• Wednesday, Jul. 19, 2017
Director Bryce Wymer joins Mill+
Bryce Wymer
NEW YORK -- 

Mill+ has added Bryce Wymer to its directorial roster. Wymer’s directing ranges from traditional live action storytelling to interactive experiential design. 

Beyond directing commercials and title sequences for top tier brands such as Coach, Reebok, HBO, and Netflix, Wymer can be found painting, designing, and illustrating at Flat Earth, his own artistic studio in Brooklyn. 

He is constantly experimenting within a variety of expressive mediums, working to push the boundaries of digital narrative and expand his unique style as a director and artist.
 
A long-time friend of The Mill, Wymer has collaborated with the New York studio on a number of occasions as a freelancer, most notably on Coach’s “Rexy” and the award-winning Marco Polo title sequence. He now becomes officially rostered with Mill+. Prior to freelancing he was represented by Detour Films.
 
With his wealth of industry experience and depth of knowledge within the field of VFX and motion design, Wymer will perfectly complement the existing Mill+ team of directorial talent. 

Zu Al Kadiri, executive producer for Mill+, said, “With his multifaceted creativity, we couldn’t be happier to welcome Bryce into the fold as a rostered director. We’ve long admired both his creative vision and versatility as an artist, and look forward to supporting him as he continues to pursue directorial opportunities with Mill+.”

 

  • Tuesday, Jul. 18, 2017
Jax Ostle-Evans named managing director of Stink Studios UK
Jax Ostle-Evans
LONDON -- 

Executive producer Jax Ostle-Evans will be taking over the running of the Stink Studios’ London office as managing director. This new position has been formed following the promotion of James Britton to global managing director in June.

Ostle-Evans has been at the forefront of development within the business since her arrival at Stink Studios in November 2012. Over the last four years, she has helped lead digital and content innovation, advancing the company’s offerings to ambitious modern brands in technology, fashion and entertainment

Reporting to Britton, she will work closely with the current leadership across Stink Studios’ seven global offices.

Ostle-Evans’ hybrid experience in commercial film, digital and content production makes her uniquely placed to fulfill this role. Before joining Stink Studios in 2012, she set up Superglue, the internal production company at Glue London (now Isobar) where as EP she worked on groundbreaking projects such as Toyota’s “Get Your Energy Back” and a pioneering interactive film for MINI. Her career began in 2002 as a commercial film producer at Arden Sutherland-Dodd.

Since being with Stink Studios, Ostle-Evans has spearheaded innovative projects for clients such as Sky, Google, and the recent Cannes Lions winning “Your Next Great Idea” campaign for Pinterest.

Ostle-Evans has a won a number of awards including 21 Golds and 15 Silvers at Cannes Lions, One Show and D&AD. In 2015 she was invited to join the Film Craft jury at Cannes Lions, and has also judged at Eurobest, Dubai Lynx, The British Arrows Craft Awards, and the Cyber jury for Cannes Young Lions.

  • Thursday, Jul. 13, 2017
Eric Steele named group creative director at Translation
Eric Steele
NEW YORK -- 

Eric Steele has been named group creative director at Translation where he will report to chief creative officer John Norman.

Prior to joining Translation, Steele served as the first group creative director at 72andSunny New York, where he helped build the office from a startup into a full-fledged agency, leading creative efforts on work for Smirnoff, Samsung, ESPN and Comcast Xfinity. Before moving to 72andSunny, Steele spent nearly a decade at Wieden+Kennedy as a creative director and writer in the New York office, partnering with brands like ESPN, Nike, Jordan, Heineken and Delta. He netted millions in earned media with a stunt in which Heineken dared travelers at JFK Airport to spontaneously go somewhere new and exotic instead of their planned destination.

  • Thursday, Jul. 13, 2017
Editor Ethan Mitchell joins Cut+Run
Ethan Mitchell
NEW YORK -- 

Cut+Run has added editor Ethan Mitchell to its roster. Mitchell will be based out of the NYC office and is also available to work via Cut+Run’s locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin. The editor is known for editing beauty-infused work in a variety of genres, including visual storytelling, documentary, comedy, and brand supported narratives.

Mitchell, who was at The Whitehouse for a decade before joining Cut+Run, has earned a reputation for his visually playful and striking campaigns for Google, Apple, Spotify, and Adidas with agency partners 72andSunny, Sid Lee, Droga5, Johannes Leonardo, Translation, and mcgarrybowen.

