Tom Mooney, president of Headquarters, a longstanding house which officially closes its doors at month’s end (SHOOT, 1/13, p. 1), is teaming with director Joe Pytka and executive producer Tara Fitzpatrick of Venice, Calif.-based PYTKA to launch an as yet unnamed production house.
The new bicoastal venture–with executive producer Mooney heading the New York office, and Fitzpatrick the West Coast shop–will operate under the PYTKA umbrella and represent up-and-coming directorial talent. Mooney said that Pytka could help to mentor the new shop’s directors.
The company’s prime offerings to the agency community will be a crop of promising new directors backed by world-class production facilitated by Fitzpatrick’s extensive spotmaking experience. At the same time, Mooney wants the business/creative model for the new company to be flexible enough to serve agency creatives in other ways. For one, he sees agency creative directors and creative artisans directing select projects through the company, accessing the PYTKA production infrastructure and, if they like, perhaps comparing notes with Pytka himself.
Mooney said that a growing number of agency creatives are directing projects. Many of these agency staffers aren’t looking to leave their roosts, but feel the need to helm certain jobs. This encompasses not only mainstream commercials but also new media fare, including interactive and branded content. Mooney is looking to accommodate this through the new production house and would also like to see its New York office, for example, serve as a think-tank venue where creatives can go to share and discuss ideas.
“The production company model needs to be loosened a bit to more comprehensively serve agencies and clients,” said Mooney. “Agencies still need to seek outside directors for most work. But at the same time, production houses should look to support agencies and clients in different ways. That’s what we hope to accomplish with this new company.”