Director Paula Walker has joined Los Angeles-based Ace Entertainment and its sister company Squeak Pictures for exclusive representation in commercials and music videos, respectively. Walker had been directing spots and clips through her long-standing Strato Films, Los An-geles. She and her husband, DP Rolf Kestermann, will continue to maintain Strato for long-form and experimental projects.
The status of two other directors repped by Strato-Victor Garcia and Hermann Lederle-was yet to be determined at press time. They are considering their options and have had discussions with executive producer Pam Tarr, president of Ace and Squeak.
Walker explained that linking with Tarr makes sense on several levels. In reference to Ace, the director observed, "I gain a strong company to manage my commercial career, meaning I don’t have to focus on the day-to-day stuff. That frees me to use Strato as an experimental arm. Rolf and I have both done short films and some still shoots [at Strato] and we can push that kind of experience back onto our commercial work."
Walker added that there’s also a comfort level for her in that she and Tarr are long-time friends who started in the business together. Back in ’85, Tarr served as producer on some of Walker’s earliest video work, helping to establish the then fledgling Strato. Several years later, Tarr struck out on her own, forming Squeak with directors David Kellogg (now of bicoastal/international Propaganda Films) and Dick Buckley (currently helming spots independently). Squeak was a spot/music video house until the formation of commercial production shop Ace last year.
Strato too has evolved over the years, starting in the clips arena and later diversifying into spots. Then Walker secured commercial representation through bicoastal HKM Productions, prompting Strato’s focus to shift to videos and longer-form projects. Upon exiting HKM about six years ago, Walker again made Strato a hybrid spot/music video house. In recent weeks, Strato had been without a staff exec. producer following the departure of Natalie Hill who became exec. producer of commercials at the Santa Monica operation of Tony K. (SHOOT, 2/19, p. 1).
In a sense, Walker observed, she’s now returning to an HKM-like scenario in which an established house handles her for commercials while Strato can become more free-wheeling and experimental. She related that the clincher was "the combination of Pam Tarr who’s a really great producer and Mary Knox for representation … That’s a strong team for a director to have." Walker has her own spot sales force at Ace comprised of independent reps Stacey & Annie on the West Coast, Cathi Connor in the Midwest and Help!-recently launched by Knox and Alyson Daniels-on the East Coast.
In terms of representation for the rest of Ace’s roster, Tarr said that prospects on both coasts are currently being evaluated. The company continues to be handled in the Midwest by Chicago-based independent rep Sherry Owens.
Among Walker’s most recent credits are: Target’s "Go With It" for Peterson Milla Hooks, Minneapolis; Gillette’s "Yes I Am" via BBDO New York; WesternWireless’ "Nikita" out of Evans Group, Seattle; and a Porsche spot for the German market from Hager Moss, Berlin.
Tarr noted that both Ace and Squeak will have a cooperative relationship with Strato. She said, for example, that Strato has a stage facility and other production resources that Ace and Squeak can tap into when necessary.
Meanwhile Tarr too gains some flexibility in that Ace’s expansion also includes the hiring of executive producer Jerry Sukys. Tarr said that Sukys will free her to focus more on career management for her directors. Sukys had previously been freelance producing for Ace whose directorial roster now consists of Walker, Joe Murray, Leta Warner, Michael Geoghegan, Gil Bauwens, Anne-Marie Vandeputte and Francisco Pugliese. And Squeak has several clip directors primed for spot duty, including Chris Robinson, Roger Pistole and Lawrence Carroll. Rosanne Cunningham is Squeak’s exec. producer, with Susan Agostinelli the inhouse sales person for music videos.
