Mark Hyatt and George Cawood are exec producers at the newly launched Culver City, Calif.-based production house Make+Model, which opens with a directorial roster that includes the Goetz Brothers who come over from Detour, Russell Bates, formerly of Crossroads, Marcos Zavitsanos from Alta Vista, and Jon Barber whose work recently won several Bessie Awards with OPC in Canada….Nola Pictures, New York, has signed director Nick Lewin whose credits include American Express, AT&T, BMW, British Telecom, Cadillac, Chevron, Diet Coke, Ford, Guinness, Heineken, Honda, Nissan, Visa, Volkswagen and Volvo. Lewin's prior roosts include Crossroads and London-based shop Lewin & Watson which he co-ran. The move to Nola reunites him with executive producer Charlie Curran whom he worked with at Crossroads and back when Curran was an agency producer….Optimus Santa Monica has brought Ashley Bartell aboard as a producer. Bartell, who will work closely with executive producer Therese Hunsberger, had served most recently as director of operations at RavensWork, a commercial audio mixing and recording house in Venice, Calif. She has worked with such clients as Kia Motors America (KMA) for David&Goliath; Nestlรฉ Nesquikยฎ and Northrop Grumman for McCann Erickson; Toyota for Saatchi & Saatchi; and Toys”R”Us for You&Me. Optimus is a leading postproduction and production house headquartered in Chicago with an editorial boutique in Santa Monica….Exec producer Roland Gauthier, VFX supervisor Michael Kuehn and animation director Alex Tysowsky have formally founded Hinge Digital, a Portland, Ore.-based animation and VFX studio….Noah Clark has joined Victors & Spoils office in Boulder, Colo., as creative director. He will lead creative efforts on all the agency's account. He previously worked at Crispin Porter+Bogusky, and prior to that at agency Ground Zero….Connor Swegle, formerly executive producer at Click 3X Entertainment, N.Y., has joined Hollywood-based multidisciplinary brand strategy and design agency Troika as exec producer. Swegle will work closely with creative directors Whit Friese and Gil Haslam on Troika's key entertainment brands, such as ESPN, Discovery Networks and EA Sports. While Swegle will focus largely on client services and project management, he will also play a key role in facilitating the agency's knowledge and expertise as a brand consultancy for strategic services and creative execution…
Havas’ Global Chief Music Officer Damien Escobar To Chair 2025 AMP Awards for Music & Sound
Damien Escobar, a two-time Emmy Award-winning violinist and the first-ever global chief music officer of Havas, has been named chairperson of the 2025 AMP Awards for Music & Sound.
A trailblazer who has successfully transitioned from artist to executive, Escobar brings a unique blend of artistry, innovation, and industry expertise to this role. His 2023 single, โTaboo,โ dominated the Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart, holding the number one spot for two consecutive weeks.
As chairperson of the AMP Awards, Escobar will be tasked with helping assemble the AMP Awards Curatorial Committee, which will review the finalists in each category to ensure they meet the competitionโs criteria. He will lead the committeeโs deliberations, which includes the naming of one category winner as the Ryan Barkan Best in Show honoree.
Entries for the AMP Awards, sponsored by the Association of Music Producers, are being accepted now, with a submission deadline of March 7. To be eligible for the competition, work must have first aired or been released between February 11, 2024, and February 9, 2025.
From subways to stardom
Fueled by a deep passion for music from an early age, Escobar achieved a remarkable milestone, graduating from Juilliard at just 13 years old. A child prodigy who once performed in the New York City subways would soon find his way onto the worldโs largest stages--defying expectations and redefining the modern violinistโs role.
Today Escobar is widely regarded as one of the most influential violinists in modern history. Heโs topped Billboard charts, headlined global tours, and sold millions of records, finding success in jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary classical genres. His career disrupts... Read More