Native Opens N.Y. Office, Humble Signs Farmer and More
L.A-based Native Pictures has added directors Rob Cohen and Gary McKendry to its roster, and hired partner/executive producer Chris Messiter to head a new office in New York. Messiter, who has a production company background at MJZ, Tool and Hungry Man, will work directly with Native's founding partner/EP Tomer DeVito and partner/EP Susan Rued Anderson. Rob Cohen, who has just shot a commercial for Mountain Dew, has helmed 24 films and worked on spots for brands including Mercedes, Coca-Cola, Kohl's and Verizon FIOS. His feature film "The Boy Next Door" is currently in theaters. Gary McKendry, a former advertising art director, has directed commercials for clients such as Ikea, Porsche and Heineken.
Richard Farmer has joined Humble's directorial roster for commercial representation in the U.S. Farmer began his career on the agency side with producing stints at Ground Zero and Mindfield. He teamed up with Guy Shelmerdine as directorial duo Happy, leading to recognition at the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase at the 2002 Cannes Lions festival, and a permanent shift into directing, including the music video "Run" for Gnarls Barkley that earned two MTV Video Music Awards. Directing independently since 2008, he has helmed commercials for brands such as EA, Gillette, Subway, Food Lion, Old Spice, Bacardi, and Hyundai.
Independent Films has signed The Hoffman Brothers to its roster. The duo, Mark and Matt Hoffman, started working together officially in 2006 after collaborating on Nike's '"Joga Bonito" soccer campaign for the 2006 World Cup, which Mark Hoffman directed. Their film "Jump Rope" for Nike Skateboarding won two AICP awards and a Bronze Lion at Cannes. The brothers have also worked for clients such as Subaru, Subway, Nivea, ESPN and most recently Stride.
New York-based creative editorial shop BlueRock has hired Shira Ankori as editor. Ankori has worked on commercials for brands such as Sony, Walmart, Toyota and Taco Bell. She started her editing career at RedCar NY, and joins Blue Rock from New York-based Beast.
Argentine design laboratory Gizmo Animation has joined Duck Studios' roster of directors. Gizmo, which was founded by Emmanuel Verruno and Andrea Bacigalupo, is based in Buenos Aires and has offices in Mexico City and Madrid. The studio has more than ten years of experience in 2D animation, 3D animation, motion graphics, and post production. It has created campaigns for clients including Netflix, Disney, Beats by Dre, ESPN, Kraft, Bayer, Ford, Hasbro, Honda, and Nestlé.
Logan & Sons, the live-action division of bicoastal content creation studio Logan, has signed Norwegian director Christian Alexander Holm-Glad to its roster. Holm-Glad is known for directing "Not Alone" for U.K. artist Calvin Harris and was a founder of independent studio Bulldozer Films. He has also been on the roster at Teddy TV and with Bacon for commercial work in Scandinavia. Recent commercials include a PSA for Norwegian Road Public Administration and "Blackout," a spot for Castrol.
New York post studio Nice Shoes and Austin-based Foundation Editorial are partnering to bring Nice Shoes' roster of colorists to Austin-area clients. Established by Jason Uson in 2012, Foundation Editorial is a full-service boutique offering that has created content for Nike, Walgreens, Zales, and LPGA. Separately, Nice Shoes has hired Kristine Pregot as senior producer of business development in New York. Pregot brings experience as a producer and post supervisor in the long-form world, having worked on shows for FX, A&E, CNBC, and MTV.
