Furlined has added director Eric Appel to its roster for U.S. commercial representation. He is a writer/director and content creator with an extensive television background. Appel now brings his comedic sensibilities to ad agencies and brands.
Originally from New York, Appel started in comedy as a writer/director/performer for the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in 2002. He was also the original head writer for Funny or Die. He moved on to television with credits that included MTV’s The Andy Milonakis Show, Crank Yankers, Human Giant and Comedy Central’s Pretend Time with Nick Swardson.
Appel directed the MTV pilot of Death Valley, which was just picked up for 12 episodes and directed segments for HBO’s upcoming Funny or Die Presents and soon-to-be aired episodes of Eagle Heart on Adult Swim.
“The quality of the work is what drew me to Furlined,” said Appel. “Looking through their work, I came across spots that I had already seen and loved; I realized what a big Furlined fan I was before they had even approached me.”
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