Toronto’s Hoodoo Films, known throughout Canada for its prowess in the music video sector under executive producer Michael Rosen, is positioning its commercial production division as a strong alternative for spots with ‘challenged budgets.’

Hoodoo, an Avion Films company, has brought aboard Debby Fox as executive producer of the commercial division, and Fox, not one to rest on laurels in her 20-plus years in Canadian commercial production, has already shaken things up with the hiring of three new directors. Joining roster staple Andy Keen are Montrealers Pierre Dalpe (repped in Quebec by Kiss Films) and Jean Marc Vallee (Cinelande). Hoodoo has also brought on director/cameraman Bob Perks, who is based in Arizona (although Avion partner Michael Schwartz says Perks may be headed back to his native Toronto).

Perks spent a good deal of career time at The Partners’ Film Company and has an expansive reel of food, cars and tabletop work. It includes spots for Budweiser, Molson, Ford, Toyota, Kraft Foods, Coors Light, Chrysler, Sears and others. Partners’ is where Fox and Perks became acquainted, as she served as line producer on some of his work. Through Hoodoo, he has already shot jobs for Acura (ACLC) and Sawmill Creek Wines (Gee Jeffrey & Partners).

Fox believes that in addition to Hoodoo’s affiliation with Avion, advertising agencies will be attracted to Hoodoo’s reputation in the music video world of high concepts carried out on low budgets.

‘What Hoodoo will be able to offer to agencies are smart ways of making [commercial] production happen within their challenged budgets,’ says Fox. ‘Music videos are usually produced for a very small percentage of what commercials are produced for. Music video people work smarter. They take the money and put it on the screen in a way that commercial production hasn’t always been able to do.’

Fox will continue with her repping company, Fox Consulting, handling clients such as Toronto’s Stealing Time Editing and Stealing Time Digital.

-www.hoodoofilms.com