Rowley Samuel has come aboard Energy BBDO, Chicago, as head of integrated production. In this role, Samuel will define, drive and integrate production across every format, including film, digital and print. He previously served as director, creative integration at DDB Chicago, where he produced integrated concepts for McDonald's, Reebok, State Farm, Budweiser and AT&T…Nexus Productions has signed director Ben Hibon for commercials worldwide. Among his latest endeavors prior to hooking up with Nexus was directing and designing a three-minute animation sequence for the latest Harry Potter film, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, which premieres worldwide this week. The sequence was produced in collaboration with Framestore….Deutsch NY has hired Katherine Moncrief as director of creative talent. In this role, she will be responsible for seeking out creative talent, as well as managing creative services and staffing on projects and accounts. Moncrief's industry experience includes brand and account management for top tier brands, and overseeing design and direction of fully integrated marketing efforts. Prior to joining Deutsch, Moncrief was head of creative talent at The Talent Business, serving as lead creative recruiter for the global recruiting firm. During her advertising career, Moncrief has worked at agencies in New York and London, including Mother, Anomaly and Euro RSCG London. Her extensive background includes working in brand and account management roles, with major global brands including Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, LVMH, and Coors Brewing Company….Rick Cornett has joined Tribal DDB New York as associate creative director. He was most recently at IMC2 and has also worked at Anomaly, Deep Focus, FCB, Romeo Empire Design, and Digital Pulp….
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, David Edwards and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles. Nakamura Whitehouse, Edwards, 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