Executive producer David Coulter and head of production Patti Coulter have partnered with Atlas Pictures’ president Sterling Ray to launch Tropix Films. The new venture has built out its own separate space in the Santa Monica building that also houses Atlas.
Tropix, which is an Atlas satellite, opens with four directors: Richard Taylor, who comes over from Rhythm & Hues Studios, Los Angeles; Larry Carroll, formerly of Hollywood-based SunSpots; U.K.-based director Martin Brierley who continues to be repped overseas by TTO2 Ltd., London, and Central in Milan, Italy; and Martin Shewchuk, who gains his first representation via a U.S. commercial house. Shewchuk remains available for Canadian work through Radke Films, Toronto.
David Coulter previously served as an executive producer at SunSpots. His wife, Patti Coulter, is a veteran freelance producer. Ray noted that years ago, David Coulter freelance produced several assignments for him. "We’ve kept in touch ever since," related Ray, citing his rapport with the Coulters and the fact that they and part of their directorial roster bring an extra measure of visual effects and car advertising prowess into the fold. "They specialize more in those areas than Atlas has, and that makes for a nice complement in terms of a satellite," assessed Ray. Atlas also continues to maintain Santa Monica-based Atlas Adrenaline, a satellite specializing in action/adventure, extreme sports-related commercialmaking.
Taylor has long been known for his effects expertise and for meshing that discipline with live action. His career dates back to Robert Abel & Associates, a now defunct studio, which proved to be a spawning ground for filmmaking talent. In longform, Taylor helmed special effects for Walt Disney’s Tron, a breakthrough feature for its deployment of CGI. Over the years, his spot affiliations included such shops as N. Lee Lacy/Associates, Apogee and Image Point Productions, all now defunct, and more recently, Dryer/Taylor Productions (now SunSpots), Los Angeles-based Duck Soup Studios’ short-lived boutique, The Front, and Rhythm & Hues. Among his directorial credits are commercials for such advertisers as Honda, UPS, Duracell, McDonald’s, Kellogg’s, Reebok, Ford and 7-Up.
His recent work includes a Rhythm & Hues-produced Disney Cruise Line campaign for Leo Burnett Co., Chicago; the mixed media package features postcard-style illusions such as clouds forming the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head, and birds that fly in a formation shaped like the face of Goofy. Taylor has also made inroads into the Latin American/Hispanic ad market via an ongoing affiliation with Film Machine, Miami and Mexico City. Projects out of this association include currently running Bud Light spots for Latin America and Europe, and an upcoming assignment for software maker Statistical Analysis Systems.
Meanwhile Larry Carroll first established himself as a director in the automotive ad arena. And while that work continues (e.g. -Dodge Durango for BBDO Detroit, Ford via J. Walter Thompson, Detroit), he has also broadened into other fare. For example, he helmed three episodes of the FOX primetime series Brimstone, starring and executive produced by Peter Horton. Carroll also gained notice for his Sam Kinison documentary that debuted on HBO and is now being shown on the Comedy Central cable network. Carroll also helmed a documentary on the ’99 Senior Olympics in which nearly 12,000 athletes, ages 50 to well into their 90s, competed.
"Larry gives us a tremendous range that encompasses not only cars but diversifies into such areas as people-based storytelling," related David Coulter who worked with Carroll at SunSpots. Carroll also brings a well-rounded advertising perspective to Tropix; prior to becoming a director, he served as a creative for several Detroit agencies.
Also bringing an agency background to the table is Shewchuk who spent 15 years at Leo Burnett Co., Toronto, working with such clients as Kellogg’s, Procter & Gamble, Pepsi, Cadbury, Wrigley, Pillsbury and Bell Canada. He started out as an art director, became a copywriter, moved up to creative director and spent his last three years at Burnett as executive VP/chief creative officer. Towards the end of his Burnett tenure, he directed select commercials for the agency. In ’96, he joined Radke to make the transition to full-time director.
Via Radke, Shewchuk has helmed spots for the Canadian (e.g.-Chrysler, Labatt’s, UPS, Unilver, Toyota) and U.S. (Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Kellogg’s, Colombian Coffee, Pillsbury, Nyquil) ad markets. As a director, he has gained a reputation in people-based and dialogue-driven comedy.
Like Shewchuk, Brierley is also looking to make a major splash in American advertising via Tropix. Brierley was briefly repped stateside several years ago by Limelight Commercials, the now defunct U.S. operation of London-based Limelight. Earlier, as part of the directing team the Molotov Brothers, Brierley gained global recognition when Maxell audio tapes’ European spots "The Israelites" and "Into The Valley" won the Grand Prix at the ’90 Cannes International Advertising Festival. In ’98, a Brierley-helmed commercial for Crackanut took a Silver Lion at Cannes.
Brierley’s credits include European campaigns for such clients as Holsten Pils (starring Jeff Goldblum), Midland Bank, Talking Pages, Kellogg’s and Toyota. His reel has a mix of comedy, people, special effects and visual storytelling. He gravitated to Tropix based on his relationship with Patti Coulter who as a freelancer did some bidding for him and his producer/partner Bruce Williamson.
At press time, Tropix had begun assembling its U.S. sales force. Stuart Sternbach of New York-based Pangea has been hired to handle the East Coast, and Chicago-based Patti Hereau is repping Tropix in the Midwest.
