Adam Saward, joint managing director of London production company Godman, told colleagues on Friday that he is to quit the company which he co-founded.
Saward is a director of and owns a 40 percent stake in the company, which he set up with Jo Godman, director Vaughan Arnell and producer Philippa Thomas in 1997 after leaving RSA. Both interests in the company will now conclude towards the end of March.
He told shots.net that the departure was "wholly amicable." He intends to launch a commercials and music video company in London, for which he is yet to decide a name or sign any directors.
"Jo has known for a while that I really wanted to do something on my own. But I didn't want to sidle up to directors and leave Jo in the lurch.
"However, the perception has been and is - correctly - that Godman is Jo's company. After five years I really wanted to do something on my own."
Saward refused to comment when asked if he could rule out signing directors on the Godman roster to his new company in the future. He would reveal that his company will have a maximum of six directors, to enable him to personally manage each director's career. "That's not an indictment of Godman," he qualified.
Saward is between producing two jobs - a Guinness campaign for BBDO's Irish office and a music video for new act Blazing Squad on East West records - for Arnell, replacing the director's customary producer. Some industry insiders immediately questioned whether Arnell would leave with Saward, considering the producer and director's long-standing relationship.
Jo Godman quashed the rumours, saying: "Vaughan is not leaving. Absolutely definitely. He'd be upset if he thought people were questioning that. Companies evolve and change, as do relationships. Adam wants to do his own thing, and I wish him every success."
Saward first produced for directing duo Vaughan & Anthea at Nick Lewin and Sandy Watson's production company, Lewin Watson. Their second commercial together was Levi's Creek, which went on to win numerous awards. After two years, Vaughan & Anthea and Saward together formed a production company Federation, which was briefly owned by Propaganda.
When Vaughan & Anthea split, Saward and Arnell both joined RSA, where Jo Godman was managing director. When, three weeks later, Godman announced she was leaving, Arnell and Saward joined her, alongside Thomas who had worked at RSA for 12 years. Thomas left Godman in 2000 to found her own production company Thomas Thomas.
Saward denies that he has been approached for the executive producer job at MJZ's London bureau. The London office of the Los Angeles-based company is tipped to open in early April.
