipeline to create high-end productions with lower overhead costs and to utilize hand picked top artists on a per project basis. Frisch produced three projects with that network and then began collaborating in a low-profile fashion with IF on commercials.
Frisch said he was drawn to the IF team’s storytelling prowess and penchant for developing highly creative projects. Furthermore, IF will give greater impetus to the global pipeline he has been shaping. Frisch and IF have decided to partner, said Frisch, “on creating an international network of artists that will support us in creating our own content and projects; I have been cultivating this group over the course of this year and we are going to roll it out in 2011.”
Florence Adds Director Parker Schmidt To Its Roster
Boutique production company Florence has added Parker Schmidt to its directorial roster, marking his first signing for representation in the U.S. Schmidt found his way into directing from his background as a competitive downhill skateboarder, where his world travels and brand relationships catalyzed a lifelong passion for film. Now behind the camera, Schmidt’s work embodies high-grade art direction, intentional craftsmanship, and lensed moments that capture the human experience.
Following his career in action sports, Schmidt was accepted to MASE Art School in Berlin, after which he began working as an art director for brands like Leica Camera, Nike, and Corona Beer. Once introduced to commercial filmmaking, his directorial style came to life, shooting ads across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
His body of work includes spots for Lexus, Cadillac, Porsche, Hyundai, REI, CHIMI, Aero Airlines, Apple, Free People, Sharenow, World Sports Games and The Wall Street Journal. Schmidt remains committed to pushing his artistic boundaries as a filmmaker, frequently directing creative shorts like Bowl of Life, Ascension, and the experimental short Requiem. He’s won accolades like Best Sport Film at the Santa Monica International Film Awards and Best Skateboard Film at the Mountain & Adventure Film Festival.
Schmidt said of signing with Florence, “I clicked so quickly with [company founder and EP] Jerad Anderson when we met on a project for Lexus earlier this year. The same goes for [managing director/EP] Ned Brown, who immediately showed a profound interest in getting to know me and what I aspire to achieve. The creative alignment of the stars was set in motion to build trust and... Read More