PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Aero Film, Santa Monica signed director James Mangold (Walk The Line) for spots.

Base Camp, New York signed director Georgie Greville (aka GG) for exclusive US spot and branded content rep.

Believe Media, LA signed Liz Friedlander for worldwide spot rep. She will remain with DNA for music video rep.

Toronto's Cornerstore signed director Mark Bennett for Canadian spot rep.

Curious Pictures, New York signed director Sean Pecknold.

LA-based Hoytyboy Pictures signed Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi.

Merge @ Crossroads Films, London signed Howard Greenhalgh for UK music video rep. He's with Home Corp for UK spot rep.

Outsider, London partner Toby Courlander announced that he's resigning from the company to focus on writing a feature film.

Sydney's Prodigy Films signed Dael Oates.

Sonny, London signed director Jeff Thomas, ex-Weilands, for spot rep outside the US.

Sparks Productions, Toronto signed Alliance Atlantis in-house CD Sandra Enns Arnell for spot rep.

New York creative studio Thornberg & Forester signed Claire Carré for spot rep and hired producer Joe Glass, ex-JWT, New York.

Troublemakers, Paris signed directing duo The French Flavor, Jonathan Vardi and Scott Pagano for European spot and video rep.

Villains, LA signed directing duo Hennegan Brothers, the team behind CNN show Burden of Proof.

POST / AUDIO / ANIMATION
Asylum, Santa Monica hired Paul O'Shea as VFX Supervisor.

Chicago's Audio Producers Group named Peter Erazmus as head sound designer.

Austin-based charlieuniformtango hired Ron Rendon as EP.

FilmCore, Santa Monica promoted Sean Shafer to editor.

London's Golden Square hired Gilbert James as senior 3D producer.

New York-based Headlight VFX + Design hired John Clausing as animation director.

Design studio Loyalkaspar hired Elliott Chaffer as creative director.

MassMarket, New York hired CG supervisor Jeffrey Dates and producer Nancy Hwang.

Venice-based production studio Motion Theory hired Angie Jones as animation supervisor.

London-based animation house Not to Scale signed directing duo Ubik.

Auckland, NZ-based VFX house Oktobor re-hired colorist Peter Ritchie.

PostWorks, LA named Jim Houston as SVP, imaging and Jeff Quinn, VP, engineering.

Red Car, NY hired editors Anthony Marinelli (most recently at Cut & Run, NY) and Wendy Rosen (ex-3 Fingered Louie).

Stardust, Santa Monica hired art director Jonathan Wu.

Suspect, New York hired Hoon Chong as CD and Stefanie Bassett as producer.

Version2, New York signed editor Rick Waller.

AD AGENCIES
Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis hired Tom Riddle, previously of Fallon and Duffy Design, as group CD.

Cramer-Krasselt hired Chris Jacobs, ex-Martin Agency, as ECD for its Milwaukee office.

Interactive shop Digitas named Heath Rudduck (ex-Tribal DDB) as ECD for its Boston office.

Euro RSCG, Chicago hired Matt Dimmer as senior art director.

Digital content agency, EVB, San Francisco named Andrew Walter to the new position of vice-president of content delivery.

Fallon, Minneapolis hired John Nussbaum, previously of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, as senior art director, re-hired copywriter Tom Sebanc and hired Roberto Lastra, also ex-Goodby, as copywriter.

Grey, London named Jon Williams, ex-Beattie McGuinness Bungay, as its CCO.

JWT hired Orlando Hooper-Greenhill as director of global planning to work out of the agency's London office.

Richmond-based The Martin Agency promoted Kerry Berkbigler Ayers to senior producer/production supervisor.

Saatchi & Saatchi, New York named former TBWA\Chiat\Day ECD Gerry Graf as its new CCO, replacing the outgoing Tony Granger.

TBWA Worldwide president Tom Carroll will step into the CEO job to replace Jean-Marie Dru, who becomes chairman.

Trish Wheaton, formerly chairperson of Wunderman Canada and COO of Wunderman UK has become the company's first global chief marketing officer; Brendan Tansey, former CEO of Euro RSCG in Sydney, joined as CEO.

HOOKUPS> MERGERS, PARTNERSHIPS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE INDUSTRY
London agency Adam & Eve launched. The three founding partners, Ben Priest, James Murphy and David Golding were originally with Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R. They're joined by Jon Forsyth (ex-Naked).

The Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) is accepting entries via its website for the 2008 AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the American Commercial taking place at New York's Museum of Modern Art on June 3. There are two deadlines this year: Feb. 15 for work airing between Feb. 5, 2007 and Feb. 3, 2008 and Feb. 29 for work airing Feb. 4, 2008 to Feb. 24, 2008.

The Clio Awards named their executive jury chairs: Anomaly partner Johnny Vulkan (Content & Contact), future Y&R worldwide CD Tony Granger (TV/Cinema/Digital) and DDB, London ECD Jeremy Craigen (Print/Poster/Innovative/Integrated). The Clios take place May 14-17.

Oslo-based communication strategy agency Naked expanded into Denmark with a new office in Copenhagen, headed up by Casper Willer.

PJ Pereira and Andrew O'Dell have left AKQA, San Francisco, to form their own agency, as yet unnamed.

New York-based animation/design/VFX company Psyop has announced it's raising $29.4 million through a public transaction with Isreali-based Fortissimo Acquisition Corp. Following the closing of the transaction, Fortissimo will be renamed Psyop Inc. and the company will attempt to have its shares listed on Nasdaq. Also, once the deal is closed, Psyop will establish an R&D facility in Israel. Psyop's current creative heads and management team will remain in place including EP Justin Booth-Clibborn, who will become the CEO of the newly public company.

At London's Therapy Films, director Mark Denton left to form his own shop, with directors Mike Baldwin and Christian Bevilacqua also on board. Co-founder/director Malcolm Venville and managing director Barry Hughes will maintain the Therapy brand as partners. Director Guy Manwaring and producer Alice Grant are also talking to other prodcos.

Ex-Rebolucion director Lemon opened a new Buenos Aires-based prodco called Ursula Cine. The roster also includes director Gonzalo Llorente.

Richmond's VCU Adcenter rebranded itself as VCU Brandcenter.