Cognito Films, the Santa Monica shop headed by executive producer Alan Landau, has launched a Latin spot division, No Guns Pictures. Based in Venice, Calif., with a satellite office in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the new venture reflects Landaus longstanding interest in the Latin market. I think its the new frontier, he said. Theres a lot of growth potential, not only in the United States, but worldwide.
The Latin division coincides with the signing of director Fernando Vallejo, who specializes in the Latin/Hispanic advertising arena. Vallejo serves as president of No Guns and is also represented in the mainstream U.S. market by Cognito.
Prior to joining with Cognito and its new division, Vallejo had been directing spots independently under the No Guns banner. Three years ago, he was introduced to Landau by a mutual colleague. Id been looking for someone of Fernandos talent, Landau said, citing the directors skill combining beautiful aesthetics and a strong plot. We had a friendship and it was one of those natural progressions; the timing was right for him. He was looking for support-its very hard to be a director and also own a company and do all those things-so I think he felt this was the right time to [sign] with somebody else.
SHOOT reached the director by phone in Mendoza, Argentina, where he is shooting Failure for Quilmes beer via Young & Rubicam, Buenos Aires. He said joining Cognito and No Guns appealed to him on two counts. First, he would gain stateside representation. Id never tried to break into the U.S. market because I was very focused in Latin America and Europe, he said. And I knew it was a big, big task for a director, you know, knocking on doors. But with Alan Im very comfortable. He knows me, how I work and my style. It was a natural alliance for both of us. Vallejo also said he is excited by the idea of building an international film division. The globalization of the economy is the most exciting thing to happen [to advertising] in 20 years, he said.
Vallejo got his start in advertising on the agency front, serving as creative director at Doyle Dane, Bernbach, Madrid, and Saatchi & Saatchi, Madrid and Barcelona. He then studied film at New York University and in 1992 began directing for Group Films, Barcelona, where he stayed for five years. He has directed spots for AT&T, Budweiser, McDonalds, MCI and Phillip Morris, and in 1992 won the Grand Prix in San Sebastian, Spain, for a Spanish National Organization for the Blind (O.N.C.E.) spot via Slogan de Madrid. For five consecutive years (1994-98), he has been named Best Latin Director in the U.S. by Latin Spots, a magazine distributed in Europe and Latin America.
In addition to Vallejo, key appointments to No Guns include partner and general manager of the Latin American operation Jose Luis Longinotti and executive producer Elizabeth Chazaro, who oversees the U.S. and Mexico. Based in Venice, Chazaro joins No Guns from Cinematronics, S.A., Mexico City, where she was an executive producer. Prior to her two-year tenure there, she was manager/ executive producer at Omni Producciones, S.A., Mexico City. Longinotti has spent the past 10 years as a marketing manager, most recently for Phillip Morris Companies, and previously for Pepsi-Cola. Based in Buenos Aires, Longinotti said his goal at No Guns is to create a major player in this fast growing [Latin] market.
More Guns
No Guns has also signed four directors. Norman Christianson, whose forte is beauty and fashion, and comedy director Enrique Begne are based in Mexico City where they work out of their own shop, Quatromedio; but the pair will be represented by No Guns for assignments outside Mexico. Likewise, director Fabio Berrutti, whose work Landau describes as the big beautiful picture variety, is based in Uruguay where he helms spots via his Montevideo-based shop, Metropolis; No Guns will represent him outside Uruguay. Newcomer Louis Lesko, whose background is in still photography, is based in Los Angeles and represented exclusively by No Guns. Vallejo will split his time between the Venice and Buenos Aires offices.
Launched in 1997, Cognito is the successor shop to Landaus former production company, Landau Films (SHOOT, 9/26/97, p. 7). The shop represents directors Michel Lichtenstein (who also specializes in Hispanic spots), Danny Boyle and Gary Weis. It is repped by Peter Elegant of Putnam Valley, N.Y.-based independent firm virtual pete worldwide on the East Coast, Julie Vargo and Patrice Bockos of Vargo Bockos, Chicago, in the Midwest, Char Noonan of Char & Associates, Los Angeles, on the West Coast, and Jack Reed of Dallas-based Jack Reed Reps in Texas. No Guns is currently handling sales in-house, with Alicia Orozco managing domestic sales out of the divisions Venice office and Longinetti heading Latin sales in Buenos Aires.
In addition to the Quilmes beer assignment, Vallejo is at work on five spots for McDonalds Puerto Rico via Howie, San Juan. No Guns is also in the bidding for an Hispanic assignment for 3M via Grey Advertising, New York.
