Roe Bressan has been named managing director of Spontaneous Combustion, a New York-based digital studio specializing in the creation of visual effects and design for the advertising, broadcast and film industries.
Bressan was most recently managing director of Red Car New York, which also maintains offices in Santa Monica, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco. After eight years at the helm, she left Red Car in May, taking a break from the industry. Jennifer Lederman was promoted from executive producer of Red Car New York to managing director (SHOOT, 6/23/00.).
"I left Red Car because I had accomplished many of the goals I set for myself there," commented Bressan. "I didn’t know exactly what would come next, but I knew I wanted to take the knowledge that my production and editorial experience had given me, and grow something new in a different arena. I knew I was taking a chance, but summer was the right season, and it felt like the perfect time to take an intermission."
Bressan said she has long been impressed with the innovative approach to business which is taken by John Palestrini and Ethel Rubinstein, who are CEO and president, respectively, of Spontaneous Combustion’s parent company The Blue Rock Editing Company, New York. After initial conversations, Bressan met with Spontaneous Combustion executive creative director Tony Robins and general manager/executive producer Marc Schwartz.
Schwartz said that he and Robins had been so busy working that they had not had time to step back, reflect and shape the broader view necessary for Spontaneous to continue its forward momentum. "We knew we needed a strong, sure hand to help guide our future growth. In addition to having the experience, the talent and the contacts, Roe is highly regarded by everyone in the business," stated Schwartz.
Robins said that "by adding a senior executive of her caliber to manage the promotion and growth of the business side of the company, my full energies can now be devoted exclusively to doing what I love best-working with Spontaneous’ talented creative team."
Bressan said that Spontaneous Combustion has a strong reputation built on its team of creative artists and designers. "In my initial conversations with Tony and Marc," she recalled, "it quickly became clear that this was a company built on nurturing talent, pushing the creative envelope and servicing their clients-all the ingredients required for a company to be committed to excellence.
"They are fast moving, fast growing, and keenly interested in playing an innovative role in both traditional and evolving advertising disciplines," she continued. "Being offered the role as their managing director answered my soul-searching. It was just the right mix-here was a company that was committed to what I was committed to-and focused in the direction where I was headed."
As managing director, Bressan looks forward to seeking out new talent to broaden the services offered at Spontaneous, while nurturing the existing talent base.
"I will be involved in coordinating our infrastructure, maximizing the effectiveness of our artists’ equipment and servicing our clients. I believe New York is becoming a designated visual effects city-clients are discovering that they don’t need to go to Los Angeles or London for first-rate work," she added.
Bressan joined Red Car New York in 1992 as general manager and was promoted to the role of managing director five years ago. Prior to Red Car, she worked at now defunct Marlis/Seeff Productions from ’90 to ’92, as office/production manager; and from ’84 to ’89, she was the staff producer/business manager at the now defunct Coane, Porsche & Quinn Productions (CPQP), New York, where she produced and coordinated television commercials. She was also the production manager for CPQP’s music video division, Twilight Pictures.
From ’81 to ’89, Bressan was an assistant/production coordinator on a number of TV programs and features, including Presumed Innocent, The Last Dragon and The Pope of Greenwich Village.
Bressan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College, New York. She is a former VP of the New York chapter of the Association of Independent Creative Editors (AICE).
Spontaneous Combustion is repped nationally by in-house rep Kap Salis.
