Lots more people with itchy feet this week, as Cut + Run opens a New York office, Phil Knight stands down as CEO of Nike, and Rokkit, Exposure, FM Rocks, and many more have new signings.
Cut + Run, the editorial house with offices in London and Los Angeles, is to open a new office in New York's SoHo. The office will be led by Chuck Willis, who formerly ran Crew Cuts. It will offer creative editorial, as well as graphics, visual effects and compositing.
"We are opening Cut + Run/NY because we believe in the strength of alliances," said Chuck Willis. "We have had a kinship with Cut + Run owner Steve Gandolfi for several years, are admirers of his work and have respect for the creative impact Cut + Run has on the editorial community." The New York office will open in February 2005.
Nike has announced that its CEO Phil Knight will step down at the end of the year. Knight will be succeeded by William D. Perez as president, CEO and director, while Knight will continue at the company as chairman of the board of directors. Perez joins the company from S.C. Johnson & Son, where he has been president and CEO since 1996.
Knight co-founded Nike in 1972 with University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman, and grew the company from an small operation selling shoes from the trunk of his car to a $12.3 billion revenue company in fiscal 2004. While he will be an active chairman, he also intends to "maintain my status as the world's number one sports fan."
Rokkit in London has signed French design and animation collective No Brain for UK representation. The team were previously repped by Mad Cow Films in the UK.
Animation and live action director Simon Henwood has moved from Nexus in London to join Exposure Films. Henwood has recently completed promos for Badly Drawn Boy and Apollo 440 and the Calf spot for The Guardian. He is currently working with the singer Roisin Murphy of Moloko on a video and series of paintings that will feature in a book, on three EPs and form part of a boxed set for her forthcoming album launch in May.
FM Rocks in Santa Monica has signed director Marcus Raboy for exclusive music video representation. Raboy will also be repped by Boondoggle for commercials work. He joins the production companies from RSA.
Mad Cow Films in London has signed director Jeff Ford, previously one half of the directing team Daddy. Ford's directing credits include spots for Renault, Ford, Expedia.co.uk, Hallmark and Milka amongst others. More info on Ford is at http://www.madcowfilms.co.uk.
Danish director Jens Mikkelsen is now repped by Flying Fish in Australasia. Mikkelsen has just secured his first campaign through Flying Fish in Sydney, for Esanda through Leo Burnett in Melbourne.
Gabi Kay has joined Gorgeous in London as directors rep. Kay moves to Gorgeous from Exposure Films.
Senior producer Andrew Swepson and senior Inferno artist Fasa Oyibo have joined Golden Square in London. Swepson joins the company from Pepper, while Oyibo moves over after recently freelancing at blue.
Sydney-based production facilities company Sugar Glider will now be represented in London by Salt. Salt will be able to budget jobs, source equipment and will have access to an extensive location database for anywhere in Australasia.
Johannesburg-based production company Picture Tree has signed a deal with Cape Town-based service company The Shooting Gallery where The Shooting Gallery will rep all its directors in Europe (excluding UK) for South African shoots. The Shooting Gallery will therefore rep Oscar Strauss, Brett Wild, Gersh Kgamedi and Ian Difford for shooting in South Africa.
Music production company Endless Noise has signed Ellen Knable of EKA as its West Coast rep.
