Sami Tahari has joined Imaginary Forces’ L.A. studio as director of business development. Tahari brings extensive marketing, business and product development experience spanning the tech and entertainment spaces. Tahari previously served as partner manager at Google, where his team built the Google Glass at Work enterprise division from the ground up. His Google career kicked off as a program manager for the Glass Creative Collective, an experimental initiative, which partnered YouTube and top film schools to create awareness and media buzz for Google Glass. Under Tahari’s watch, the program saw the release of several popular online film and gaming projects, including Seeds, a Mother’s Day-themed short from USC that went viral (2.8M YouTube views); Pumpkin Zombie, a Halloween-themed short, which Tahari wrote and produced; and Grace Plains, an augmented reality game developed by UCLA in conjunction with YouTube. Tahari broke into the world of entertainment at Lionsgate, where he worked on the international marketing team for indie films and blockbuster titles, such as The Hunger Games….
Cutters Studios New York has promoted Julia Pepe to director of business development for the U.S. East Coast. The announcement was made by executive producer Elizabeth Krajewski and managing director Craig Duncan. Pepe joined Cutters in New York in 2014 as a producer, following previous stints with mcgarrybowen in Chicago as producer and studio manager. Cutters named her senior producer in 2015, and over this span, she has contributed to projects for the United Nations, the Museum of Modern Art, major agencies, publishers and media companies worldwide, many direct-to-client projects for NHL and others, and for several feature film and episodic television projects….
Sinners and Saints Adds Apple Pie To Its Branded Menu
Bicoastal Sinners and Saints--the multidisciplinary studio overseen by managing director/executive producer Heather Heller, and partners/EPs Yann Henric and Thomas Carroll--has added Apple Pie Tabletop to its roster for branded content. Known for its food and beverage content creation, Apple Pie comprises the husband-and-wife team of director/DP Gene Dubin and director/art director Alisa Volodina. In addition to representation, the move expands Apple Pie’s production capabilities through the combination of its centrally located full-service studio in New York and a newly established mobile studio in Los Angeles. Apple Pie recently teamed with Sinners and Saints on a Wienerschnitzel project created by Innocean.
“We believe that our dual studio strategy positions us uniquely in the competitive landscape of food and beverage storytelling,” said Heller. “By blending the artistry of the New York studio with the flexibility of our Los Angeles location, we can tailor our productions to meet the unique demands of each project, regardless of geography.”
“Working with Sinners and Saints in the demanding field of tabletop was an absolute pleasure,” shared Apple Pie Tabletop in a joint statement. “Warm welcome, unwavering support and dedication--everything a director can ask for. The entire experience was both enjoyable and rewarding. We will not miss an opportunity to collaborate with them again.”
“The first thing you notice is that Apple Pie has beautiful work,” Heller observed. “Having worked with them, I can say that Gene and Alisa are extremely meticulous and detail-oriented; their combination of talent and agility appeals to agencies and clients.” Also appealing to Heller is Apple Pie Tabletop’s brisk international... Read More