Hungry Man has signed filmmaker LJ Johnson for worldwide representation spanning commercials and branded content.
A writer/director from Minneapolis, Johnson earned a slot in SHOOT’s 2021 New Directors Showcase. At that time she was handled by Current Resident, a small production company in Minneapolis. And this year Johnson was one of just five Fellows selected for the Commercial Directors Diversity Program (CDDP) organized by the DGA and AICP. Johnson made the CDDP cut, a program for which more than 700 directors applied. She directed her latest ad for Lays Potato Chips in collaboration with the agency High Dive.
Johnson has directed a slew of commercial campaigns and music videos, and written/directed several award-winning short films. Working with actors is Johnson’s thing. She’s known for achieving subtle and nuanced performances on set. Visually, she creates offbeat worlds that showcase the quirk and idiosyncrasies of people.
“LJ is a gifted storyteller and filmmaker,” said Hungry Man partner Mino Jarjoura. “Her comedic instincts, which are subtle and smart, blend perfectly with her cinematic eye. She’s got the instincts, talent, and drive to be a superstar. We’re incredibly excited to be her partner moving forward.”
Though details were not yet available at press time, Johnson has a project slated to make its way to HBO Max in 2023.
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