•FORMER HSI EPS START 'WHITELABEL' PRODCO> Two executive producers from HSI's Los Angeles and New York offices have left the company to start a WHITELABEL product, a new bicoastal boutique production company with a roster including ex-HSI directing talents Paul Middleditch, Arni & Kinski and Rankin & Chris. Ellen Jacobson Clarke and Annique DeCaestecker started the new company last month in partnership with production company North6 Films. "It was an opportunity to create a collective creative culture and take talent into different mediums," says Jacobson Clarke. Veteran spot director and photographer, Jean-Paul Goude, who's helmed campaigns for Chanel and Citroen, also joins WHITELABEL. The roster is rounded out by Nicholas Reynolds, Nick Robertson - both from Middleditch's company in Sydney, Plaza Films - Peter Lindbergh, Mikael Jansson and Jean-Claude Thibaut.

•BIG EARS FOUNDER MARC LEVISOHN PASSES ON>Marc Levisohn, a noted sound designer and founder of sound design and music house Big Ears, has passed on at the age of 37 after fighting lung cancer. Levisohn, formerly head of sound design at Hum, founded his company after leaving Hum in 2003. Levisohn's family has requested donations to his former school in lieu of flowers via this address: the Berklee School of Music, ATTN: Development Office - 1140 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215.
http://www.bigears.com

•AMEX, OGILVY WIN COMMERCIAL EMMY> American Express won a Primetime Emmy Award in the commercial category this past weekend for "Animals", a spot starring comedian Ellen Degeneres. Created by Ogilvy & Mather, New York and directed by Hungry Man's Bryan Buckley, the behind-the-scenes-style ad features Degeneres as a talk show host working with a crew of animals. To see the spot, visit the Boards screening room:
http://www.boardsmag.com/screeningroom/commercials/3645/

•EFFIE AWARDS CALL FOR ENTRIES> The ad industry competition that rewards "advertising ideas that work" officially put out a call for entries this week. The 40th-annual Effie Awards covers all forms of marketing communications with proven results and requires entrants to submit a four-minute entry brief that explains how the campaign unfolded. The deadline for 2008 Effie Awards entries is October 19, 2007. Extensions with late fees are available until November 7, 2007. Last year's Grand Effie went to Media Arts Lab\TBWA 's "Get a Mac" campaign.
http://www.effie.org

Ogilvy & Mather New York co-president Andy Berndt has reportedly left the agency to head a new division at Google focused on marketing and advertising.
http://www.google.com

180 Amsterdam has hired retail specialist Stephen Hancock to manage the agency's retail design department and Paulo Martins as associate creative director.
http://www.180amsterdam.com

Ending months of speculation Deutsch, Los Angeles announced that former Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam head of integrated production Tom Dunlap has moved to the agency as senior vice president, director of integrated production.
http://www.deutschinc.com

Stink, London has signed directors Warren and Nick.
http://www.stink.tv

Toronto's doug agency has hired Ian Schwey and Steffan Barry as associate creative directors.
http://www.dougagency.com

Rushes Post Production in London has rehired VFX artist Rufus Blackwell.
http://www.rushes.co.uk

London's Finish has hired Fi Kilroe, previously of The Mill, as a senior producer and Mark Gregory as senior 3D supervisor.
http://www.finish.tv

Beverly Hills-based Savant Film has signed director Nelson Cabrera, formerly with HKM, for exclusive US spot rep.
http://www.savantfilm.com

Postworks New York has hired former Christopher Koch as sound designer/mixer.
http://www.pwny.com

Bicoastal Transistor Studios has hired Mario de Toledo-Sader as East Coast creative director.
http://www.transistorstudios.com

Santa Monica boutique prodco superstudio has signed director/photographer Dewey Nicks.
http://www.superstudio.tv

Santa Monica and London-based music house Ear to Ear has signed sound designer Kim B. Christensen to its roster for US and European representation.
http://www.eartoear.com

LA post house Eyetronics has opened an office in Montreal and will roll out new offices in Toronto and Vancouver in 2008.
http://www.eyetronics.com

Minneapolis-based post house Splice Here has hired designer Jeff Stevens as creative director.
http://www.splicehere.tv

Chicago's STORY has signed director John Komnenich, for exclusive national spot rep.
http://www.storyco.tv

Chicago-based Filmworkers Club has hired motion graphics designer and Inferno artist Rick Thompson.
http://www.filmworkers.com

Moonlighting Chile has hired Sylvie Dube, previously of Montreal's Cinelande, as EP.
http://www.moonlighting.co.za

Production company Bouffant has opened for business in Cape Town and will be headed by Lorraine Smit and Melina McDonald.
http://www.bouffant.tv

New York-based Cutter Productions has launched Cutter Management to streamline its production services.
http://www.cuttermanagement.com

Dallas' Stephen Arnold Music has launched a video game music department called Earwig Game Audio.
http://www.stephenarnoldmusic.com/earwiggameaudio