Dallas-based post boutique charlieuniformtango (CUT) has opened an office in Austin to capitalize on the advertising, film and music markets there.
CUT has added editor Dan Clougherty and executive producer Janell Brown to work out of its Austin facility. Clougherty comes over from Austin-based 501 Post, which he joined two and a half years ago (SHOOT, 9/11/98, p. 8). For the last three years, Brown has served as an executive producer at bicoastal Lost Planet Editorial, based out of its New York office. Prior to Lost Planet, she was a producer at Rock Paper Scissors, Los Angeles, for four years.
Additionally, CUT has hired Kathy Fawcett Martin as executive producer for its Dallas office. Martin most recently was head of broadcast at Berry Brown Advertising, Dallas, which closed late last year. Previously, she had served as executive producer at Reel FX, Dallas, and at First Cut, Dallas.
CUT president/executive producer Lola Lott observed that Austin is an emerging market on several different fronts. The city is home to a thriving music scene and an emerging independent film scene; Austin also hosts the popular South by Southwest, an annual festival devoted to music, film and multimedia.
"All kinds of things are happening down there that aren’t necessarily happening in Dallas," said Lott, who related that CUT’s Austin expansion is an attempt to test the waters. "It’s trying to add to all the elements we have in place here [in Dallas], and trying to do some different kinds of editing in addition to our core business—commercial editing. If people are shooting a film in the area [for instance], they might want to string the main scenes together or do the whole edit there. It’s something we want to investigate."
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Lott said that obtaining some of the top-level creative work from Austin’s biggest shop, GSD&M, along with spots from start-up agencies, is a key reason for the expansion. "There’s a lot of sophisticated commercial work coming out of Austin, and we wanted to be a part of that," she added. "The work merits bringing in high-caliber editing talent."
Among Clougherty’s editorial credits at 501 was the spot "Dinner Party" for Hoovers.com via GSD&M, Austin, directed by Leslie Dektor of Hollywood-based Dektor Film. The commercial won a Silver at Austin’s Addy Awards, as did another Clougherty-cut spot—"Bag & Tag"—an anti-littering effort for the Texas Department of Transportation.
The latter features actor Matthew McConaughey and was directed by S.R. "Rob" Bindler of Santa Monica-based nonfiction spots, in a co-production of nonfiction; Austin-based agency Tuerff-Davis EnviroMedia; and McConaughey’s Los Angeles-based production company j.k. livin’ (SHOOT’s "The Best Work You May Never See," 11/5/99, p. 15).
Prior to 501, Clougherty spent over two years at Santa Monica-based Jigsaw Editorial, which he joined as an assistant editor in 1996 before being promoted to editor in ’97. Previously, he worked as an assistant editor at the Santa Monica office of Red Car (which also maintains editorial boutiques in New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco, as well as a presence in Toronto).
Brown, a Houston native, had moved to Austin in early ’01 for lifestyle reasons. Shortly thereafter, a number of people recommended that she talk to Lott about working at CUT. "The timing was just impeccable," said Brown. "There are a lot of talented people here; there’s a lot of great advertising work being done in this part of the country. It was an opportunity to come and work at a place being built from the ground up."
Brown observed that CUT can now offer Austin clients a boutique editorial environment. This is "something pretty unique" for that market, she contended, adding, "It gives our clients a high level of talent." In addition to Clougherty, all of CUT’s editors will be available to work out of the Austin branch as needed.
Martin signs on in Dallas to become one of three executive producers for CUT, along with Lott and Brown. Martin’s hiring fills a void left by part-time executive producers Michele Tongate and Marci Frenkel, who recently relinquished their duties in order to devote more time to their families. (Tongate now works part-time as a CUT bookkeeper.) Senior producer Mary Alice Butler and associate producer Amy Grieshaber continue in their full-time roles at the company.
With her agency and post experience, Martin brings much to the table, observed Lott. "We’re often trying to figure out what agencies want: What do they want to see on a demo reel, and what are their issues that we’re not privy to? Kathy can help us cater to those needs that we may not be aware of. And at Reel FX, she was bidding effects-intensive jobs. This is so perfect, because that’s what we have here."
The CUT team also includes VP/senior editor Jack Waldrip and editors Gigi Cone Welch, Keith James, Scott Hanson, Ronny Gordon, and Clougherty. Additionally, CUT is home to special effects artists Dave Laird and Jim Eberle, graphics designers David Slack and Fran Gaconnier, and audio engineer Russell Smith. Missey Dobbs Frederick serves as marketing director for the shop, which is represented by staff rep Perry Tongate in the Southwest and South.
