Red Car, with operations in New York, Santa Monica, San Francisco, Chicago and Dallas, has extended its reach to Europe, entering into relationships with eight London-based editors for U.S. representation.
Five of the U.K. cutters are from OBE Partnership, a London editorial shop headed by Peter Beston. Red Car is repping Beston and his OBE colleagues Bill Smedley, John McManus, Neil Smith and Alaster Jordan. Smith has already cut his first job under the Red Car banner: a PricewaterhouseCooper :60, "Welcome" (with :45 and :30 versions), promoting the company’s sponsorship of the First Tee golf program for youngsters. Conceived by Hill Holliday, New York, the assignment was directed by London-based Rupert Sanders, who is repped stateside by bicoastal Omaha Pictures. Smith edited via Red Car, New York.
Red Car has additionally established links to three other individual editors in the U.K.: Sam Sneade, who maintains Sam Sneade Editorial, London; Mark Alchin of Ruthless, London; and Christophe Williams of Derek Williams Editorial, London.
Sneade, Alchin and Williams have a slew of European credits. Alchin has cut spots for such clients as Peugeot and Barclaycard Visa, Sneade for Sony and Central Beheer, and Williams for Ford Puma and Crown Paint.
Also steeped in European ad experience is the OBE quintet, though Beston’s U.K. focus for the past couple of years has been in the longform arena. His credits include U.K. telefilm and documentary projects, as well as the feature Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, and a short film The Dance of Sheba, which was short-listed for the Oscars this year. "I’m interested in working for American agencies, but my concentration in Europe has been on features and TV," related Beston, whose European spot-cutting résumé includes his having served as in-house editor at London production houses RSA Films and Park Village, before becoming a principal in OBE upon its launch in 1985. Beston has edited commercials for Volkswagen, Southern Comfort, Shell and McCormick’s, among assorted others.
McManus’ U.K. fare spans spots (e.g., Volkswagen, Caffreys, adidas) and music videos (for such artists as Oasis, David Bowie, Madonna, Jamiroquai and Radio Head). Smith’s cutting credits include commercials for Saab, Nike, Rover and UPS. Jordan has edited for such ad clients as Lotus Esprit, Dulux, Brylcreem and the Red Cross. And Smedley’s reel includes spots for Sony Playstation, Pampers, Tyskie Beer and Orange.
Red Car president Larry Bridges recently returned from London, where he scouted and met with top-flight editors who were interested in diversifying meaningfully into the American market. He said that linking with leading U.K. editors was attractive on several levels. "London editors offer another dimension that American agencies have begun tapping into more often," observed Bridges. "The U.K. has arguably the best advertising in the world. They have the tradition of cinema advertising, and when the film, which is what they call the commercial, is competing with the main marquee feature, it raises the bar once again for the impact level of the spot to be astonishing. They also have a different sense of humor."
Bridges additionally cited the great influence that directors in Europe have when it comes to editing, as compared to U.S. helmers, who often defer to the agency on the choice of editor. "That also translates into the work of London editors having a different sensibility, which in turn serves to supplement what Red Car has to offer," Bridges pointed out. "The London editors we’re working with aren’t competing with our company’s own editors, but instead are a supplement to them. Any of the managing directors at the five Red Cars can present the London work as a supplementary reel."
The option also offers convenience and a comfort level for American agencies shooting abroad. If they would like to work with a London editor, but want to bring the post back stateside, agencies can do so via Red Car.
OBE’s Beston said that the relationship with Red Car opens up the U.S. agency market for himself and his editors. "It’s an opportunity to diversify the kind of creative assignments we get, which is always desirable," related Beston, adding that, while OBE’s editors have a healthy slate of European work, they are committed to making their schedule accommodate choice American projects.
Noting that some U.K. editorial houses have either opted to create, or are considering setting up, U.S. operations, Beston said he didn’t find that option enticing. "The overhead and other management factors make it a difficult proposition," he assessed. "To instead be able to have access to Red Car’s facilities and support, and to benefit from its reputation with the agencies in the States, represents an attractive package. It’s an energizing boost to get on a plane and go off to a new, welcoming creative environment with the great backdrop of Red Car, to work with new people and directors. Creatively it gives our editors a shot in the arm."
Beston also acknowledged the potential for American work to provide a financial shot in the arm, given the strength of the dollar against foreign markets. But he stressed that the priority for him in the Red Car deal is to open up relationships with creatives and directors in America. "We aren’t strangers to working for American agencies, but [when we have, our experience] over the years has come from British directors who know us and have been sought out for American assignments," said Beston. He cited as an example his work on some noted client-direct Guess Jeans spots that were directed by Roger Lunn. At that time, Lunn was with his own London production house, Challenge. (Now with London-based Frontier Pictures, Lunn recently secured stateside representation via Link Entertainment, New York [SHOOT, 10/20, p. 7].)
"With Red Car, we’re looking to expand into working with American directors, production houses and ad agencies," continued Beston, who added that, conversely, Red Car can access the OBE facility, if needed, for a project. That could translate down the road into Red Car’s editors gaining exposure in the European market.
