Director Tony Franklin has signed with Chicago and L.A.-based Tessa Films for representation in the Midwest. Franklin came to production after working as an art director for Target, where he landed after studying photography in San Francisco. While at Target he began to direct, and has been shooting full-time since 2014. Previously represented in the U.S. by Native Content, he’s been working both at home and abroad as a freelance director for the past several years, tackling a wide range of creative assignments. He continues to be represented in France by Satellite My Love in Paris. Franklin-directed spots for Etsy and Academy Sports feature real, approachable people expressing their passion for competition and for home and hearth, while his multi-spot holiday campaign for BMW shows how the promise of electric vehicles can capture the passion of young people everywhere. His reel also features commercials for Prudential, IBM (produced for Wired), Pizza Hut and Gatorade. In addition, Franklin’s documentary work has been shortlisted for two consecutive years at One Screen, the short film festival sponsored by The One Show, premiered in film festivals across the country and won both Best of Show as well as two Addy Awards from the American Advertising Federation. The web site of The Atlantic has featured two of his films, Miss Monroe and Legends of the Isles, on its annual lists of the year’s best short docs.....

St. Louis video production company JM Films has launched a commercial production brand, Ryval Studios, under the aegis of founder and EP Jon Morgan. The new venture opens with a directorial roster consisting of Blake Farber, Danny Corey, Kevin Tkach, Michael Graf, Logan McNay and Guerrilla Film. Collectively, Ryval Studios’ directors have produced commercial content for national brands such as Nike, Reebok, Mountain Dew, Nestle, Listerine and Jimmy Johns, among others. Ryval Studios has also secured indie rep Dave Campbell of Rogue Rep to handle the West Coast market. JM Films will continue to operate primarily in the corporate video production market, whereas Ryval Studios will focus primarily on nationwide commercial production opportunities.....