Production Companies
Academy Films, London signed Steve Ayson for UK spot rep.

Bicoastal Anonymous Content signed Spanish director Daniel Benmayor for spot rep.

Chelsea Pictures, New York hired EP Pat McGoldrick.

New York's Curious Pictures hired Sara Nahas as a senior staff producer and bidder.

HLA, London signed director Kjetil Njoten.

London-based Liberty Films hired Wendy Bleazard, previously of The Mill, as new business and marketing director. Producer Nicky Moss and director Jake Knowles also joined the company.

Director Nico Beyer signed with Partizan for commercial rep in the US, UK and France.

Toronto's Partners' Film Company hired Aerin Barnes as EP.

LA's Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios signed action and VFX director Clay Staub.

Vancouver-based director Mark Gilbert, previously repped by Biscuit Filmworks in America, signed with Hollywood-based Rock Fight for the US.

RSA Films signed director Lena Beug for US and UK spot rep. JOY@RSA signed director Barney Cokeliss.

Bicoastal Saville Productions signed Casino Royale director Martin Campbell.

The Sweet Shop, London hired EP Storr Redman and promoted Pippa Bhatt to the position of managing director.

Santa Monica's Tool of North America signed Swedish director Anders Hallberg.

Über Content, LA signed director Jason Kohn for US spot rep.

Post/Audio/Animation
Tarzana, CA-based AvatarLabs named Brendan Lundeen as director of production.

Santa Monica-based design studio Charlie Company hired James Martin Sweigert as EP.

New York editorial collective Chemistry added Damien Massingham to its editorial roster.

Atlanta-based Crawford Post Production hired Basil Iskandrian as creative director and designer.

Creative Bubble, New York hired Marc Grunberg as interactive executive producer.

The Ebeling Group, London hired Sean Costelloe as producer.

London-based post house Finish hired Fi Kilroe, ex-The Mill, as a senior producer.

New York's Fluid hired editor John Mallerman formerly of Chinagraph.

New York VFX house Guava hired Emily Sussman as a producer and promoted Mike Donovan to managing director, Steve Holiner to EP and Adrian Graham to head of CG.

Bicoastal editorial company Lost Planet's sister post-production outfit Elephant Post opened an office in New York headed up by managing director Betsy Beale.

MPC, London hired Jay Lichtman and Scott Griffin as senior commercial post producers.

Postworks, New York hired sound designer and mixer Paul Furedi and Rocky Tortorella as director of sound services for the company's Soho location.

Riot, New York hired Christopher "Pink" Bonnstetter as CG supervisor.

Minneapolis-based post house Splice Here hired Jeff Stevens, formerly with Charlex, as creative director.

Ad Agencies
BBH, New York named global director of strategic planning Emma Cookson as CEO. She will replace Gwyn Jones who moves to the London office.

DDB, Chicago president and CEO Dana Anderson resigned after three years to spend more time with her daughter. Rick Carpenter, formerly president of DDB, Los Angeles, succeeds her.

Tom Dunlap, former head of integrated production at Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam, joined Deutsch, LA as senior VP, director of integrated production. Deutsch, LA also promoted Scott Hidinger to VP, ACD from senior art director and Mark Moll to VP, ACD from senior copywriter.

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco hired Amanda Cox, ex-EVB, as an EP.

Grey, New York named Tor Myhren, former ECD at Leo Burnett, Detroit, as CCO.

JWT, New York hired Clair Grupp to the newly-created role of director, integrated production. The office also hired Raphael Milczarek, ex-DDB Germany, as creative director on the Sunsilk account.

Lowe Hunt, Sydney hired Glue Society founder Dave Johnson as creative director.

Marketel/McCann Erickson, Montreal, hired David Yost, ex-Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, as ECD.

New York-based R/GA hired Barbara Hamilton as ECD, Johnson & Johnson account.

David Nobay, ECD at Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney, is leaving effective Nov. 1.

TBWA Worldwide hired Colleen DeCourcy, formerly JWT, New York's chief experience officer, as chief digital officer.

HOOKUPS> MERGERS, PARTNERSHIPS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE INDUSTRY
Organizers of the 2007 Eurobest Awards announced the jury presidents for this year's event in late November. DDB Group, Berlin CCO Amir Kassaei heads up the TV/Cinema, Print, Outdoor and Radio jury; Pablo Alzugaray, CEO of Shackleton, Madrid, chairs the Direct & Sales Promotion jury and the Integrated Advertising jury; TRIPLE, Copenhagen CD and co-founder Lars Cortsen heads the Interactive jury and Iain Jacob, chief executive of EMEA Starcom MediaVest Group, London heads the first-ever Media jury.

New commercial prodco GlobeShooter opened in Los Angeles, headed by founder Simon Foster.

Paris-based commercial and music video production company Grand Large Inc. opened in New York. EP Steve Horton heads the office and its roster includes directors Marc Caro, Gil Bauwens, Frank Vroegop, Tran Anh Hung, Tracey Rowe and Francesco Carrozzini.

Music licensing company IGOR Music opened shop in New York, headed up by Sacred Noise ECD Michael Montes.

Carbon-neutral prodco Instant Karma Films extended into the Asian market with two offices in China and a strategic alliance with Bangkok-based prodco Muanjai, headed up by director Opel.

MTV Networks execs announced that the company will invest $500 million in the creation and distribution of video games over the next two years across all of its brands.

Toronto-based television and radio audio production company Pirate expanded into New York after merging with NYC-based creative audio studio McHale. The New York office is headed by Chris McHale, and has strategic relationships with Ludorum Animation and concert production company Festival Network.

StrawberryFrog, which has offices in New York and Amsterdam, is opening a new outpost in Brazil. Headed by Alexandre Peralta, the new office will be based in São Paulo.

Former HSI exec producers Ellen Jacobson Clarke and Annique DeCaestecker have started new prodco A WHITELABEL Product, in partnership with North 6 Films. Directors in the roster thus far include Paul Middleditch, Arni & Kinski and Jean Paul Goude.