Hudson Edit has added editor Zach DuFresne and the editorial and design duo Gentlemen. Also Gentlemen comes aboard the roster of Hudson Edit’s sister company, Avalon Films, for directorial representation. Both companies are based in Detroit.
A creative collective that combines sophisticated editorial techniques with design and motion graphics capabilities, Gentleman consists of designer Dave Graw and editor Derek Swanson who have been friends and creative partners since meeting in a basement at a band rehearsal back in 1999. That led to their longest-running collaborative project to date, the ongoing web series “Solid Dudes Kitchen,” which is described by Detroit’s Metro Times as “the anti-cooking-show cooking show.”
Graw worked as a freelance graphic artist and designer, first in print, later in motion, for a number of companies in the Detroit area, while Swanson worked as an editor for such companies as Beast and Mad River Post. In September 2013 they formed Gentlemen, which allows them to explore a variety of modes of content creation encompassing both production and postproduction. Recent projects include a music video for the band Bars of Gold and a spot for the Detroit City Football Club. Gentlemen had no editorial house or production house affiliation prior to signing with Hudson and Avalon. Previously, they had repped themselves.
“At Hudson, Gentlemen offer a creative team approach to editorial, design and graphics, and through Avalon Films they’re available for production,” noted Kristin Redman, exec producer of Hudson. “Because of the relationship between our companies, we’re able to offer clients a concept-to-completion package on production and post.”
Editor DuFresne joins Hudson Edit from Territory. In 2007, while at STS Griot, he won first place in the AICE Filmspotting (now known as Camp Kuleshov) editing competition for assistants for his powerful PSA, “Get Out.” More recently, his work on the Corvette Stingray project “Biometric Test Drive” for Chevrolet was awarded with a 2014 Bronze Telly.
