Partners with Victoria Guenier and Adam Lawson in comedy-centric production company
Director Pete Marquis has opened Good Behavior, a comedy-focused production company in which he’s partnered with executive producer Victoria Guenier and producer Adam Lawson.
The trio worked on some 50-plus productions since meeting three years ago at Strike Anywhere, a production house where Marquis was on the directorial roster, Guenier was on staff as EP and Lawson freelance produced.
Marquis, Guenier and Lawson continued collaborating after departing Strike Anywhere. Starting this past June, they picked up five jobs which have since been wrapped. They have five more projects that have been awarded to them, two of which are in post. Their latest campaigns were for Fruit by the Foot, Doordash and White Claw. Good Behavior officially launched today (Sept. 9). Appropriately enough, Marquis has a humorous explanation for the launch date and company moniker. When he was in daycare, a stern German woman looked after him. As a result, one of the first phrases he ever learned was, “Nein. Nein.” A lifetime of being told, “nein nein,” has prepared him to be on good behavior, and to formally open the doors of Good Behavior on 9/9.
Marquis draws on his writing abilities and knack for collaboration with actors and creatives, to mine every scene for truth and humor, and consistently create work that hits a nerve with the zeitgeist. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be making the kind of work I like seeing out in the world. And doing it with the same people I love, admire and enjoy working with, Adam and Victoria. We always challenge ourselves to push the work and stretch the budgets, while keeping the set running smooth and the experience a joy for everyone. I hope to one day retire alongside those two. And hopefully that day’s not tomorrow.”
Prior to Strike Anywhere, Guenier served on the agency side of the business at Omelet, Ogilvy and Deutsch LA. For the latter shop, she served as director of broadcast and content production. At her new roost, Guenier assumes the informal company mantle of Ms. Behavior.
Lawson has done everything from AD-ing an Academy Award-winning film to show running TV to producing the CyberPunk 2077 promo with Keanu Reeves. Lawson bids. He produces. He oversees post. His love for comic books has no bounds–he even created one with Wesley Snipes called The Exiled.
“I couldn’t be happier working alongside Adam and Pete,” said Guenier. “They are two of the nicest and most hardworking people I’ve met and to see our company work on some of the top U.S. brands is a joy.”
“I’ve taken many great adventures in entertainment and advertising, but this one promises to be the best one yet,” said Lawson.
On Good Behavior, Marquis said, “We’re capable of bad, bad things. But we try to do it in a way that’s nice and pleasant for everyone. My dream is for our shop to be a magnet for wickedly funny work, and kind and motivated folks who put their napkins on their laps, keep their elbows off the table, and happen to be incredibly talented.”
Good Behavior is repped on the East Coast by Milktoast, in the Midwest by Sharon and Perry, and on the West Coast by Stephanie Stephens.
TikTok and the U.S. Face Off In Court Over Law That Could Lead To A Ban Of The Popular Platform
TikTok faced off with the U.S. government in federal court on Monday, arguing a law that could ban the platform in a few short months was unconstitutional while the Justice Department said the measure is critical to eliminate a national security risk posed by the popular social media company.
Attorneys for the two sides - and content creators - appeared before a panel of three judges at a federal appeals court in Washington, where TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, are challenging the law that is forcing them to break ties by mid-January or lose one of their biggest markets in the world.
Andrew Pincus, a veteran attorney representing the two companies, argued in court that the law unfairly targets the company and runs afoul of the First Amendment because TikTok Inc. - the U.S. arm of TikTok - is an American entity. Another attorney representing creators who are also challenging the law also argued it violates the rights of U.S. speakers and is akin to prohibiting Americans from publishing on foreign-owned media outlets, such as Politico, Al Jazeera or Spotify.
"The law before this court is unprecedented and its effect would be staggering," Pincus said, adding the act would impose speech limitations based on future risks.
The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was the culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China.
The U.S. has said it's concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. The U.S. also says the proprietary algorithm that fuels... Read More