Director Gary Lankford has ended his three-year affiliation with New York-based Creative Film Management International (CFM), and has launched his own Manhattan production company, Lankford Films, in association with bicoastal and Toronto-based Johnson/Burnett.
Lankford continues to maintain his 13-year-old Houston-based production shop, Times 3 Productions, for Texas work. He said he is considering renaming Times 3 to Lankford Films. The director is preparing to helm two jobs under the Lankford Films banner: a Novartis spot out of Lowe Lintas & Partners, New York, and a Phillips Milk of Magnesia spot for BBDO, New York.
Lankford’s longtime Times 3 executive producer, Holly McDonald, will now take on that responsibility at Lankford Films. Commenting that McDonald was precluded from working on CFM projects, Lankford believes being able to now have her involved in all of his jobs should prove to be a plus. "I’ve worked with Holly for ten years, and I was finding a lot of clients love her and really want to work with her," said Lankford. "That was one reason that made me pull the trigger."
According to Lankford, who specializes in situational dialogue projects, his main reason for going solo was his desire to have more control over the jobs he worked on. He explained that he wanted to make decisions that are "hard to do as a director when it’s not your own company," including the ability to be more selective in choosing boards that reflect good creative.
"If you decide you want to put something back into production—be it art department or be it camera, whatever it is—I just needed the freedom to be able to do that," Lankford said. "It was a tough decision, but I thought if I’m going to put better stuff on the screen, I had to make that call."
Lankford selected New York as his base of operation because that market has provided much of his business. His recent CFM credits include spots for Pepcid AC via Saatchi & Saatchi, New York; Alka Seltzer, Gillette Mach 3 and Phillips light bulbs, all via BBDO, New York; Jif peanut butter for Grey Advertising, New York; and Children’s Motrin via Ammirati Puris Lintas (now Lowe Lintas & Partners), New York.
Lankford hooked up with Johnson/Burnett at the suggestion of friend Chuck Pfeifer, former sales director at CFM who is now partnered at bicoastal Pfeifer Van Dusen. Said Lankford, "We felt like we needed to have somebody there in New York on a full-time basis. They tailor it to whatever you need, and that made a whole lot of sense."
Lankford Films’ Manhattan operation is being run by Peter Mullens, who serves as a client contact and "go-to" guy, said Lankford. Although he won’t be producing or repping, Mullens will be available to service clients’ needs on a day-to-day basis. The company is currently in discussions with sales reps.
