Last year’s First Cut Award winner, Trevor Cornish, has found a place on Spy Films’ roster.

Spy executive producer Luc Frappier anticipates that Vancouver-based Cornish will prove an asset to the company, not only for his directing prowess and experience as an agency broadcast producer, but because of his West Coast home base.

‘The connection with Trevor fills in another market for us,’ says Frappier. ‘He has fans here in Toronto, but he has loyal fans in Vancouver as well.’

Frappier admits Cornish’s arrival is indicative of the changes happening at the company, saying, ‘We were looking to refresh the whole Spy identity and roster.’

Cornish has spots on his reel for Maple Leaf Foods, Century 21 and a collection of popular, award-winning ads for the 2001 and ’02 Vancouver International Film Festivals through his former agency, Bryant Fulton & Shee.

Spy also recently signed the Mexico/Toronto-based directing team of siblings Javier and Jorge Aguilera, known better to clients as Big Brother, for worldwide representation, excluding the U.S. and Mexican markets. The duo, teamed professionally for more than four years, brings an extensive reel that includes spots for Motorola, Doritos, General Motors, Coca-Cola and Bacardi, and more recently for Nissan, Sprite and Volkswagen.

Spy has also entered into a mutual representation deal with Voodoo Arts to represent the Montreal-based company’s directors outside of Quebec, while Voodoo will rep the rosters of Spy and sister shop Mad Films in Quebec. Frappier says this agreement fits in with the company’s mandate to have a presence in markets outside of Toronto in order to expand its reach and profile.

A perfect Circle?

The Toronto office of Circle Productions has seen some significant changes this year. It almost completely revamped its roster (which is shared by its West Coast office) and added a tenacious sales rep, but lost Tim Turner, Circle’s longtime executive producer. The remaining execs agree that ‘change is good’ and the traditionally soft-spoken commercial boutique is taking an aggressive stance on business, reminding Canadian creatives that Circle isn’t only a Vancouver-based production company.

According to executive producers Amanda Field and Karen Tameanko, Turner left the company in April to pursue other interests after about 20 years in the business. A month after Turner’s departure, Tameanko returned from mat leave and Barbara Rondinelli was brought aboard as sales rep. These changes have spawned a new Circle director roster. Only Rob Turner, Steve Colby, Christian Loubek and Matthew Griffiths remain from the roster circa 2001/02.

New to the fold since the beginning of 2003 are the directors of L.A./New York-based Go Films: Caitlin Felton, Geoffrey Barish, Barbara McDonough, Mike Shapiro and the directing team of Rad-ish.

Also new are Toronto/Vancouver-based Jennifer Little, who won a craft award at the 2003 Bessies for her first professional spots (with client Moule); New York-based Gary McKendry (Budweiser, Ikea, Porsche); and Minneapolis-based Joe Schaak, who has already directed spots for McDonald’s and Barq’s through the shop.

Sparking interest

Toronto-based Sparks Productions has signed seven new directors to representation agreements in recent weeks.

‘We are shaping things a little more and defining the kinds of directors we are looking for, for the kind of work that’s out there,’ says executive producer Corinna Lehr.

Canadians new to the Sparks roster are Toronto’s Gord McWatters (Toronto Zoo, Ford) and Mitch Gabourie (Pontiac, Sony PlayStation), and Montreal director/DOP Alexis Durand-Brault (GM, Coke), who is repped in Quebec by La Fabrique d’Images.

Topping the list of new foreign directors is L.A.’s Stephen Kessler (Bud, the New York Mets), and Santa Monica-based Jim Manera, director of Chevrolet’s ‘Like a Rock’ campaign for Campbell-Ewald.

The shop has also signed New Jersey-based director/cameraman Alex Fernbach (McDonald’s, General Mills) and San Francisco’s Richard Kizu-Blair (Cadillac, Lexus, Honda, MTV).

