Industry consultant Bob Samuel has been named executive producer of the newly formed Solution, a New York-headquartered creative resources management group which will offer representation and other services to companies on its roster. Samuel is in charge of day-to-day operations for Solution, which opens with two clients for national representation: Venice, Calif.-based visual effects house Sight Effects, and Hollywood-headquartered physical effects and set construction company Cinnabar.….Cathi Connor, Jim Waldron and Wendy Hanson of The Connor Group, Chicago, have been named to handle the Midwest for West Los Angeles-based Original Film….Don Stogo of Donald R. Stogo Associates (DRSA), New York, has signed an exclusive agreement with Zoom Film & Television, Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, to represent director/cameraman Mark Toia in the U.S. Additionally, DRSA will be exclusively repping director Dennis Hitchcock of Motion Picture Limited, Auckland, New Zealand, in the U.S…..Rachel Finn and Mary Saxon of FinnSaxon Represents, Santa Monica and San Francisco, respectively, have been named to cover the West Coast and Texas for Berkeley, Calif.-based sound design house Noises Digital, which features sound designer Kim Cristensen….London-based spot postproduction house Smoke & Mirrors has named Amanda Lowit its head of marketing, a newly created position at the company. She formerly served as head of television and a board director at Grey Worldwide, London….
Director Lu Villaca Joins MADRE
Production company MADRE has added Brazilian director Lu Villaça to its talent roster. With degrees in cinema and performance and a master’s in screenwriting, Villaça brings a multifaceted approach to filmmaking. Villaça’s tastes have been shaped by her childhood training in ballet, studying Greek theatre texts, her passion for music, and her contemplative nature. She honed her cinematic skills early on as an AD and creative assistant before becoming a director. Intent on capturing the drama of everyday life as it plays out, Villaça is tuned in to how the bodies in her frame move through their environments and what elements of the story can be extrapolated from these compositions. Her sharp attention to detail in every aspect, from lighting to the final edit, is designed to connect emotionally with her audience. Villaça has been awarded three Cannes Lions for her film “Next Minute Law,” which promoted awareness of a law in Brazil designed to address the rampant epidemic of sexual violence. “Next Minute Law” also garnered Best Direction at El Ojo and the Ciclope Latino Festival, where Villaça also won Best New Talent. Additionally, she has directed assorted commercial campaigns for brands like Johnnie Walker, Huggies Wipes, Nestlé, Amazon, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, and a spot for Medley featuring Brazilian Olympic gymnast Rebeca Andrade. Prior to joining MADRE, Villaca had been repped by production house LOBO. Recognized in Brazil as a top music video director, Villaca won Best Female Direction for her work on “Nu” by Assucena and “Lovezinho” by Rachel Reis, which also won Best National Music Video at the MVF Awards. Villaça additionally co-directed the documentary Pagliacci, an homage to circus artist Domingos Montagner... Read More