Santiago, Chile-based animation and design studio Believe has set its sights on the U.S. marketplace, lining up independent representation on the East Coast with the VFX and animation specialists at BLAH! blah? (Blah…). According to BLAH! blah? (Blah…) founder and partner Andy Arkin, the move marks only the second time the repping firm has added an animation or VFX studio based outside the U.S. since it signed the U.K.’s Aardman Animations in 2005. Believe will be repped by Arkin along with partner Marci Selsberg and rep Monica Johnson. Under the leadership of managing director and partner Cristóbal Pérez-Gazitúa and executive producer and partner Marcelo Stephani, Believe has also signed with Saarinen & Pico to handle the West Coast and Sharon & Perry to cover the Midwest and Texas, giving them a presence across the U.S. for the first time. Best known in character design and development, 3D character animation and storytelling, Believe has turned out work that can be seen in campaigns for brands like McDonald’s, Coke, Nissan, P&G, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, L’Oréal, Colgate, Samsung and Heineken, among others. Its list of agency clients includes BBDO, FCB, McCann, Ogilvy, Grey, mcgarrybowen, Leo Burnett, VMLY&R, The Martin Agency, Deutsch, R/GA and Wunderman Thompson. Founded by Pérez-Gazitúa and Stephani in 2008, Believe has grown to 40 full-time animators, designers, artists and producers. It quickly became one of the leading studios in Latin American, and has since expanded to include clients throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Believe’s U.S. outreach has been in the works for some time, and while the pandemic has impacted these plans to some extent, the company is still moving forward. The studio has handled work for U.S.-based clients in the past, and now that it’s lined up its national repping network, it’s ready to take the next steps. Pérez-Gazitúa adds that while Believe has not been immune to the global shutdown, it’s had hidden benefits for their studio. “We’re seeing a big change in the industry as clients and agencies are more at ease working remotely,” he noted. “They’re more confident working with companies outside their home markets, and our workflow reflects that; we’re seeing more scripts from the U.S, Mexico, UAE, Singapore, and China. Not to understate the seriousness of this pandemic, but it’s also ushered in a new opportunity for brands to explore animation, and for clients and agencies in the U.S. to explore studios located beyond their shores”....

St. Louis production company Ryval Studios has signed commercial production agent Dana Dubay of indie rep firm Dubay to handle the East Coast market. JM Films launched Ryval Studios this year as a director-based production company model with hopes of increasing the commercial production side of the business nationwide. Under the aegis of founder and EP Jon Morgan, Ryval Studios maintains a directorial roster which includes Blake Farber, Danny Corey, Kevin Tkach, Michael Graf, Logan McNay and Guerrilla Film....