Hispanic commercial production house Carbo Films has launched Traffic, a satellite designed to garner general market, English-language work for what initially is a lineup of three directors: Ron Hamad, Isabel Coixet, and the mono-monikered Basil. Hamad had been freelancing since March after having been repped by Vamp Films, Hollywood. Coixet and Basil were previously at Carbo Films.
Javier Carbo and Dora Medrano serve as executive producers for both Carbo Films and Traffic, which are located on the same Santa Monica premises. The new venture has secured a sales force consisting of independent reps: Grace Silverstein of Reel Grace handles the West Coast, Miller/Nadler covers the East Coast, and Tim Harwood represents Traffic throughout the Midwest.
Medrano related that Traffic was formed to focus on developing the careers of several select directors, encompassing mainstream U.S. work as well as opportunities internationally. On the latter score, the shop has entered into a joint production agreement with Miss Wasabi, a Barcelona company recently launched by Coixet. Miss Wasabi will market Traffic directors in Spain, while Traffic will provide U.S. representation for Miss Wasabi’s directorial staff.
Hamad’s credits while a freelancer included an Allstate insurance campaign produced by Javier Carbo for La Agencia de Orci & Asociados, Los Angeles. "It was a great experience; we had good chemistry," related Hamad, noting that the package of three slice-of-life spots convinced him to make Traffic his new home.
An Ohio native, Hamad has spent much of his career in the Midwest. Prior to Vamp, he worked through Hamad Films, a Cincinnati house owned by his brother, a veteran producer. While there, Hamad directed for such advertisers as First Union Bank, adidas, Nescafe, Cincinnati Bell and the Illinois Lottery; the lotto work featured basketball superstar Michael Jordan. Hamad began his helming career with Chicago Story. He joined the Los Angeles office of editorial house Red Car when it opened a commercial production division in 1990. Hamad later worked through Bruce Dorn Films, Hollywood, before returning to the Midwest, landing at Hamad Films.
Basil first gained recognition in Germany as a music video director, then transitioned into commercials. The first spot he directed—for Journal Frankfurt, out of DMB&B, Frankfurt—won a German Art Directors Award and a London International Advertising Award. Other European work he’s helmed has gone on to garner honors at the Creative Club of Austria and the New York International Film Festival. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Basil has just wrapped a Sony campaign shot in Australia and targeted at markets in the Far East.
Coixet started her ad career as a copywriter and then a creative director at J. Walter Thompson, Barcelona. She began directing in 1988 through Eddie Saeta, a production company she founded. Her directorial résumé contains hundreds of commercials and music videos, including a British Telecom spot that won a Bronze Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival last year. Coixet is also experienced in longform, having directed four features, including Things I Never Told You and To Those Who Love. In November, To Those Who Love won the Grand Prize at the San Francisco Latino Film Festival. And Things I Never Told You, produced by Carbo Films, copped the Grand prize and Audience Award at the ’96 Prague Film Festival.
Carbo Films continues to handle spot representation for directors Miguel Navarro, Juan Luis Arruga, Pedro Avila, T.G. Herrington and Andrew Orci.
