PRODUCTION COMPANIES

Academy Productions signed Aussie director Vikki Blanche for worldwide rep, excluding Australia.

Denver and San Fran-based Amp Films hired EP Nathan Brown, formerly of the Pederson Media Group.

Bicoastal The Artists Company signed dancer/choreographer turned director Rachel Harms.

New York's Compulsive signeddirector Mark Celentano, formerly of Wildlife Management.

Hollywood's DNA signed freelance director Nzingha Stewart for exclusive commercial and music video representation.

New York's First Look Artists signed director Jason Harrington for US representation.

London-based Godman signed Danish director Christian Lyngbye for UK representation.

New York's The Joneses signed director Adam Jones, no relation, and hired exec prod Pam Rohs. Both are formerly of Next Media, NY.

Toronto's Navigator Films signed director Mitch Gabourie for Canadian representation.

Berlin's Neue Sentimental Films signed Til Obladen for exclusive worldwide repping, breaking up his arrangement with partner Nika Scheidermandel in the director duo Nika + Til. Neue also signed director Leander Haussmann.

Rome's Sunflower Films hired int'l rep Corinne Burns Bruno.

Tuesday McGowan joined bicoastal Picture Park as a director and Radium as a motion graphics and title designer.

Milan's Studio D + P signed director Mark Schimmel for European commercial representation.

True Pictures, Fort Lauderdale signed director Brian Griffin for US representation. The Clinic in London represents him in the UK.

POST / ANIMATION / AUDIO

Los Angeles' ARTiFACT hired producer Lisa A. Houck.

Boston's Brickyard VFX hired flame artist Geoff McAuliffe.

Santa Monica's Company 3 signed colorist Paul Bronkar.

Chicago's Daily Planet hired 3D animation artist Michelle Lin.

Design firm The Diecks Group, New York appointed Kelly Dunne as EP.

Flipside hired editors Hank Polonsky, Tracy Hof and Natasha Uppal in Santa Monica and lead animator Nathaniel Hunter in San Francisco.

London's Framestore-CFC promoted Markus Manninen to joint head of 3D (commercials), Lara Bowden to senior 3D producer, and Rebecca Barbour to junior producer.

San Francisco's One Six Eight Design hired animator Jeff Janken.

R!OT Design, NY named Lisa Cleff director of business development.

San Francisco's Radium promoted Anastacia Feldman to EP.

New York's Refinery hired motion control supervisor Nick Mayroson and editor Geno Tulchin.

London's Rushes hired Jonathan Privett to lead the 3D department.

Smack Music + Sound, NY hired music supervisor Karen Langjahr and dir. marketing Craig Deleon.

London's Smoke & Mirrors hired flame artists Tony Lawrence, Hani Al Yousif and producer Pierre Fletcher.

Tonic, New York hired Tokyo-born sound designer Jun Mizumachi, senior audio engineers Bill Cavanaugh and Ed Campbell.

New York's Version2 signed editor Cary Gries.

WAX Music & Sound Design, NY hired composer Erik Nickerson.

AD AGENCIES

Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York, has hired William Gelner as group creative director. Gelner was previously associate creative director at Cliff Freeman & Partners. BBDO has also hired two creative teams to handle the US Levi's biz; Gerald Lewis and Matt Ian, previously of O&M, New York and John Hobbs and Peter Rosch, previously of JWT, New York.

Cramer-Krasselt, Milwaukee promoted Kelly Knoke to manager of broadcast production and Tracy Redlich to assistant broadcast producer.

DM9 DDB Sao Paulo, has seen the return of founder Nizan Guanaes, who quit the agency in 2000 and creative Sergi Valente, who departed in 2001. Valente replaces departed agency creative head Ehr Rey.

J. Walter Thompson, Italy hired creative director Pestro Maestri, formerly with Red Cell in Milan.

Leo Burnett, Toronto appointed Dena Thompson head of broadcast production. Thompson was formerly an exec producer at New New Films. Amanda Traub joined the agency as junior producer. She was formerly production assistant/office manager at Imported Artists, Toronto.

matthews/mark, San Diego hired Craig Evans as executive vice president and creative director. Evans was formerly CD at San Diego's Big Bang Idea Engineering.

Milan's Red Cell hired art director Roberto Battaglia and copywriter Pino Rozzi as executive creative directors. The pair were previously at BBDO, Milan.

New York-based Tribal DDB North America announced CEO Matt Freeman will assume the duties of departing COO Steven Marrs. Marrs' resignation coincides with 12 layoffs at the agency.

Boston-based creative house ViewPoint Studios hired writer/producer/director Mark Guzman in Los Angeles.