1stAveMachine has signed director, photographer, and interactive artist Em Cole for U.S. and U.K. commercial representation. Cole’s work includes  include the live-action and animated short film / AR installation “I’m Your Venus” as well as Instagram’s global #InstaGiftGuide campaign, which was shot entirely in a vertical video format and featured on “Good Morning America.”

Framestore has appointed Christian Nielsen as head of CG in its Los Angeles office. Reporting directly into Framestore L.A.'s managing director Duncan Burbidge, Nielsen has over 20 years of industry experience in commercial and film work and will be charged with overseeing the studio’s roster of CG supervisors, CG leads and discipline supervisors. He joins from The Mill in New York where he spent over eight years, first as CG supervisor and then as head of CG/VFX supervisor. He has worked on brands like Playstation, Bud Light, AT&T, and Gillette, and alongside directors such as Peter Berg, Wayne McClammy and Martin De Thurah.

Gentleman Scholar, the L.A. live-action and animation-based production company, is relaunching as “Scholar” after ten years. The company also has a new website at helloscholar.com. Since opening its doors in 2010, the company, led by directors/partners William Campbell and Will Johnson, has worked campaigns for the likes of Audi, Beats by Dre, Exxon Mobile, Facebook, Google, Porsche, REI, Samsung, Target and Timberland.”