Tool of North America has signed South Korean director Na Frenette to its content roster. Frenette began her career as a documentarian reporting on social issues in Korea and has also contributed to experiential art exhibits like Detroit’s Flower House. She has worked for companies including automotive brands such as Ford, Chevrolet and GM.
Comedy director Greg Bell, the former co-founder of Venables, Bell and Partners, has signed with production company Tomorrow for commercial representation. Bell joins founders Chris Zander and Andrew Wonder at Tomorrow, which is based in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. He has also been represented by Backyard, where Zander was formerly managing director, and prior to that, Epoch. He is known for his humorous work spanning over two decades, including for the likes of Amazon, Lowes, Samsung and Toyota.
RSA Films is adding director Pascal Dangin for commercial representation. Dangin is a filmmaker, digital artist, creative director, photographer and book publisher of artists’ monographs who has collaborated with the likes of "Vogue"’s Anna Wintour, Madonna and Annie Liebovitz. His latest commercial work is for the launch of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ global flagship hotel in Hong Kong, via his design and strategic services firm StudioDangin (SDG). He has also worked on campaigns for Prada, Victoria’s Secret, Balmain, Lancôme, Zales ft. Vera Wang, 7 For All Mankind and Lancel.
Interrogate has added director Samir Mallal to its roster. Known for his documentaries such as “Bombay Calling” and “Nollywood Babylon,” Mallal broke into the commercial realm in 2010 with his “Arctic Sun” ad for Tropicana, which won him a Cannes Gold Lion and a spot in the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase. Since then he has worked for clients including Coca-Cola, 7-Up, Nestea, Smirnoff, Starbucks, GE and Allstate and well as tech brands such as Apple, Dell, Facebook, Google and Samsung. He has won honors from the AICP and Webbys and served on the AICP Jury.
Honor Society has signed director Jeremy Heslup for U.S. commercial representation. Heslup's work has been distributed on both broadcast and digital for clients such as Land Rover, Lamborghini, Wahl Clippers, Zenith Watches, Optima Batteries, Porsche and others. In 2011, Heslup also founded his own production company, Valkyr, where he was serving as executive producer and a director on the roster. Now wanting to focus on directing full-time, he has signed with Honor Society where he will be exclusively represented. In 2016 he also founded Praemio, a channel featuring inspirational stories of risk and reward.
Ben Cyzer and Tim Phillips, the former leadership team from MPC in London, have teamed up to launch Artificial Artists, a new creative tech company providing technology consultancy, products and services for brands and agencies. The company’s first technology product is 3dctrl, a cloud-based 3D content creation platform for creating CG content for mobile, social and e-commerce channels.
Whitehouse Post has added editor Joe Walton to its London staff. Walton returns to the company having began his editorial career there in 2012 as a runner. After progressing to become a senior cutting assistant, in 2016 he relocated to Amsterdam as lead editor at Wieden & Kennedy. There, he has worked with brands including Nike, Corona, Uber, Ford, and Facebook, as well as a recent project for S7 airlines that involved cutting a six-part travel show.
Chicago-based production company Sarofsky is adding senior 3D designer/animator Jake Allen to its full-time staff. Allen spent five years as a staff 3D artist and motion designer for Odd Machine prior to going freelance late last year. For Sarofsky, he has worked on major projects for Verizon and Fiat/Chrysler.
Cut+Run is joining forces with U.K. editing company The Quarry to bring the latter's talents to the U.S. market. The Quarry editors will be available to edit throughout Cut+Run’s network of U.S. offices while both companies will remain independent in the U.K. and Europe.
