Mothership Takes Off, Powered by Digital Domain
The VFX and digital production studio launches a new company designed to create ‘trans-media’ projects for brands, names Ed Ulbrich to run it.
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| Digital Domain Moves into Content Production & Creation for Brands with Mothership 
Mothership's Ed Ulbrich (l.), Tanya Cohen and Alejandro Lopez look to the stars.
The company launches with a roster of global creative talent comprised of directors, designers and artists who have roots in hybrid filmmaking approaches that blend live-action, animation, CG, motion graphics and other techniques. It includes directors Robert Hales, Dael Oates, David Rosenbaum, Sil Van Der Woerd, Brent Bonacorso, Pierre Michel and Matthew Santoro. Hales was formerly repped by HSI and Oates was with Prodigy Films; both are now repped globally by Mothership. For Rosenbaum, this is his first representation agreement for advertising and brand-related work. Bonacorso was previously with Notorious 24/7 in New York and L.A., and continues to be repped by them in Asia; Mothership handles him elsewhere in the world. Michel is repped worldwide by Mothership, except for France, where Paranoid remains his roost. In addition, Mothership will represent the Stockholm-based motion design studio Happycamper, and will represent the New York-based design shop Nathan Love on the U.S. West Coast. “Consumer demand for compelling content on connected devices creates an enormous opportunity for advertisers,” Ulbrich states. “To capture it, agencies need integrated cross-platform strategies and creative services, and they’re turning to companies that can execute a brand vision from concept to completion. A new breed of digitally literate directors and designers has emerged to meet this need. Mothership collects these talents and lets them tap into a wealth of resources, technology and expertise, so they can always produce what they envision.” “Trans-media offers brands the opportunity to integrate directly with entertainment properties, instead of standing alongside them,” adds Lopez. “The key is, these brand experiences must enhance entertainment value. Mothership has brought great talents on board who can create the kinds of digital properties that will capture and entertain new audiences — extending both the original entertainment property and the brand.” As a sister company to Academy Award-winning digital production studio Digital Domain, Mothership has direct access to its technology infrastructure and Hollywood pedigree. While Digital Domain is known for creating VFX for movies and commercials, Mothership will develop core creative, build concepts and drive and execute productions from beginning to end for advertising agencies and brands. Digital Domain will continue to provide visual effects services to production companies, creative studios (including Mothership) and ad agencies. As President of Digital Domain’s Commercials Division and Corporate EVP, Ulbrich oversees the company’s advertising business and executive produces select feature films—dual roles he’s held since Digital Domain’s inception in 1993. He’s also President of the Board of Directors of AICP Digital and is on the Board of Directors of AICP. In 2009 he was named one of the 100 most creative people in business by “Fast Company” magazine, and he has spoken about creativity and innovation at top worldwide conferences and seminars including TED, NASA, PICNIC and others. Lopez is recognized as one of the most forward-thinking digital marketing pioneers in Asia. He spent 22 years with Leo Burnett and served as ECD and President of Publicis’ Beacon Communications in Tokyo, which he co-founded. He then went on to create the Tokyo boutique agency (Suit)men Entertainment. There he led a team of strategists and creatives who developed trans-media campaigns for blue-chip clients across four continents. Before joining Mothership, Cohen was Executive Producer at The Institute, the production company owned by director Michael Bay. Previously, she was a literary agent at the William Morris Agency in London and Los Angeles, and Vice President at Robert Lawrence Productions/20th Century Fox. Work from Mothership talent can be seen at www.mothership.net, including a series of launch films that embody the Mothership creative approach and represent the wide-ranging styles, disciplines and techniques these filmmakers offer. Published Feb. 18, 2010 |
