Tim Davies, ex-creative director/head of 2D at The Mill, Sue Troyan, who had been sr. executive producer at The Mill, and Darcy Parsons, owner and EP of the former Brewster Parsons, have teamed to launch KEVIN, a high-end visual effects company currently housed in a fully operational temp studio in Venice. Construction is underway on the new venture’s facility in Culver City, Calif., slated to open early next year.
Davies and Troyan have worked together over the years on assorted notable pieces of work. KEVIN owner/partner Parsons referred to them as “a powerhouse creative/producer duo.” At the privately owned Kevin, the three partners will personally nurture the collective relationships they’ve built with agencies, directors and up-and-coming talent, as well as cultivate business opportunities with new clients and brands.
Davies serves as executive creative director for KEVIN, overseeing the collective creative output of the company. He has successfully led talented teams of artists for over 25 years, and is well known for his extensive knowledge of complex visual effects methodologies, a meticulous attention to detail and a flair for creative solutions. Formerly at Asylum Visual Effects and then The Mill, he has worked with leading directors and agencies. Among his work are multiple Cannes Gold Lion-winning commercials, including HBO’s “Voyeur” campaign for Jake Scott, Nike Golf’s “Ripple” for Steve Rogers, Old Spice’s “Momsong” for Steve Ayson, Old Spice’s “Dadsong” for Andreas Nilsson and Old Spice’s “Whale” and “Rocket Car” for Steve Rogers, as well as two VES nominations for Levi’s “Change” directed by Filip Engstrom and for Porsche’s “Family Tree” for director Jeff Zwart. Davies also led numerous Super Bowl commercials, including this year’s “Terry Bradshaw” for Tide directed by Traktor, and Turbo Tax’s “Humpty Dumpty” for director Ivan Zacharias, as well as past years’ Super Bowl spots “Wings” for VR and directed by Tom Kuntz, Mercedes-Benz’s “Soul” for director Dante Ariola, Tide’s “Miracle Stain” for director Bryan Buckley and Bud Light’s “Dog Sitter” directed by Baker Smith.
As a sr. exec producer, Troyan has been an integral contributor to Method and more recently The Mill. She has a track record of mentoring and helping to develop many successful careers in the industry, and her collaborative approach has led to lauded, memorable work.
Parsons is an industry vet whose experience spans production and visual effects. She has served in different capacities over the years, including line producer, VFX producer, EP and owner of her own shop, the since-closed Brewster Parsons.
As for the rationale behind the KEVIN moniker, Davies cited personal attributes. “Well, Kevin is always there for you,” related Davies. “He’s your best mate and will always have your back. He’s the kind of guy you want to have a beer with whenever he’s in town. Kevin knows his stuff and works his ass off to make sure you get what you need and then some!”
Troyan said of the new, independent VFX house, “KEVIN is a state of mind.”
Carrie Coon Relishes Being Part Of An Ensemble–From “The Gilded Age” To “His Three Daughters”
It can be hard to catch Carrie Coon on her own.
She is far more likely to be found in the thick of an ensemble. That could be on TV, in "The Gilded Age," for which she was just Emmy nominated, or in the upcoming season of "The White Lotus," which she recently shot in Thailand. Or it could be in films, most relevantly, Azazel Jacobs' new drama, "His Three Daughters," in which Coon stars alongside Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen as sisters caring for their dying father.
But on a recent, bright late-summer morning, Coon is sitting on a bench in the bucolic northeast Westchester town of Pound Ridge. A few years back, she and her husband, the playwright Tracy Letts, moved near here with their two young children, drawn by the long rows of stone walls and a particularly good BLT from a nearby cafe that Letts, after biting into, declared must be within 15 miles of where they lived.
In a few days, they would both fly to Los Angeles for the Emmys (Letts was nominated for his performance in "Winning Time" ). But Coon, 43, was then largely enmeshed in the day-to-day life of raising a family, along with their nightly movie viewings, which Letts pulls from his extensive DVD collection. The previous night's choice: "Once Around," with Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfus.
Coon met Letts during her breakthrough performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?" on Broadway in 2012. She played the heavy-drinking housewife Honey. It was the first role that Coon read and knew, viscerally, she had to play. Immediately after saying this, Coon sighs.
"It sounds like something some diva would say in a movie from the '50s," Coon says. "I just walked around in my apartment in my slip and I had pearls and a little brandy. I made a grocery list and I just did... Read More