People on the Move

Production company Über Content has launched a long-form content division. Coming on board to spearhead that effort is industry veteran Lenny Beckerman, formerly of Anonymous Content and Hello & Company, who assumes the position of Über Content’s executive VP of film/TV.

Über Content has made previous forays into long-form with the production of three feature length documentaries, including 2010’s I Am Comic, which premiered on Showtime.  Beckerman will work closely with partner/EP Preston Lee to help shape the visions of Über Content’s filmmakers and guide the company’s transition into film/TV.  Along with producing, Beckerman will continue to manage a select roster of writers and directors. The new division launches with a development fund that will allow Über to seek out and secure potential properties to develop.

Beckerman has managed high-profile talent and produced over 100 pieces of content in various genres over the past 16 years. Starting in 2000, Beckerman worked at Anonymous Content with Steve Golin for 11 years, where he helped many of the roster’s commercial and music video directors break into features. Anonymous Content produced over 15 features while Beckerman was with the company, including the renowned films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lake of Fire, Babel, and Winter’s Bone, all of which were nominated for various awards, including Oscars. Beckerman also established the company’s Literary Management Department, acting as a liaison to film studios, independent producers and funding sources, and helping the department to grow to presently include 20 managers.

In April of 2011, Beckerman took on the new position of head of film and television at Hello & Company. There, he continued to manage a roster of writers and directors while generating new development for both film and TV as a producer. Recently, Beckerman wrapped the food noir thriller Bone in Throat with Hello director/partner Graham Henman, based on the best-selling novel written by Anthony Bourdain, due out next year.

Digital agency Kettle, headquartered in NY, has hired Amanda Hughes-Watkins as creative director and Crystal Ginn as sr. producer.

Hughes-Watkins, based in San Francisco, advances Kettle’s bicoastal offerings. She spent the last two years as a creative director at Digitas San Francisco, where she led the creative work for eBay, Paypal and Kraft/Taco Bell Sauces. While there, her digital advertising was recognized with a Clio, Webby, MIXX, OMMA, and Communication Arts award. Prior to Digitas, she worked at R/GA San Francisco on Microsoft. Throughout her career, she has worked with brands like Old Navy, Conde Nast, Lexus, Macy’s and Yahoo!

Ginn will lead cross-functional teams as they design the breakthrough experiences that clients have come to expect from the agency. Long-time accounts like American Express as well as more recent wins like Penguin will fall under her direction. Ginn comes to Kettle with experience as director of production at AREA 17, where she led work with brands like Google Chrome, Billboard, SPIN and Dering Hall. Prior to that, she worked at agencies including Razorfish, Syrup (LBi), Coty Prestige and createthe group with Axe, Marc Jacobs, Gwen Stefani Fragrances, Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein X Underwear, Polo Ralph Lauren, David Yurman and Juicy Couture. She started her career at JWT and then Siegel+Gale.

Music publisher peermusic has promoted Craig Currier to VP, advertising markets. Based in Nashville, Currier will continue to report to Kathy Spanberger, peermusic president and COO.

Currier heads up the U.S. advertising markets division for  peermusic North America.  In this capacity, he manages all aspects of the division and is responsible for developing and implementing business strategies, quoting and licensing on all commercial projects as well as all creative activities including music searches, artist development and original music production.  Currier established the advertising markets division in 2000 and under his guidance, the division continues an impressive growth rate providing music for hundreds of national spots including T-Mobile, Microsoft Windows, Subaru, Fiat, Bank of America, Pillsbury, Citgo, Pringles, Pontiac, Visa, Nike, Delta, Macy’s, Lincoln, GM, Kohl’s, Guitar Hero and Covergirl.  GE’s global branding initiative, which was nominated for an Emmy, utilized the peer controlled Donovan classic, “Catch the Wind.” 

Prior to coming to peermusic, Currier served as head of marketing and executive producer for the Nashville-based commercial music house Still Music Group (SMG). He additionally spent seven years as an adjunct professor at Belmont University’s music business program.

Stéphanie Thomasson, art director, joins BETC from Leo Burnett where she developed campaigns for Charal, Fiat, Jeep and the Mimi Foundation, whose integrated campaign “If Only For a Second” recently garnered several top awards including, among others, one D&AD and nine Lions at Cannes (one Gold and eight Silvers). Prior to this, she worked as an art director at TBWA on Playstation, SNCF, McDonald’s, Nissan, and Aides, as well as Amnesty International, for which she earned a Gold Lion for the film Signatures

Marc Platet, copywriter, also comes board BETC. He worked at TBWA on BMW, MINI, Absolut Vodka, and Martell, and, more recently, at McCann for the Nespresso, INPES, Mastercard, Na! and Terre d’Asile accounts.

Platet and Thomasson will work with Manoëlle Van der Vaeren, creative director at BETC.