Optimus has brought Flame artist and visual effects talent Paul Rosckes aboard as visual effects supervisor.
Rosckes honed his visual effects expertise at full service postproduction house Avenue Edit, where he designed visual effects and graphics for national commercials. It was there that he further developed his talent and reputation, and has been sought after on the freelance market ever since. After freelancing for Optimus for some time, he now formally joins the Optimus family.
“Paul is a remarkable guy who has the talent to create that surprising extra effect or special touch that you’d never expect,” said Tom Duff, president of Optimus. “He is an effects production expert, as well, and we hear his accolades from clients, former post house colleagues and peers within our own Optimus walls.”
Optimus partner and effects director Glen Noren cited Rosckes’ years of experience as a Flame artist, his presence on assorted shoots, and his affinity for mentoring younger effects talents and helping them develop further.
Rosckes said he was drawn to Optimus not only for its visual effects and motion graphics team and resources but also being able to dovetail with ONE at Optimus‘ live-action capabilities, leading to “more opportunities to develop high-quality visual effects from the ground up.”
Directors Amy+Pilar and Jose Antonio Prat Join Reform School
Boutique content production company Reform has added comedy directing duo Amy+Pilar (Amy York Rubin and Pilar Boehm) and award-winning multicultural director Jose Antonio Prat to its roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded entertainment.
Partners in both life and art, Amy+Pilar are know for their sharp wit and comedic timing. Their synchronicity is evident in a body of work across TV, film and commercials. Prior to joining Reform School, Amy+Pilar had been repped in the ad market by production company Knucklehead.
Amy has directed high-profile comedy sketches featuring stars like Amy Schumer, Kate McKinnon, and Sarah Silverman. On the episodic front, Amy has helmed for series such as Fresh Off the Boat, Casual, Superstore and Angie Tribeca--as well as the pilot for the hit Netflix comedy Dead to Me.
Before joining forces with Amy behind the camera, Pilar was a psychotherapist, a background that informs her ability to create fascinating characters and stage irresistible, nuanced performances. Amy and Pilar’s shared passion for comedy brought them together. Their collaboration began with a Synchrony Bank campaign, starring cult-comedy favorite Maribeth Monroe (Workaholics), and they went on to direct the pilot of the Hulu series Love, Victor. Amy+Pilar’s ad fare also includes spots for Uber’s “Go-Get” campaign and “Shift,” starring Martin Starr.
“We have been fans of Amy and Pilar for a long time,” said Ryan Ennis, executive director at Reform School. “They excel at capturing comedic performances and dialogue. Coming from the TV and L.A. comedy scenes, they’ve built a strong following and collaborated with some of our favorite funny people.... Read More