For those cyclists in the ad biz who have dreamed about riding in the French Alps with the FireFlies (www.thefirefliesride.com) for their annual charitable fundraising drive but could not manage to get away, there’s now a more local, logistically and geographically easier way to get involved. This year, a group is heading along the California coast. Planned by two veteran FireFlies–director Jake Scott and executive producer Bryan Farhy–the event will take place June 8-14, riding the 550 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles. As with its annual event in France, the 2008 FireFlies West ride is in aid of Leuka, providing continued support for the research and treatment unit for leukemia at the Hammersmith Hospital in London. Those interested in riding the whole way–or even joining them for a stage–can contact bryan@restlessfilms.tv. Those who cannot make the ride are encouraged to join the group for the welcoming party at the Kings Head Tavern in Santa Monica, as the FireFlies arrive on Saturday, June 14. This year’s ride from Evian to Cannes will take place June 10-18, culminating with the arrival of the FireFlies at the Cannes International Advertising Festival….Pogo Pictures in Atlanta has signed director Ryan Smith for representation for commercials in the Southeast. Smith, who initially gained prominence through his work in music videos for such artists as Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Bo Bice and Eminem, has recently made a successful transition to commercials with credits including Bud Light and Goody’s, as well as promo spots for the TLC series L.A. Ink.
Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey Launch Production House 34North
Executive producers Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey have teamed to launch 34North. The shop opens with a roster which includes accomplished directors Jan Wentz, Ben Nakamura Whitehouse and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles.
Nakamura Whitehouse, Feil and Fowles come over from CoMPANY Films, the production company for which Cicero served as an EP for the past nearly five years.
Director Wentz had most recently been with production house Skunk while Stewart now gains his first U.S. representation.
EP Clancey was freelance producing prior to the formation of 34North. He and Cicero have known each other for some 25 years, recently reconnecting on a job directed by Fowles. Cicero said that he and Clancey “want to keep a highly focused roster where talent management can be one on one--where we all share in the directors’ success together.”
Clancey also brings an agency pedigree to the new venture. “I started at Campbell Ewald in accounts, no less,” said Clancey. “I saw firsthand how much work agencies put in before we even see a script. You have to respect that investment. These agency experiences really shaped my approach to production--it’s about empathy, listening between the lines, and ultimately making the process seamless.”
34North represents a meeting point--both literally and creatively. Named after the latitude of Malibu, Calif., where the idea for the company was born, it also embraces the power of storytelling. “34North118West was the first GPS-enabled narrative,” Cicero explained. “That blend of art and technology, to captivate an audience, mirrors what we do here--create compelling work, with talented people, harnessing state-of-the-art... Read More