Park Pictures Announces UK Office, Signs Manwaring for US
The US-based shop adds Director Guy Manwaring in States and names former Stink Head of Production Stephen Brierley as EP in London.
Park Pictures to Open in London, Adds Guy Manwaring to US Roster
L.A. and New York-based Park Pictures has signed award-winning director Guy Manwaring for U.S. commercial representation and has announced plans to open a London office in the new year.
Manwaring will continue to be represented by Sonny in the UK, and comes to Park from Prettybird. The London-based director has most recently crafted highly-lauded spots for Specsavers and Warburtons, and is perhaps best known for his Cannes Silver Lion-winning "Alien" for Wrigley.
His signing comes just as Park has announced that its new London office will be headed up by Executive Producer Stephen Brierley, former head of production at Stink, London. Says Park Owner/EP Jackie Kelman Bisbee, "We're very excited to be opening an office in London, especially with Stephen at the helm. With his knowledge and experience, we know we're in the very best of hands abroad."
Regarding the Manwaring signing, Bisbee adds, "Lance and I have closely watched Guy's career for years," referring to her partner, Director Lance Acord. "His distinct storytelling talents culminate in a body of work that has humor, humanity and a great sense of visual style. He's an amazing addition to our company."
"I first met Jackie and Lance three years ago in an L.A. burrito bar," says Manwaring, "and it was immediately clear that we're on a very similar wave length. Since then we kept in touch and have followed each other's work, to the point where joining their roster felt like the most natural next step. I look forward to shooting loads of great work through Park, and eating some more burritos."
Before turning to directing, Manwaring was on the agency creative side of the business, working at London shops like The Leith Agency and St. Luke's. He began directing in 2003, at the tender age of 25. Within a year of his debut he'd chalked up an impressive run of achievements, including Best New Director recognition from both the BTAA Craft Awards and Kinsale. Since then, his ascent has been fueled by work for many of the world's most prestigious agencies, such as BBH, DDB, M&C Saatchi, Ogilvy and AMV BBDO, for brands as diverse as Snickers, Doritos and the BBC.
The relationship between Park and Manwaring has been percolating since 2007, when a series of well-received U.S. spots for Carmax and Capital One put the young Brit on the radar of several top American production companies. While his worldwide profile has risen, Manwaring has continued to bring his singular vision to some of the UK's most original and innovative campaigns, with films for Scottish Road Safety, Surf and Sky. His riveting 2009 Anti-Knife Crime PSA received a slew of recognition from awards shows, including BTAA and Cannes Lions.
Published 10 December, 2010
