To create the increasingly diverse scope of projects advertisers and brands now need, global VFX company Method Studios is bolstering its leadership team. Stuart Robinson has been promoted to EVP and managing director, North American advertising production, to unify advertising and brand-facing operations. In this new role he will drive strategy, business development and operations across visual effects, design and finishing, and integrate the AR/VR capabilities of Method EXP for advertising clients.
The company has also brought Alaina Zanotti on board as sr. executive producer, business development; and promoted long-time EP Stephanie Gilgar to VP, executive producer, advertising in Los Angeles. Executive producer Angela Lupo has also been promoted to VP, executive producer, advertising in New York, where she will lead day-to-day operations of the NY studio as Robinson takes on his new, bi-coastal role. This team collaborates closely with Method EXP’s Sinjin Bain, SVP, global head of AR/VR.
Method president and GM, Ed Ulbrich, said, “Stu’s a dynamic guy and both clients and creatives love working with him. He’s had great success building our business in New York. We had our best year ever in 2017, and it’s because of the opportunities Stu and the teams have created. They’re now taking that success to the next level by making our production operations even more seamless between the coasts and pulling in talent from our worldwide studios.”
Robinson has decades of experience bringing together creative and technical solutions and supervising projects from pre-production through delivery at leading creative studios. He was one of Framestore London’s first employees, led Smoke & Mirrors’ production division, and was tapped by Superfad to open and run its London office. He opened and ran his own creative boutique before joining Method in 2012.
Zanotti brings deep business development and client relationship experience to Method’s advertising team. She spent more than a decade at Company 3 in Los Angeles and New York as an executive producer, sales engineer and product manager specializing in digital post workflows, remote collaboration and location-based services. She then expanded into the role of executive producer across Method and Company 3 driving business development, client relations, operations, and marketing. She also founded and led business development for L.A.-based editorial and postproduction house Cartel.
Robinson said, “Our clients are changing. We’re working a lot more with brands as well as agencies, and the type of work they’re asking us to do goes way beyond traditional TV commercials. We have incredible creative talent all over the world in VFX, design, finishing and AR/VR, and we’re able to connect them and put together the right teams for projects that can be anything from global product launches to real-time experiences.”
