The industry is mourning veteran agency producer Peter Ellers who died on Feb. 2 after a long battle with cancer. He was 50. Among his many clients were Amstel Light, AT&T, Taco Bell and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Look for more on his career in next week’s edition of SHOOT…..Ron David Walter has been named executive creative director at Conductor, a Los Angeles-based entertainment and brand marketing company. He had earlier served as partner/creative director of San Francisco-based Banjo where he exec produced The North Face Expeditions, a TV series hosted by Sting that ran on NBC; Unilever’s Degree Road to Iron Man, an hour-long special that ran on NBC and Bravo; and a series of six theatrical and online teaser trailers for the James Bond video game, “From Russia With Love,” from Electronic Arts….Nexus Productions, London, and its directorial team Smith & Foulkes can feel confident about their chances of winning the spot honor at the upcoming British Animation Awards. All three short-listed nominees for best commercial direction were helmed by Smith & Foulkes: Honda’s “Grrr,” Volkswagen Touareg’s “Racing Line,” and the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty To Children’s “Speech Bubble.” The awards ceremony is slated for March 9 in London….
Director Hans Emanuel Joins Caviar For Commercials and Music Videos
Production company Caviar has signed director Hans Emanuel for U.S. commercial and music video representation. The film and advertising director fuses his keen--and Berlinale Film Festival Award-winning--eye for cinematic storytelling with a commercial background across multiple genres including beauty, automotive, dance, and visual effects-heavy projects, to produce creative for clients like Kia, Nivea, Nissan, L’Oreal, BMW and more.
Caviar executive producer Salim El Arja noted, “Hans has a unique ability to blend stunning visuals with heart and humor, rooted in his confidence as a craftsman. This allows him to focus on drawing exceptional performances from actors--including celebrities--and crafting films that are not only visually striking but also deeply engaging and often hilariously comedic. His sensibilities align perfectly with Caviar’s vision, and we’re excited to collaborate with him on work that pushes creative boundaries.”
Emanuel added, “Caviar is a renowned name, certainly since I began my career. They have a solid reputation for quality work, and I’ve always respected them as a company. Life is about where destiny makes you flow with the people you need; thanks to a series of projects, I was introduced to Florence Jacob with Caviar Paris first, and the rest is history. I feel they can support my career growth with their comedic expertise and filmmaking prowess.”
Prior to joining Caviar, Emanuel had been repped by production house Stadium. He was born and raised in Santa Monica, Calif., to a Mexican-German mother, benefiting from a culturally diversified upbringing that carried through his education interests. Knowing he wanted to be a filmmaker from the start, he began his career in the luxury and beauty field,... Read More