He has worked alongside directors who include Marielle Heller, The Fines, Ben Gregor, and ab/cd/cd.  But it’s the editor’s close collaboration with director Matthew Frost and Iconoclast that has resulted in astute, category defining projects including the social satire fashion shorts “Aspirational” starring Kirsten Dunst, the Clio award winning “Scripted Content” with Jessica Chastain, and Givenchy’s quirky and disarming perfume launch “Very Irresistible” with Amanda Seyfried.

  • Wednesday, Jul. 12, 2017
Final Cut adds editor Eric Alexander-Hughes
Eric Alexander-Hughes
NEW YORK -- 

Final Cut continues its string of talent additions with the signing of documentary and music video editor Eric Alexander-Hughes. He served as an additional editor on the entire documentary miniseries The Defiant Ones, which recently debuted on HBO. The Defiant Ones explores the relationship between noted record producer Jimmy Iovine and rap artist Dr. Dre, their collaborators, and their impact on music and popular culture.

Final Cut will represent Alexander-Hughes for commercials, branded content and music videos in the U.S. and U.K. He has become a longtime and frequent collaborator with renowned music video director Hype Williams. Additionally Alexander-Hughes has worked alongside such directors as Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry. 

The son of director Allen Hughes of the Hughes Brothers (Dead Presidents, From Hell, The Book of Eli), Alexander-Hughes has been editing since he was a kid. He was inspired from an early age by the late Prince, “I remember reading books about Prince when I was young that really inspired me. I admired his drive and commitment to honing his craft at a young age and connected with his identity as a biracial artist that was unbound by convention.” 

Since then, music, politics and a commitment to craft have been at the heart of the editor’s life and work.

Eric McCasline, EP at Final Cut LA, who has been working with Alexander-Hughes for years, said, “Eric is really hitting his stride as an editor. We are so happy to have him and look forward to many productive years with him at Final Cut.”

Alexander-Hughes related, “I’m glad to be joining the editors at Final Cut. From Paul Zucker and Jeff Buchanan, to the ‘commander in chief’ himself Rick Russell, I’m very much looking forward to having a home here amongst these artists.”

Final Cut is represented by Denise Blate Roederer’s RHODA on the East Coast, Doug Stephen & Partners in the Midwest, and by Lisa Sabatino Lange’s Ready Set on the West Coast.

  • Wednesday, Jul. 12, 2017
Tom Sebok named chief client officer at MXM
Tom Sebok
NEW YORK -- 

Tom Sebok has been named chief client officer at agency Meredith Xcelerated Marketing (MXM), a content-powered digital agency which is part of Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP). Based in the company’s New York office, Sebok will report to Georgine Anton, president, and will be responsible for managing client relationships across MXM’s entire portfolio.

At BBDO Worldwide, Sebok led its global service of PepsiCo across 80 countries.  Previously, Sebok was CEO of Young & Rubicam in North America.  Before Y&R, Sebok was EVP, managing director, at BBDO where he served as global account leader for PepsiCo, FedEx, Motorola, Pizza Hut, Lowe’s and more. He also spent three years at Ammirati Puris Lintas where he led UPS, Goldman Sachs, and PwC. Sebok began his career at Grey Advertising and holds a BA in English and American Literature from Brown University. 

  • Tuesday, Jul. 11, 2017
EP Catherine Finkenstaedt joins Slim
Catherine Finkenstaedt and friend.
VENICE, Calif. -- 

Catherine Finkenstaedt—a noted commercial and music video producer—has joined Slim, a creative production company based in Venice, as executive producer. 
 
Finkenstaedt had most recently been at Spears and Arrows. She had earlier served at GO Film and Wondros. She will be working with various directors at Slim including: Karen Cunningham, ZCDC, Thomas Garber, Jason Headley, Vincent Urban, Pet & Flo, Brad Morrison, Jeff Baena and Wondo.

Slim EP Tom Weissferdt said, “Catherine and I have a long history, starting at Squeak Pictures. She has an incredible understanding of directors; their passion points and creative strengths.” In addition, “she has vast expertise in the identification, cultivation, and nurturing of directors in traditional commercial, digital, and music content where we, as a company, continue to grow and thrive.”

Finkenstaedt shared, “We are in a sea of change in commercial and integrated production and I am excited to help support the directors and to also help identify others whose voices are yet to be heard in traditional or integrated marketing content.”
 
