Production company ArtClass has signed director Anthony Pellino to its roster for commercial and branded content representation in the U.S. Pellino, who’s turned out work for such brands as Reebok, Guinness, Lexus and Peloton, was previously repped by Alkemy X in the ad arena. He is also an alum of SHOOT’s 2017 New Directors Showcase.
“Anthony is a visceral filmmaker, wise beyond his years,” said Rebecca Niles, ArtClass executive producer. “I was immediately impressed by how quickly he amassed such a vast and impressive body of work in a short time. His ambitious and fresh approach to storytelling resonated with us.”
Pellino shared, “There’s a real hunger and trajectory at ArtClass that I’m super excited about. Rebecca and [ArtClass partner/EP] Geno Imbriale bring real enthusiasm for their creators and just want to make great content. This was a huge catalyst for me to join their roster. All of the directors have their own unique specialty. I love that I get to work alongside them and bring my hyperreal niche into the fold.”
Pellino launched his career at 19 years old when he directed “Be More Human,” a hyperrealistic spot for Reebok about the internal meditations of William H. Cavali, an amateur boxer from Brooklyn, before each match. That spot led to a number of projects for Spalding, Guinness, Uber and Michelob Ultra.
Pellino helmed a series of branded documentaries for Peloton, and served as both director and creative director on episodes for the Rumble Boxing at-home app experience. Directly after this, he spent 18 months in San Francisco consulting on and building a content production arm for venture capital company 8VC. Pellino is currently developing a short film around the theme of healthcare in a dystopian future.
“I’ve always wanted to do work that makes people feel inspired,” said Pellino. “I love telling anthemic stories that are punchy, kinetic and energetic, creating worlds for my talent that don’t exist in reality. I’m comfortable traversing different categories and genres of work, because my end approach always comes from that fundamental style I have. I tend to gravitate towards projects that haven’t been attempted before–or maybe even those that scare the client a little. I’m all for the challenge of problem solving, and collaborating with those who feel the same way.”
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More