Tool of North America has added live-action directors Rudi Schwab and Sasha Levinson to its roster for commercial and branded content representation in the U.S.
Schwab began his career as a photographer, eventually moving on to direct commercials, including Gillette’s “Handle With Care” which won seven Cannes Lions and four Gold Clio Awards. With a knack for capturing the emotional and inspiring elements of a story, he has collaborated with brands including Google, Hewlett-Packard, Disney and Samsung. Schwab has garnered assorted awards for his work, including Emmys, Cannes Lions, Clio Awards and Golden Pencils.
Levinson, who is best known for co-writing and directing short films for the Las Vegas Convention and Tourism Authority, all of which went viral, garnering a dramatic global response, perhaps most notably with the viral spot “Now and Then” receiving a nomination for YouTube Ad of the Year. She began her career in the electric music video scene, receiving an MTV nomination for her work on Cake’s “Short Skirt, Long Jacket.” Levinson has directed commercials for brands such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Samsung and McDonald’s.
Prior to joining Tool, Schwab and Levinson had most recently been repped by Humble.
“As seasoned filmmakers with strong points of view, both directors have the great gift of crafting powerful and emotional stories,” said Nancy Hacohen, managing director of live action at Tool. “Working with HP and Gillette, Schwab has combined clear and confident storytelling with breath-taking visuals. Additionally, Sasha has broken new creative ground by presenting a refreshing, unique, and modern female perspective.”
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More