Marek Losey and Terence O'Connor, long-time co-directors under the label Terence & Marek, have split and have both quit London company Garretts.
All Films has snaffled Losey alongside with producer Matthew Barber. Notorious snares O'Connor. Past work from the pair includes spots for Diesel, Capital Radio, Drum Cider and Blackthorn Cider. Sue Hildrey, producer at Garretts, said the duo chose to leave so that neither would have an "unfair advantage" by staying on at their production home. "We've enjoyed working with them," she said.
Meanwhile, Garretts has picked up a couple of directors both of whom once worked from the now defunct London arm of the Artists Company. Royal College of Art graduate Ben Sedley joins directly from the Artists, and has already shot a large campaign for the Yellow Pages through Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. Sedley worked in documentaries at London company Films of Record before switching to advertising and music videos directing. Gillean Proctor, who has just returned to the UK after a stint in Vancouver where he directed at Avion (also Tim Hamilton's directorial roost), worked at the Artists in the mid-90s. He's also notched up time at RSA in the 80s on both sides of the Atlantic, after leaving the company he co-founded in Canada, The Director's Film Company. He is known for his close-up table-top FX work.
@radical.media director Ralf Schmerberg is filming an AIDS-awareness commercial for awesome client commissioner, United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan. Schmerberg is currently on location in Berlin filming the spot for a July 31 debut, when the Leo Burnett Chicago film will first be shown at the International Aids Conference in Barcelona. Frank Griebe, whose feature credits include German independent film Run Lola Run, is director of photography on the film. Trigger Happy Productions are production service company on the job.
Preston Lee, founder and former executive producer of Play, has quit the start-up to join Santa Monica company Area 51 films, working as executive producer to directors John Adams, Scotty Bergstein and Toby Phillips, with an eye on international expansion.
And talking about Area 51 Films, the production company sent us news of the company's shoot for Kentucky Fried Chicken for London agency Ogilvy and Mather. Director Scotty Bergstein filmed the scenario of enthusiastic yankee hankering for the fast food chain's products. Bergstein reveals how thrilled he was to explore the British model of directing (ie, taking the film through the edit and post-production) and concludes that seeing the finished spots: "was like my first lap dance".
Californian editorial and post-production house Cutting Room has opened a side division, to be called Room, which will take international projects from conception to finish. Its speciality is in visual effects, CGI, editorial and post across commercials, broadcast design, features, and title sequences. The company is headed by executive creative director Flavio Campagna, TV consultant Anastasia Pappas, creative director TJ Webber and Ladzarus, senior producer Sabrina Mance, producer Jill Heinrich and founder/director Victor Ginzburg.
The British isles have landed themselves a new studio in the form of The Bath Studios, promising jobs for over 200 technicians and creatives in the south-west of England. The facility aims to fulfil all aspects of pre- and post-production and includes a 20-acre secure back lot, sound stages, production offices, preview theatre and edit suites. "We are not rebuilding Pinewood," said a spokesperson for the development, "producers want smaller studios with hi-tech facilities like fibre-optic connections and blue screen and this is what we are offering."
Australian production service company Baby Lemonade this week opened its Los Angeles office. The move is to facilitate faster bids and more business from America's West Coast for the outfit's Sydney headquarters. Executive producer Jason Schepisi and head of business Melinda Sides are stationed at the office. http://www.babylemonade.com
Kimi ga Suki grabbed the prize for Video of the Year at MTV Japan's first music video awards on May 24.
Soho-based visual effects and post-production facility Red has promoted Gary Szabo from head of Telecine to creative director. He is also promoted to the company's board of directors.
Producer Cyrus Pagdiwalla and director Prasoon Pandey have quit Highlight Films Mumbai to set up their own company, Corcoise Films. The duo has worked as a team for the past three years. Pandey's work appears on shots 71.
CORRECTION
Apologies to Numero 6, because last week SOMEONE SOMEWHERE confused them with H5. It was, of course, the Sixes who picked up a prize at the D&AD for their Super Furry Animals promo, and not their Partizan stable-mates, H5. Meanwhile, we do take full responsibility for rechristening Partizan's esteemed young director Jim Hosking. We hear Jim is very happy with his current first name and intends to maintain it, despite our attempts to call him Tom in the copy of the current issue of shots magazine (issue 71).
