Cedric Gairard–who’s been with Amsterdam-based ad agency 180 since 1998, most recently serving as head of production while co-managing the day-to-day running of the shop–is now set to join Nexus Productions, London, as executive producer effective Sept. 1.
During his 11 years at 180, Gairard worked with clients such as adidas, Sony and MTV, collaborating with leading directors on high caliber creative projects across a range of media. He was instrumental in setting up 180’s digital department, becoming a hybrid producer active in film, digital, design and alternative media production. In ’03, he worked on adidas’ “Impossible Is Nothing” campaign which remains 180’s largest TV production ever.
At Nexus, Gairard will work closely with company co-founders Chris O’Reilly and Charlotte Bavasso, and head of production Julia Parfitt to further develop the studio’s creative offering across multiple platforms.
Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey Launch Production House 34North
Executive producers Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey have teamed to launch 34North. The shop opens with a roster which includes accomplished directors Jan Wentz, Ben Nakamura Whitehouse, David Edwards and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles. Nakamura Whitehouse, Edwards, Feil and Fowles come over from CoMPANY Films, the production company for which Cicero served as an EP for the past nearly five years. Director Wentz had most recently been with production house Skunk while Stewart now gains his first U.S. representation. EP Clancey was freelance producing prior to the formation of 34North. He and Cicero have known each other for some 25 years, recently reconnecting on a job directed by Fowles. Cicero said that he and Clancey “want to keep a highly focused roster where talent management can be one on one--where we all share in the directors’ success together.” Clancey also brings an agency pedigree to the new venture. “I started at Campbell Ewald in accounts, no less,” said Clancey. “I saw firsthand how much work agencies put in before we even see a script. You have to respect that investment. These agency experiences really shaped my approach to production--it’s about empathy, listening between the lines, and ultimately making the process seamless.” 34North represents a meeting point--both literally and creatively. Named after the latitude of Malibu, Calif., where the idea for the company was born, it also embraces the power of storytelling. “34North118West was the first GPS-enabled narrative,” Cicero explained. “That blend of art and technology, to captivate an audience, mirrors what we do here--create compelling work, with talented people, harnessing state-of-the-art... Read More