Amarillo Films, a new production house, has opened this week, formed by long-term HLA director/producer team Rob Sanders and Tom Shard.
Amarillo is a small outfit, only representing Sanders and director Anthony Atanasio, whose work was today seen in Cannes at the Saatchi & Saatchi Young Director's showcase.
Sanders spoke to shots.net about the company. "We really want a company that's just two directors. Coming from a company of six or seven directors there was just not enough room in terms of resources. But one thing we're very keen is for this not to be any criticism of HLA, there was no conflict of personalities, I just wanted an environment where I could work almost selfishly."
"Being a director in commercials is a bit like being an arts student - you want to have things around you that will inspire you, we're focusing on creating a very creative environment."
Atanasio, currently based in Paris, has enjoyed great success in France, yet his work is virtually unknown in the UK. Directing through Premier Heure, recent work includes spots for clients such as Peugeot, Gaz de France and for Jansport directed through Naked Project in the US. Atanasio's technically ambitious commercial for Eurovia (that shows the world from, literally, an underground perspective) has just won him a Strategies Grand Prix.
Sanders, no stranger to Cannes having won the Grand Prix in 1999, is busier than ever, with the recently aired Lucozade Sport commercials, shot through M&C Saatchi, and a new surreal film for Vauxhall (through Lowe) shot on location in Australia on air next month.
More info on Amarillo films is available on their website at: http://www.amarillofilms.com.
