Production company Believe Media has added director Phil Lind to its UK roster. Lind’s commercial work has steadily gained recognition, much of which involves directing a range of famous talent in addition to actors. For instance Jamie Oliver, the celebrity chef, was at the helm of Sainsbury’s Summer campaign for AMV. Another project with Oliver for “Jamie’s Return to School Dinners” received unexpected media attention when paparazzi got wind of the shoot, which required Jamie to be in full body fat suit prosthetics, leading to the set in Battersea to be overwhelmed by a swarm of photographers. Lind also had the opportunity to direct the entire cast of Shane Meadows’ celebrated mini-series “This is England ‘86” for a viral promo film showing them throwing a house party. Lind’s longer-form work includes a 5-piece online series featuring Bear Grylls for Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man Academy, as well as a short film featuring documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield, who parodied himself to extol the public service remit of Channel 4. Most recently, Lind shot an Enel campaign for Saatchi & Saatchi Rome, as well as a spot for James Holiday Villa’s for McCann, currently airing in the UK. Lind made his first industry mark on the agency side, serving as creative head of 4Creative and then executive creative director of ITV Creative….Agency kbs+ Toronto has appointed Matt Hassell as its chief creative officer. He will head up creative for Target Canada and Bank of Montreal at kbs+. Previously, Matt was CCO of OgilvyOne where he led work for Unilever and helped the agency secure clients Tim Hortons and InterContinental…..Santa Monica-based production company Detour Films, headed by founder/executive producer Josh Canova, has signed director Jordan Kelley for exclusive commercial representation in the U.S. His credits include debuting the Dr. Martens x Pendleton Autumn/Winter capsule collection with a campaign highlighting the craftsmanship and quality of the two heritage brands partnering to create a colorful and vibrant collection. And for a personal short-form piece “The Craftsman,” Jordan turned the lens on himself taking a pause from the modern fast-paced life to pursue learning the hands-on discipline of leatherwork. Kelley got his filmmaking start in action sports….
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