It’s ironic that the concept behind new Toronto-based production/representation/sales company Obvious Management isn’t as immediately clear to everyone as its partners would have hoped. But according to partners Christina Ford president/exec producer of Imported Artists, and Tom Symes former publisher of Boards Magazine (Boards is published by Brunico Communications which also publishes Playback and On The Spot), who along with Treehouse North’s Karen Silver make up the executive, the concept is typical of how things are done in many markets outside Canada.

In short, Obvious (which launched Oct. 1) is representing international companies and talent in Canada – from production houses to directors to a European music company – for Canadian commercial production, with Treehouse North acting as the service company when they come to shoot through Obvious.

‘Basically, I’m an agent representing companies from around the world and selling them to Canadian agencies,’ says Symes. ‘We are trying to hook up people from around

the world and bring more work to Canada.’

Primed for hooking are L.A.’s Independent Media and its directors, all of whom will be repped in Canada by Obvious, as will Barcelona’s The Lift and director Jose Maria De Orbe. The U.K.’s Pagan Productions and director Vaughan Arnell, and Tool of North America and its directors are with Obvious, too. Add Shoot New York’s Laszlo Kadar, Amsterdam’s Massive Music and Prague-based Stillking Films’ Michael Baumbruck, Goran, Jakub Kohak and Christian Lyngbye and you have a large and unquestionably impressive collection of directors repped by Obvious as it launches. None of the companies or directors, other than Tool and its directors, has ever had a presence in Canada before, says Symes.

‘The buzz has been terrific,’ adds Ford. ‘I think it has sent our competitors into a bit of a flurry, which isn’t a bad thing. They’re talking about us.’

Part of the Obvious mandate is to sell Canada as a location, and to that end it has a deal with Panic & Bob’s group of post-production houses to offer its visiting companies a chance to finish their spots here as well. Ford says, also, that no director is out of reach for the new company as long as they aren’t spoken for here.

‘If agencies want to work with a particular director that isn’t represented in Canada, we’ll shepherd the job,’ she says. ‘It’s a great way of promoting Canada and of bringing in new artists, not only for the shop on an international level, but to compete and bring something new and fresh to their clients.’