Independent Media–the Santa Monica-based production house best known for handling noted feature filmmakers for select commercials and branded content projects–has extended its reach internationally, opening a London office with Julia Reed at the helm. Reed comes aboard as director of marketing and will work with Independent Media founder/executive producer Susanne Preissler to form a close-knit management team designed to connect the company’s global roster of directorial talent with the European advertising community.
Reed brings a creative talent management skillset to Independent Media long admired by Preissler dating back to when the latter headed up Propaganda Independent for the venerable, since closed Propaganda Films. “We were two ships passing,” recalled Preissler. “I came to Propaganda after Julia had left but became very cognizant of what she accomplished there, putting [Propaganda sister shop] Satellite on the map.” Reed is credited with playing an instrumental role in helping to diversify music video shop Satellite into a major commercial production player while having a hand in bringing new groundbreaking directors into that company’s fold, including most notably Spike Jonze who has gone on to be an influential creative force in commercials, new content forms and feature films.
Prior to Satellite, Reed was an exec producer at Propaganda Films. After Satellite, she served as CEO of what was then director Tony Kaye’s production house, Tony Kaye & Partners. Reed later went on to The End, bought its London operation and turned it into U.K. production house Harry Nash which had a successful run before its closure in 2003. At Harry Nash, she also displayed her affinity for nurturing directorial careers, helping to bring such talent as Ringan Ledwidge and Fredrik Bond into further prominence.
Since Harry Nash’s shuttering, Reed has been away from the commercialmaking business, though in recent years she has been involved in the development of a feature film project with Julia Roberts’ company Red Om Films. Reed is working with producer Phil Rose of Red Om on the project, a love story called Madness Visible, with Roberts attached.
Preissler said she expressly sought out Reed for a return to the ad arena. She regards Reed and the London office as the ideal pairing to underscore Independent Media’s commitment to the European market.
Indeed while Reed’s eye for talent could down the road translate into additions to the company’s directing lineup, her immediate priority is to help Independent Media’s directors gain access to some of the great creative work coming out of European agencies.
Reed said she had no intention of returning to the commercialmaking arena until she heard from Preissler and had the chance to assess the opportunity at Independent Media. “The high level of the directors and the body of work first drew me in,” related Reed. “Being able to work closely with Susanne and to know I will have her production and business support made this too good for me to pass up.”
Reed is also intrigued by the prospect of being able to depart from her industry norm, which has been working primarily with up-and-coming directors and helping to develop their careers. “Now I will be working with directors at Independent Media who are well established in features. It’s a different angle from which to approach the business and the creative opportunities in the European markets.”
That established Independent Media directorial talent includes:
— Michael Apted who is currently directing a Reclast campaign for McCann Erickson, which is integrating webisode content within the actual commercial, dovetailing nicely with the director’s intimate style of dialogue filming. Apted’s latest feature film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is slated for release on Dec. 10.
— Janusz Kaminski is wrapping directorial duties on a seven-day John Deere shoot for GSD&M, and recently completed cinematography on Steven Spielberg’s movie, War Horse.
— Wally Pfister is in pre-pro on a Northern Trust assignment for Downtown Partners after serving as cinematographer on Moneyball starring Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill.
— Elias Merhige recently shot a couple of commercials in Scotland for financial services company Raymond James.
— Tony Goldwyn has been awarded a National Milk campaign out of Deutsch.
— And Scott Hicks is finishing up the feature The Lucky One starring Zac Efron and will again be available for commercials.
SUPERLATIVE Signs Director Claudia Abend For Spots and Branded Content
Latin American director/editor and documentary filmmaker Claudia Abend has joined SUPERLATIVE for her first U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content.
Abend's empathetic docu-style POV has garnered several international awards for the documentary films Hit (2008) and The Flower of Life (2018). Her spotmaking credits include such brands as Procter & Gamble, Nestle and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. SUPERLATIVE has already worked with Abend, together producing a new ad campaign for digital agency Tinuiti and The Honest Company, a consumer goods corporation featuring eco-minded products.
“We found Claudia through her poignant documentaries on the festival circuit,” said SUPERLATIVE creative manager Stefan Dezil. “We are excited about her textured narratives, emotional storytelling, and her powerhouse long-form storytelling abilities, currently on her third feature film. As SUPERLATIVE continues to build our brand after premiering our latest films at Sundance and SXSW, Claudia is the kind of multidimensional artist we are excited to partner with on branded content and beyond. Fluent in English and Spanish, her reel shows real prowess with infants, food and skin products, families both young and old. Great visual storytelling and inspirational doc work.”
Abend began her career in her native Uruguay, studying film and editing in college. “My dad would show me films like Citizen Kane,” she said. “I love cinema and became an editor. It was here that I learned all about communicating human emotion.”
From the get-go, Abend hit it big as a documentary director, teaming with Adrianna Loeff on Hit, a movie chronicling pop artists of Uruguayan music. Abend took home a Best Editing... Read More