Phillip Detchmendy–an industry mainstay whose track record includes tenures as managing director and executive producer at such shops as RSA Films, Satellite, Paranoid U.S.. Tool of North America and most recently partner/EP at Fancy Content–has launched production house Ampersand. Detchmendy has exec produced a body of work that has won varied major awards including Cannes Lions, AICP honors, D&AD, The One Show and The Webbys. He brings to Ampersand decades of top-level production experience and a deep understanding of the client’s needs throughout the process.
Articulating his vision for his new company–which opens with a roster featuring directors Kathi Prosser and Thibault Debaveye–managing director Detchmendy shared, “Ampersand represents the additive power that comes from bringing together different components to make brand stories come to life for our agency and client partners. The real magic happens when the combination of elements – amazing talent and top-level crew, diversity, global thinking, open-mindedness and a can-do approach – sing together perfectly. Simply put, Ampersand–the andness of it all–means more for everyone.”
Prosser’s background as a graphic designer has allowed her to build a far-ranging and highly awarded body of work. For the past 15 years, she has been signed to The Sweetshop in the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand, directing all over the globe for clients including Kia, CVS, AmEx, Walmart, AT&T, Emirates Airlines, Guinness, Labatt, JCPenney, Mars, Nescafe, TRESemme and Dove.
As the pandemic made everyone reconsider what they want out of their careers, Prosser came to focus on working in North America to be closer to family. As she explained, “The mentality of what Phillip is creating with Ampersand–the intimacy of a small shop–completely aligns with how I am approaching the next phase of my career, and purposefully going from macro to micro, global to local, work-wise.”
Beginning her career working on predominantly CGI and graphic-oriented commercials, Prosser crafted elaborate dreamlike work for brands such as Avon, MAC, and Three Musketeers. Always driven and ever-evolving, she then broadened her scope to focus on narrative-driven work. Her skillset is always visually motivated, whether she is flexing her technical prowess to craft elaborate post-heavy films for the Ministry of Economic Development to capturing authentic, soulful performances with her repeat campaign work for CVS and the rebranded Venus.
A highlight of Prosser’s career has been breaking into the automotive market. “The fact that Kathi has done three rounds for Kia in the last year speaks to her level of craft and storytelling in this area,” said Detchmendy. “She brings a real, refreshing sense of humanity and a strong graphic eye to the category.”
Meanwhile the work of Debaveye–a French director based in L.A.–possesses the rare fusion of visual and narrative storytelling that comes from someone who is already globally known for his work in the CGI/VFX world, with an academic pedigree that is just as distinctive.
A graduate of France’s Supinfocom, his work was soon in competition at Imagina. VFX pioneer BUF quickly snatched him up, where he honed his craft and became a renowned Flame Artist. Next was nearly a decade at Psyop, where he officially began his directing career. Thibault aims to blend his love of European-inspired cinema with the visual twists that his CGI background provides.
Detchmendy and Thibault met 14 years ago, with each making a lasting impression on the other. As Detchmendy described him, “Not only is Thibault a director with a truly singular style, but he’s a problem solver, an out-of-the box thinker, a lover of aesthetics…just a true creative force with skills across the board and a comfort for any client or agency to be working with. Our collaboration is the embodiment of what we’re building here at Ampersand.”
Ampersand is also part of the global AOI Pro Network, Asia’s leading creative production company. With offices in Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, AOI Pro boasts a prolific output of commercial work–producing over 1000 spots per year. The entity has also expanded its creativity to dramatic TV series and film, including the feature film Shoplifters, which won the 2018 Palme d’Or at Cannes.
