Merman has added directors Ben Liam Jones and Olly Williams to its U.K. roster. Liam Jones’ work spans such brands as Sky, Cadbury, Arthritis UK, Land Rover and Centerparcs. His short film for Childline–It Follows Me Around–earned a Cannes Lion, Best New Director at the Kinsale Sharks and inclusion in the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase. Williams made his name as one of the most sought after and ambitious production designers in the U.K. before venturing into commercials as a director. His clever, innovative set design and styling is clear in his campaigns for the likes of MoneySuperMarket, B&Q, O2 & Doritos. He has a flair for storytelling, comedy timing and performance, particularly evident in his work for Cancer Research and National Express. He often combines his experience and talent in visual design to seamlessly blend in-camera tricks with post and to create worlds with a combination of set builds and CGI. Along with his commercial work, Williams has had success with his short film The Fly picking up numerous awards at the Plymouth Film Festival. On top of this, he has directed memorable music videos for Maximo Park, Jack Pinate and Robbie Williams to name a few….
Anne Skopas has joined Scholar’s NY office as its managing director and executive producer. She had most recently been at Hornet where she helped foster its directorial roster. This followed a tenure at Buck where Skopas played a key role in the development of that company’s design and animation department. Scholar maintains studios in L.A. and NYC. Skopas’ managing director and EP counterpart at Scholar in L.A. is Jo Arghiris….