Stealing Time snags Valentin

Marcus Valentin recently joined Toronto post shop Stealing Time as an editor and minority partner. Formerly with School, Valentin says the allure of fresh surroundings and a partnership in an already thriving post house were irresistible.

‘I had always been a part of the bigger companies, but after a number of years I felt like I needed a change and wanted to try something new,’ says Valentin.

Since arriving at his new home, Valentin has posted Maxwell House (through Ogilvy & Mather), Mr. Clean (Grey Worldwide), Hershey (ACLC), Bank of Montreal and Oxy (the latter two via Arnold Worldwide).

Collin, directors join Maxx

Toronto’s Maxx Films has hired a new executive producer in Laurie Ann Collin and a pair of local directors.

Collin comes to Maxx with an extensive background producing on both the agency and production sides of the business. She held posts at MacLaren McCann and The Partners’ Film Company before setting out as a freelance producer, during which time she met Harve Sherman, Maxx founder.

‘I wanted someone who could produce, and not just sell, because we’re very hands-on,’ says Sherman.

Collin also put in some time at Alliance Atlantis Communications where she met Sandra Enns Arnell, the director largely responsible for many of the Showcase brands’ broadcast spots, who has since signed on with Maxx as a director. Enns Arnell was last repped for commercial work by Toronto’s Hero Films. Sherman and Collin have also added rookie Toronto helmer Simone Stock, who has already directed a Maalox spot through Maxx.

Big says Uncle

Toronto’s The Big Film Company has signed directors Jason Farrand, Ash Beck, Rick Rabe and Kerry Shaw Brown of L.A,-based spot shop Uncle to a Canadian repping deal.

The directors are all well known in advertising circles, beginning with Uncle cofounder/VP Ferrand, whose reel includes spots for Budweiser, Chevrolet and Miller Genuine Draft. Brown, former senior VP/creative director at Campbell-Ewald, Detroit, has helmed spots for Taco Bell, the Canadian Hockey Association and Dodge. Rabe’s reel includes work for BMW Motorcycles and SBC, while Beck has shot spots for Pepsi and Hyundai, and oversaw the visual effects on music videos for the likes of Michael Jackson and Madonna.

Big exec producer Cindy Kemp says the Uncles fill the high-end visuals and effects niche the company was looking to cover off.

Kemp also says Big is excited about the arrival of Bob Ebel, a Chicago-based director known through the U.S. for his spot work with children. Ebel operates Ebel Productions in the States and has shot work for McDonald’s, Kids Talk, Tylenol and many others.

Relishing Gordon

Toronto post shop Relish has added editor Alison Gordon to its fold. Gordon, most recently employed at School, wowed the brass at the Toronto-based Relish, says executive producer Katherine Bate.

What struck Bate immediately, she says, was a Mercedes commercial Gordon had put together. With very little footage, ‘she made an amazing piece out of it,’ says Bate. ‘Her spots are very visual and creative and suited the kind of look we go for.’

LTB Ames high

Toronto’s LTB Productions has signed L.A.-based director Ron Ames to a Canadian representation deal. Ames, most recently repped north of the 49th by Circle Productions, has shot ads for Cannon, Rolling Rock, Turning Leaf and Hoover. Executive producer JJ Lyons was immediately impressed with Ames, saying he has ‘a phenomenal reel. He does light comedy with nice visuals. He’s the whole package.’

New directors gets Spanked

Calum deHartog has joined Spank Film in Toronto as a director. A former actor, the Toronto-based deHartog has two Rogers commercials, a spot for RedSeat.ca and a PSA for CANFAR on his director’s reel.

Spank has also signed director Allen Martinez out of L.A. Martinez’s flare for comedy can be seen in spots for Yamaha, Coke, Gain and Michelob Light. The final Spank signing to report is the L.A.-based directing team Josh & Riad (Josh Hayes and Riad Galayini). With a penchant for comedy, the team has directed spots for Aquafina, 800 Flowers, Haagan Daaz and America for the Arts.