Bully Pictures, whose production volume reached a new high last year, is expanding in anticipation of further growth. The company has hired an additional executive producer, assembled a new sales team and moved into new headquarters on Los Angeles’ Westside.
Astrid Downs, formerly of WTB Integrated (Where’s The Boards), has joined Bully as Executive Producer/Head of Sales. She will assist Jason Forest, the company’s founder and Executive Producer, in managing the company’s directors and overseeing productions. She will help lead Bully’s sales and marketing effort, and work to grow its directorial staff.
Downs has more than 15 years experience as a producer and sales representative, the latter including work with such companies as Gartner, Digital Kitchen and Saville Productions. “Astrid and I have a very symbiotic relationship and approach the business in a similar way,” said Forest. “She has charm and wit, as well as great relationships with agencies and directors.” Forest added that Downs is bilingual with extensive ties to the growing Hispanic advertising market.
“I have known Jason for a long time and have tremendous respect for his company,” said Downs. “He has a great model for the way he runs projects, services clients and manages the careers of his directors.”
Bully Pictures has also signed ZanderFerreira as its sales rep team on the East Coast, and New Orleans-based Asprodites Reps as its rep in the Southeast. They join current reps Saarinen (West Coast) and Hot Betty (Midwest) in leading a new sales push for a directorial staff that includes P.R. Brown, Fredrik Callinggard, Gaute Hesthagen, Daniel Kaufman, Christian Lyngbye, Franco Marinelli, Jeroen Mol, Michael Shapiro and Craig Tanimoto.
ZanderFerreira’s Anya Zander said that they plan a multifaceted effort to raise Bully’s profile among agencies in New York and elsewhere in the east. “Bully has an excellent roster of directors, and we are very excited to show their work, but we feel that it is just as important to brand the company,” she said. “Today, agencies want to know who is behind a company, and that they can be relied on to deliver.”
“I have been a fan of the talent on Bully’s roster and believe that there are a lot of opportunities for them in the Southeast,” observes Asprodites Reps’ Ann Asprodites. “There are a lot of great agencies in Atlanta and Miami, as well as in smaller markets, and they are eager to see new work.”
“I love their style and energy,” said Forest of the company’s new sales network. “They have great ideas for marketing our company in new and contemporary ways.”
Bully Pictures‘ new headquarters is a 4500 square foot space on 6th Street, within walking distance of a number of editorial and post houses, as well as Santa Monica hotels frequented by out-of-town agency teams. The company’s independently-operated affiliate, Bully Bros. Post, will share the space, providing on-site visual effects, animation, and finishing services.
Forest said that the recent moves are a product of Bully’s success, which has included recent work for McDonald’s, Farmers Insurance, Home Depot, Suzuki, Panda Express, and Smirnoff.
About Bully Pictures
Bully Pictures was formed in 2004 by Executive Producer Jason Forest as a full-service TV commercial, internet viral, short film, and international production service company. The company represents directors P.R. Brown, Fredrik Callinggard, Gaute Hesthagen, Daniel Kaufman, Christian Lyngbye, Franco Marinelli, Jeroen Mol, Michael Shapiro and Craig Tanimoto. For more information, write info@bullypictures.com.