Tessa Films has named Sydney Thomson, an experienced freelance producer and production supervisor who’s a fixture in the Chicago production community, to the newly created position of head of production. The appointment was announced by Lisa Masseur, Tessa’s EP and co-founder. 

Both Thomson and Masseur are veterans of the Chicago production scene, with the latter launching Tessa after EP positions with ONE at Optimus and, before that, Radar Studios. Thomson, a New England native and graduate of Columbia College, got her start as an intern at Ebel Productions and landed her first job not long after as a P.A. at STORY.

She went on to work as a staff producer at Big Deahl, the noted Chicago-based tabletop company, before leaving to freelance for some of the industry’s top live action companies. Her list of credits includes Smuggler, Hungry Man, Radical Media, STORY, Moxie Pictures, Sibling Rivalry and RSA. The roster of directors she’s worked with includes Ky Dickens, Amanda Speva, Mark Pallman, Tim Mason, Ron Lazzeretti, Hank Perlman, David Deahl and Irv Blitz.

Masseur and Thomson have worked together for a number of years, with Thomson freelancing for Masseur at ONE at Optimus, then following her after she launched Tessa with Reid Brody. “I didn’t know Lisa before I started freelancing at ONE,” said Thomson, “but I knew of her. She’s a legend here in Chicago, and in many respects she trained me without even knowing me, since I worked with so many producers who themselves worked directly with her.”

The current Tessa directorial roster includes Meghann Artes, Sam Macon, Tim Mason, Joe Otting, Toben Seymour, Amanda Speva and Duncan Wolfe.

Masseur said that adding Thomson is a strong barometer of Tessa’s progress: “We’re a growing company and we’ve been doing some exciting and fun work in our first year and a half,” she points out. “This year in particular has been incredibly good for us so far, and I feel extremely fortunate that Sydney’s agreed to come on board officially to join #teamtessa. With her help, we can only continue to prosper from here.”