Directors Jeff Gorman and Gary Johns have put the six-month-old Farmland Studios out to pasture, and adopted a new company moniker, JGF-initials which correspond to their former, long-standing, pre-Farmland roost, Johns+Gorman Films.
According to Gorman, the change in shop banner represents a return to the small boutique operation that Johns+Gorman Films was for most of its 13-year existence. We tried to expand-most recently through Farmland-but in retrospect that was getting away from the roots of our success, he said.
In this case, a return to these roots means shedding some of the elements that were added on during the brief Farmland tenure. For example, director Tim Godsall has left the company after having joined in December (SHOOT, 12/11/98). His future plans werent known at press time. Godsall was brought into Farmland by exec. producer Scott Gardenhour who shortly thereafter exited the company (SHOOT, 12/18/98, p. 7) and filed a lawsuit against Gorman and Johns at the end of December. Asked for further insight into the dispute, Gorman said he wasnt at liberty to publicly comment on the matter since it is still in litigation.
The directorial core of JGF reverts back to what Johns+ Gorman Films had in place prior to Farmlands launch: Gorman, Johns and Ramaa Mosley. Gorman has brought his long-time freelance line producer, Gayleen Sharon, on staff to serve as exec. producer/producer for both himself and Mosley. Sharon has line-produced the lions share of Gormans work during the past nine years, and he credited her with contributing to much of Johns+Gorman Films success during that time. Sharon is some 10 years in-between staff positions. Prior to her nine years of freelancing, she was in New York where she was a staff producer and then an exec. producer at now defunct Cooper & Company.
Plans call for Johns to hire his own exec. producer/line producer once he recuperates from a mild heart attack suffered during a recent shoot. Johns had felt some discomfort while on the job and was checked into a local hospital where the diagnosis was made. Gorman said that his long-time partner is doing well and the prognosis points to a full recovery. Johns has taken a sabbatical from the business but plans to return, according to Gorman.
Gorman noted that the decision to scale back down to a boutique was not related to and in fact was made well prior to the onset of Johns illness. In fact, the two directors had been leaning toward reverting to a JGF boutique when they broke for their vacations in December following Gardenhours departure. When they came back in January, Gorman and Johns reached the same conclusion-that smaller was better.
You need to have the wherewithal-like Propaganda, HSI and @radical.media-to be really large and effective, related Gorman. The industry seems to be working at two extremes: the large shops like I mentioned, and the small companies that are left of center creatively. In-between you have loads of middle-sized companies, and for the most part, to be stuck in the middle is death. This is an intensely competitive business. Gary and I thought the smaller size business model was clearly right for us.
Also JGF has brought back Effie Samios to head sales and marketing. Samios will continue her involvement in a pair of separate ventures, serving as owner of New York-headquartered multimedia company IMC, and as a partner-with former Johns+Gorman staffer Sylvia Kahn-in Producers Source, a bicoastal/international online production guide. I just couldnt stay away from those guys, said Samios in reference to Johns and Gorman. She will help oversee JGFs sales efforts, working with a rep lineup consisting of Maria Stenz on the East Coast, Bill Rabin in the Midwest and Holly Ross on the West Coast. (JGF will continue to be repped in Canada via Imported Artists Film Company, Toronto.) Samios had been a mainstay at the original Johns+Gorman Films, serving in varied capacities at different times, including as exec. producer of its New York office, East Coast rep, and as co-head (with Kahn) of the shops former multimedia division.
Additionally, controller Theresa Slowskei has been promoted to CFO and operations manager of JGF which remains based in interim Hollywood quarters. Gorman said the shop hopes to move into permanent Hollywood space in the coming months. At press time, Gorman was in the midst of a whirlwind production schedule. Hes slated to embark on assignments for Frito Lay out of BBDO, New York, Holiday Inn for Fallon McElligott, Minneapolis, and McDonalds via DDB Needham Chicago.
Yet to be determined is whether or not JGF will retain the creative partnership that Farmland had established with Portland, Ore.-based Radioland (SHOOT, 12/4/98, p. 7). Gorman said theres a possibility some sort of loose relationship will be maintained in that combined TV/radio ad venture; but in the big picture, he stressed that JGF has pulled the plug on Farmlands previously announced expansive plans (SHOOT, 8/7/98, p. 1).
