Framestore–which won this year’s Visual Effects Oscar for Gravity–has made three key hires in its U.S. operation, headlined by the addition of Sophie Thiellon as executive producer of live action. Thiellon is based on Framestore’s NY office. In her new role, Thiellon will be responsible for overseeing live action and design. She previously held roles at B-Reel in New York and at Finch, Exit Film, and Luscious International in Sydney. Her work has been honored at Cannes, Spikes Asia, IAB Mixx, AWARD Australia, YDA, Adfest and Adstars.
Additionally, Framestore is building its in-house sales team, bringing in Lauren Merritt as new business manager in NY and Ashley Ford as business development, integrated advertising, in the company’s recently opened Los Angeles office. Merritt and Ford will be responsible for establishing and maintaining both new and existing client relationships. Prior to joining Framestore, Merritt worked in business development at Schafler Artists Management, Inc. and Wiredrive and also held positions at b-to-b event agency GDS and Raycom Media. Ford previously worked in sales and representation at Siobhan McCafferty & Associates and also held positions at Rock Paper Scissors, a52 and Partos Agency.
Jon Collins, Framestore’s president of integrated advertising worldwide, said, “The Framestore we know today is made up of producers, directors, creative technologists, artists, writers, designers–a global collective of problem solvers…We’re constantly approached with extraordinary briefs that push our limits; adding Sophie to spearhead the live-action department will provide the ideal structure to handle these all-in projects.”
Collins added that “growing our in-house sales team has always been a goal. As the volume and breadth of the projects we take on increases, adding a full-fledged business development division to the U.S., modeled after its counterpart in our London office, was a natural next step.”
