Creative agency FIG has promoted its award-winning producer, Jill Landaker Grunes, into a new full-time role as head of production.
Grunes will oversee both the production and business affairs departments as well as the agency’s in-house studio. She will collaborate with the agency’s integrated creative, data, media and strategy offerings to nimbly optimize and refine campaigns in market and will continue to expand the definition of what agencies can own and make for brands.
Grunes began working at FIG in 2016 in a freelance capacity with an extensive background in documentary film and theatre. In this freelance role she led production of the majority of the agency’s output leading to her coming on board full-time to hire a team and set up processes to accommodate growth while maintaining quality. She was promoted to executive producer in early 2018, during which time she helped to establish and expand the agency’s in-house studio offering.
During her time at FIG, she has been instrumental in the production of many campaigns and projects for brands including Vimeo, Spotify, Macy’s, Virgin Atlantic and CNN. Prior to joining FIG, Grunes founded and led Smartypants Pictures where she produced independent award-winning films and branded content, working with brands and agencies.
“I’ve loved growing with FIG these last few years and having the opportunity to work with such an exceptional integrated team,” said Grunes. “I look forward to building on FIG’s reputation as creators of exceptional innovative stories.”
Scott Vitrone, partner and chief creative officer at FIG, said, “Jill is one of the most knowledgeable producers I’ve worked with. She brings a calm clarity to every production and always makes our ideas better.”
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