Finkenstaedt’s leadership within the past companies she has served also led her to the presidency of the Music Video Producers Association (MVPA) where she co-chaired the annual MVPA Awards.  She has executive produced campaigns for various companies including Target, Toyota, Nike, AT&T, Comcast, Activision, Visa, Macy’s, and the Tokyo Olympic Committee; worked with such noted directors as Jake Scott, Sam Bayer, The Malloys, Patrick Daughters, Anton Corbijn, Chris Cunningham, Mark Romanek, David Kellogg, Matthew Rolston, McG, Antoine Fuqua, Sophie Muller and Hype Williams; musical artists including Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Metallica, and Oasis; as well as agencies such as Wieden+Kennedy, Leo Burnett, FCB, BBDO, 72andSunny, Team One, and GSD&M.

  • Monday, Jul. 10, 2017
Lauren Concar named exec director of Garden State Film Festival
Lauren Concar
ASBURY PARK, NJ -- 

Lauren Concar has become executive director of the Garden State Film Festival (GSFF). She takes on the role as the GSFF returns to its original home in Asbury Park for the 2018 festival. The return move marks the festival’s “Sweet 16” anniversary and follows a successful four-year run in Atlantic City.
 
Concar has been with the festival for many years, acting most recently as the festival’s director of operations. She and production manager Kristen Dirato have been responsible for many of the festival’s weekend events in the last few years, including all the advance planning, event management and operations during the event. Concar has also taken on many of the administrative functions of the executive director for more than a year. She is an award-winning producer, director and editor, and is the head of the Brookdale Television department at Brookdale Community College.

GSFF board chairman Nicholas J. Falcone said of Concar, “She knows this festival backwards and forwards and most importantly knows the people who make this event. She knows what the fans want and her background in production allows her a deep understanding of the needs of the filmmakers. She is steady, focused and will bring great things to the GSFF in her expanded role.”         

Founder Diane Raver said, “Lauren was raised in the film festival; she is really part of its fabric. Over the years, she has taken on more responsibilities and has logged countless hours, doing all the important work of preparing for the event and the essential follow-up work after the event. Those who know Lauren know she will be extraordinary and those about to meet will be most impressed.”

The 2018 festival is scheduled for March 22-25, 2018. The call for entries opened on July 1, 2017.

  • Wednesday, Jul. 5, 2017
Infinity Squared hires EP Cathy Rechichi
Cathy Rechichi (l) and Dave Jansen
SYDNEY, Australia -- 

Cathy Rechichi has joined Infinity Squared as executive producer based in its Sydney office.
 
She has produced projects ranging from music videos to high end TV commercials, feature length films, large scale live events, web series, multi-platform projects, telemovies and international line productions. Rechichi has produced notable work with such directors and artists as Lesli Linka Glatter, Nick Reynolds, Malcolm Venville, Catriona Mackenzie, Paul Goldman and Nick Cave. Her previous roles include serving as general manager of the Big Day Out.
 
Rechichi will join founder and EP Dave Jansen in the day-to-day running of production at Infinity Squared. Jansen and managing director Tom Phillips focus on growth and diversifying the company’s offering.

  • Wednesday, Jun. 28, 2017
PS260 adds editor David Blackburn
David Blackburn
VENICE, Calif. -- 

Postproduction and editorial house PS260 has brought editor David Blackburn aboard its roster. He will be based in the bicoastal company’s office in Venice.
 
Blackburn joins PS260 from Beast Editorial, previously cutting commercials and creating graphically visual, musically-driven, fashion-forward spots for brands including Adidas, Verizon, Ford, Michelob, Lexus, Champs, T-Mobile, Coors Light, Nascar and PlayStation. He also recently won an AICE editing award for Adidas’ “MiCoach” campaign. Blackburn’s credits also include high profile music videos for artists such as Eminem, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Aerosmith, Justin Timberlake, George Michael and Marilyn Manson. In 2003, Blackburn was nominated for an MTV award for Best Editing for Eminem’s “Without Me” and won the MVPA’s Best Editing award in 2005 for Blink 182’s “Always.” Blackburn also edited the very first Google Cardboard VR music video for Grammy award-winning artist Avicii.

“I’ve done a lot of work with action, visual effects and music, but first and foremost, I cut for emotion,” Blackburn said. “Storytelling is key. I pay most attention to the emotional arc of the characters and the story, and given that PS260’s work is rooted in emotion and compelling content, I feel like we are a natural fit. I can’t wait to get going with the team and see what’s in store for us this year.”

Blackburn has also cut a variety of feature films including Warner Brothers’ Torque, which was directed by Joseph Kahn; the coming of age movie ATL, directed by Chris Robinson; indie feature Adventures of Power and Detention; and the documentary Why We Ride.

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