Jason Heller, who joined production company Society a year ago as co-executive producer sharing responsibilities with founder/owner Harry Calbom, has now solely taken on the EP role, freeing Calbom to shift to a more creative-driven capacity, pursuing directing full time while continuing to drive the overall creative direction of the company.
Calbom’s background in the arts enticed him towards a more hands-on creative role while Heller’s wealth of agency experience had him looking for even closer collaboration with directors. Heller and Calbom will work together to continue to shape and grow the Society roster, while still keeping the company’s boutique approach and culture intact. Rebecca Parenteau will continue in her role as head of production, a role she stepped into in 2014 after stints at MJZ and Supply&Demand.
“I’ve had a curiosity about exploring directing full time and with the rapid shifts that we all experienced during the pandemic, I knew that it was finally time to lean into what I was most impassioned about,” shared Calbom. “When I first met Jason, I knew that he fully embodies the humble, hungry and smart type of person that fits into the Society family. The caliber of work that he has produced on the agency side speaks for itself and I’m excited for the future of the company with him at the helm.”
Heller added, “I’ve always been enthralled with the creative problem-solving puzzle that is production and knew it was the right time to make the shift to be able to work more closely with directors. At its core, Society has always been focused on not supporting the problems in the advertising production space, but bucking them and doing things differently. Production is constantly shifting and Society is always ready to shift with it and that can-do ethos is something that I organically align with.”
With nearly 20 years of production experience, Calbom is returning to his roots in the arts as he settles into the director’s chair. In his work, he infuses intimate perspectives into performance-driven macro stories that leave audiences inspired. He grew up performing and directing theater in Seattle before studying Dramatic Arts and Cinema at the University of Southern California. He served for two seasons as assistant director for Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, then returned to the Northwest and began a career in film production. Since launching Society in 2010, Calbom has harnessed his passion for creative exploration in his work with the company’s roster of directors, collaborating closely with the talent to shape their vision and overall careers. Recent work as a director includes spots for Quickbooks and NerdWallet.
Heller brings nearly 15 years of agency production experience to Society, having lent his talents to agencies such as 72andSunny, Johannes Leonardo, Droga5, Grey and Havas, among others.
