Madheart, the L.A. shop headed by exec producer Lisa Phillips and representing director Jan Gleie, has expanded its ensemble of filmmaking talent. The production house has signed commercial director Jonas Arnby for the U.S. market, and will serve as stateside rep for The Brainstormclub, a Munich-based creative collective co-founded by Arnby. The Brainstormclub’s filmography includes notable viral ads that have sparked controversy and earned advertising awards across Europe.
Plans call for Madheart to add more directors shortly. The company has also appointed Catherine De Angeles as head of sales. She will additionally serve as Madheart’s Midwest rep through her indie firm Hot Betty.
Arnby is a Danish-born, British-educated filmmaker who has worked with top agencies across Europe and the U.S. for such brands as Sprite, Harley-Davidson, Peugeot, Quiksilver, TDC Mobile and McDonald’s. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his advertising work, including Clio, Cyber Lion, Creative Circle and Mobius award recognition. He has also directed several short films and music videos, and will direct his first feature next year. Arnby was last repped in the U.S. by TWC and prior to that, The Joneses. He continues to maintain his own company, Schmalz Film, in Copenhagen.
Meanwhile The Brainstormclub, which continues to represent itself in Europe, gains its first career stateside representation via the deal with Madheart. A collective of young filmmakers, advertising creatives, designers and artists, The Brainstormclub was founded in 2007 by Arnby, managing director Yves Peitzner, creative producer Hondo Raktkovic, and sales director Dalibor Tomasevic. Brainstormclub’s work, for such brands as Sony Ericsson, BMW and HBO, primarily consists of viral ads and other viral media, but it has also produced environmental advertising, broadcast commercials, music videos and even fine art installations.
The Brainstormclub won a Bronze Lion at the 2010 Cannes International Advertising Festival for a viral BMW ad in which a motorcycle is used to pull the cloth off a long table set on which is elegant dinnerware. Last month, the same ad took top honors at the Gold Award of Montreux for Best Use of Viral Media.
Madheart’s Phillips said she was drawn to Arnby’s comedic touch and The Brainstormclub’s guerilla marketing sensibilities.
“It’s an interesting opportunity to introduce our business model,” said Brainstormclub’s Peitzner of linking with Madheart in the U.S. “We aren’t a film production company or an ad agency in the traditional sense so we can be very flexible. We see many possibilities for working with agencies, or clients directly.” Peitzner added, “We are convinced that viral marketing, or rather contagious, branded entertainment, is the future.”
The Madheart sales force consists of Hot Betty in the Midwest, Lisa Gimenez Toliver on the West Coast, and Dana Dubuy on the East Coast.
Director/DP Timothy Hogan Joins French Butter
French Butter, the food and beverage production company based in Chicago and Los Angeles, has added director/DP Timothy Hogan to its roster. A veteran director, Hogan got his start in still photography and brings extensive experience shooting liquids, fashion and jewelry, among other product categories, to the company.
Hogan brings more than just a DP’s eye to the French Butter talent offering. An experienced teacher, writer and lecturer, he’s done everything from building studios to teaching courses at his alma mater, Syracuse University, to being published in some of the industry’s leading creative and design publications. A self-professed tinkerer who got his start in film after filling just about every role when it came to lighting, rigging and styling his many still shoots, he shares insights into everything from how to approach client relations to keeping your creative spark on his social media channels.
With a reel that includes work for a wide range of brands, Hogan adds an extra dimension to the French Butter roster, which includes founding director/DP Brett Froomer as well as director/DP Jennifer Davick. Hogan’s film work includes such brands as Absolut Vodka, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Sam Adams, Courvoisier, David Yurman, Miller Coors, Johnnie Walker, Gucci and Chanel. Prior to joining French Butter, Hogan had most recently been directing independently.
“Tim has that special eye for detail, lighting and composition that you often find when photographers move into film direction,” said Froomer. “And he’s a true magician when it comes to shooting liquids. I’m looking forward to working with him as we integrate him and his workflow into the French Butter family.”
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