Category Archives: Production Companies

Fools and Horses Signs Director John Zissimos

LOS ANGELES, CA, March 20, 2009 – Director John Zissimos has signed with Fools and Horses for  exclusive US spot representation. He comes over from Hungry Man. A former creative director with TBWA/Chiat/Day, J. Walter Thompson, and McCann Erickson, Zissimos has done award-winning creative work for Nissan, Nestle, Lipton, Amstel, and more. As a spot director specializing in comedy/dialogue, he has helmed campaigns and spot projects for clients such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade, the San Francisco Giants, Airborne, PG&E, and the Inside Out Film Festival. His first assignments with Fools and Horses are a Sprint viral via Goodby Silverstein Partners, and the "Quick. Get that Dog Some ALPO" campaign via Fallon/MN.

"Shelly and Cyn are such a great team. They’re universally respected by everyone I know in this business." Zissimos said of Fools and Horses Owners/EPs Shelly Townsend and Cyn Guzman. "They create an enormous amount of confidence on jobs because they care about all the right stuff. There’s a sincerity and passion about them that is really inspiring."

"It was a wise person who first said, ‘It takes a village’," said Townsend, who worked with Zissimos during his agency days, when she was Managing Director of Headquarters and Guzman was Head of Production.  "Lucky for us, John is a village. There is nothing he lacks in creativity, intelligence, dedication and enthusiasm.  It’s rough out there right now, and just when you think it couldn’t get any harder – with John – it gets funny.  It’s always a joy to work with him."

Zissimos stated that his agency background has proved invaluable when engaging in collaborations with creative and production teams. "I know what its’ like to spend a year with one 30-second script and at the one-yard line hand it off to a director," he explained. "I know how hard that is so I try to make something good and bring to life these ideas. I love taking on new challenges and pulling a win out of a tough situation."

Taking on new challenges was the hallmark of Zissimos’ creative career, one in which he earned a reputation for helping to turn troubled brands around. Likewise, humor has always been a core ingredient. Beginning his career at TBWA/Chiat/Day, working on Nissan and other accounts, he shot and cut anything he could think of and get his hands on. He began making commercial spoofs for client meetings, films for new business pitches and most importantly learning the craft of directing from the inside out. Following five years at Chiat, Zissimos went on to successful tenures at Warwick Baker Fiore and JWT, where he did high-profile work for Heineken, Amstel Light, Lipton Brisk, Nestle and PG&E, and crafting hugely successful campaigns such as Amstel’s "A Light Beer for a heavy world" and Lipton’s "That’s Brisk, baby."

Zissimos left JWT to direct full time, but was quickly lured back into the business by McCann Erickson. He orchestrated a pitch on Mike’s Hard Lemonade, shooting a 9-minute film with a digicam and an empty bottle. The user-generated look and irreverent tone spawned a Mike’s Hard Lemonade campaign that ran for nearly three years, and put Zissimos in the directors chair. With 50 Mike’s commercials under his belt, another company came calling. This time it was not an agency, but a production company, Hungry Man. After a 16-year detour, Zissimos was finally a full-time director.

Now, at Fools and Horses, Zissimos believes he has come into his own. "Pursuing commercial directing is a humbling experience, especially in a trying economic climate," he said, "but it’s well worth the investment when you have wonderful support and a commitment to doing good work."

"John has a ‘big brain’," enthused Guzman of the director. "He is dedicated, passionate and extremely hard working. And on top of that he is a wonderful writer…and hilarious." Guzman added that Zissimos has a keen understanding of the business. "He understands how it’s changing – shrinking in the amount of jobs and money and reinventing itself through branded content," she said. "And he still loves it and wants to be a part of it."

Zissimos rounds out a Fools and Horses roster comprised of David Denneen, Fuzzi Galuzzi, Kai Sehr, Laurence Thrush, Francois Valla, and Erik Van Wyk.

Director Luis Gerard Joins Über Content

HOLLYWOOD, CA, March 20, 2009 – Über Content has signed director Luis Gerard for exclusive North American spot representation. He comes over from Great Guns USA. Gerard has directed international campaigns for Sprint, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, LG and VW, among others, and recently completed a Target campaign via Peterson/Milla/Hooks, MN. Gerard is currently at work on another Target assignment, his first with Über Content.

"The first thing you notice about Luis is that he brings a powerful cinematic signature to his work," said Partner/Executive Producer Preston Lee, who presides over Über with Partner/Executive Producer Phyllis Koenig. "From casting to locations to composition, there is always a storytelling motive to his shots." 

Entering the spot biz in 2000, Gerard immediately sought opportunities to bring scope and impact to the screen. In 2005, his spots for Gain "Airport," Ace "Karate," and Ragu "Father and Son" were all short-listed at Cannes that year. "Father and Son" snagged a Gold Shark at Kinsale and Ragu "Fingers" a Bronze. Gerard also earned inclusion in the 2005 Y&R Young Directors Showcase. "Some of my early commercials were for brands not known for strong visual work, but these were wonderful jobs that offered some great creative opportunities," he said.

Gerard has worked extensively around the world, helming projects via Euro/London, Saatchi/Sydney, Lowe/Bangkhok, and others. He recently shot a spot for Banco Popular via McCann-Erickson/Madrid, featuring Pao Gasol of the LA Lakers. Spot work in the States includes ads for Honda (RPA), Tropicana (Element 79), Target (Peterson/Milla/Hooks), Kelloggs (Leo Burnett/Chi), Lexus (Team One), and Trident (JWT/NY). The work has varied in tone and genre. "I like the challenge of doing different things," he said, "but, as a director, visual storytelling is by far the most enjoyable aspect for me."

Gerard, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and who still lives in San Juan, credits his father with instilling in him a deep love of cinema. "My father is an architect and was not afforded the freedom of attending film school," Gerard related, "so it was important to him to share this love with me and to offer me every opportunity to explore my talent." While he did not study film formally, Gerard and a college classmate made a short film, "Que Sera", that screened at the Venice Film Festival. "This was an experiment in storytelling without dialogue, in black and white," Gerard recalled. "As a follow-up, I wrote another short, that was all dialogue and in color."

A CD from top agency Eje/Puerto Rico saw that film and thought Luis could thrive in commercials. His first campaign for the agency was for Levi’s. "A small Levi’s campaign," Gerard mused. "But it led to a lot more work."  

More work, and the pursuit of greater challenges, are foremost in Gerard’s mind. "Preston has shown a lot of faith and passion and those are things that inspire me to take a step forward," he explained of the move to Über Content. "For me, it’s all about working with people who give you the opportunity to grow."

Gerard is represented in Spain by Group Films and in Mexico by Santos. He remains with Great Guns UK for work in that market. 

Based in Hollywood, Über is a multi-content production company established in January of 2006. Now representing numerous directors with diverse talents, Über Content has quickly become the new company to watch. Gerard rounds out a company roster comprised of Jordan Brady, Jeffrey Fleisig, Stewart Hendler, Jason Kohn, Dave Laden, and Marc Schölermann.

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