Boutique production company HB Films has added The Cronenweths to its roster of filmmakers for commercial representation in the U.S. Comprised of brothers Jeff and Tim Cronenweth, The Cronenweths have helmed films for Apple, Audi, Gatorade, American Express, Mini Cooper, Bud Light, and Warner Brothers, among others.
Jeff and Tim Cronenweth have been co-directing and shooting their whole lives. Filmmaking is their family business–––their grandfather was Oscar-winning studio still photographer William Edward Cronenweth, and their father Jordan Cronenweth is a revered cinematographer, having lensed the groundbreaking Blade Runner. The brothers grew up on Hollywood soundstages, learning filmmaking from the masters from an early age. In addition to directing branded work, Jeff is also a two-time Academy Award® nominated DP–for the David Fincher films The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Jeff additionally shot Fincher’s Fight Club and Gone Girl.
“We have been very selective about adding other directors to the roster,” said Matt Hoffman, HB Films co-founder, and half of another director brother duo, The Hoffmans. “The Cronenweths represent an excellence in commercial filmmaking and collaboration that we, as a company, want to foster and support. They firmly believe in emphasizing the creative before commerce, like us, so it was a no-brainer to add such elite performers to the roster, who are absolutely dedicated to the craft as well.”
HB Films’ Midwest sales rep Nikki Weiss-Goldstein of Nikki Weiss & Co., added, “I’ve been fortunate enough to represent the Cronenweths for many years. We’ve been an instrumental part of each other’s careers through many iterations of the business. The way in which they approach every project with a commitment to raise the bar for both the agency and client is exceptional. I’m proud to have signed them to HB Films where the ethos of the company aligns with their core values.”
Tim Cronenweth said, “Jeff and I believe in collaborating with good people who share our values and a dedication for the pursuit of excellence in craft, so Matt, Mark [Hoffman], John [EP Beveridge], and the rest of the team at HB are a perfect match. As we turn the page on a new chapter of our filmmaking careers, we are proud to stand among the talented filmmakers and visionaries at HB Films.”
The Cronenweths were previously represented in the U.S. by Wondros Collective.
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