Production company JOJX has added director Tebogo Malope to its roster for exclusive commercial representation in the U.S. This marks the first U.S. spot production house roost in the U.S. for Malope, also known as Tebza, who hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. He has grown a reputation for being a leading voice for African narratives and now he enters the American ad market.
Tebza has received assorted awards for his ads and music videos in South Africa–––including Ciclope Africa, the Channel O awards, the SAFTAS, and the South African Hip Hop Awards (SAHHA)–––as well as international awards such as a Cannes Gold Lion and a D&AD Pencil. His commercial clients include Samsung, McDonald’s, Nando’s, Vodafone, Hunter’s Dry, Cadbury, Coca-Cola and KFC.
Tebza’s passion for long-form storytelling is evidenced by the success of his debut feature film For Love and Broken Bones, which earned the status of most-nominated feature in South African film awards history, by both local and international shows. He earned Best Film at the Portland Film Festival.
Tebza has just completed directing Africa’s first original Netflix series, due for release in 2020. His prior work for three different South African television series’ earned a joint viewership of more than 13 million per week.
Tebza said, “I’m happiest when I’m telling stories, they have the ability to unite, intrigue, provoke, and create change to empower humanity. At its best, a story can do all. I couldn’t be more excited to be with JOJX and to move into a new space with the ability to collaborate with new creatives and agencies and to create work for a wider audience.”
Jackson Morton, EP and partner at the L.A.-based JOJX, added, “Tebza’s style is fearless and his ability to express that vision comes from years of experience. His film and TV work capture a unique window into the soul and his commercial work is equally spirited and intriguing.”
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