Executive producer Tanya Cohen and director Vance Malone have moved over from their shop Industropop to join The Cavalry Productions, the company headed by EP Ross Grogan and partner/COO Aric Ackerman. Cohen’s career highlights include teaming with Ed Ulbrich (who’s now president and general manager of Deluxe Visual Effects) to launch Digital Domain’s live-action arm Mothership, working in business development at Crossroads Films and serving as an agent at The William Morris Agency (now William Morris Endeavor or WME). Malone is a Cannes Lions winner (for his Ad Council “Cheerleader” spot) and his recent film for the Ali Foundation played at the recent memorial service as a tribute to the beloved boxer.
Malone made his first major mark at Food Chain Films, a company he had a hand in founding. There he directed well received campaigns for Adidas, Nike and Goodwill. Stints at Hungry Man and Station Film followed as Malone segued into performance-based visual storytelling. At the same time, he began finessing his unique approach to documentary filmmaking. His short film titled, The Poodle Trainer, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to receive numerous awards from festivals including AFI/Silverdocs, Cinema Eye, Worldwide Shortsfest, Calgary Underground and Gen Art.
Malone and Cohen first teamed at production company Wild Plum, which eventually led to their partnering at relatively recent startup Industropop. But the prospects at The Cavalry intrigued them. Cohen said she was drawn to the opportunity of developing The Cavalry’s directorial roster while continuing to support Malone. She also cited The Cavalry’s capabilities across different platforms, specifically in VR/AR, and a strong international presence.
Malone joins a growing Cavalry directorial lineup that includes Gregor Nicholas, Travis Hanour, Marc Klasfeld, Rojomotorz, Christophe Navarre, Kevin Berlandi, James Wahlberg, and VR/AR expert Peter Martin via SPECTACLE.
In addition to the Ali Foundation short, Malone’s recent credits include a Vice Media/Mazda collaboration and spots for Microsoft, Nestle, Southwest and Home Depot.
