Santa Monica, CA -- TWC has signed Director/DP Eric Saarinen for exclusive commercial representation in the U.S. The announcement was made by TWC managing partner/executive producer Mark Thomas. At press time, Saarinen was wrapping his first project for TWC, a spot for John Deere out of agency GSD&M in Austin/Texas. The director joins a roster that includes Brian Baderman, Sebastien Chantrel, Trevor Cornish, Jeff France, Beverly Fortnum, David Jellison, Justin Klarenbeck, Alex Ogus, Suthon Petchsuwan, Bo Platt, Hamish Rothwell and Selby at the company.

“What Eric has done is literally set the visual esthetic for an entire class of film,” said Thomas. “His work is truly unique. When you hire Eric, you’re getting a Saarinen.  His work is it’s own genre.”
     
When Plum closed in October, the principals at TWC immediately contacted Saarinen. So did many great production companies. According to Thomas, although TWC is just four years old, he felt Eric would a great fit for this company. “We have assembled a top-notch, experienced production team the past few years, including executive producers Steve Ross (who spent the last few years producing for Kinka Usher) and Jeff Snyder (who acts as point person for TWC activities in both Asia and London),” says Thomas. “We’re ecstatic that Eric chose TWC to be his new home.”

For his part, Saarinen said he was looking for a company that had a game plan to keep him busy with great work. “I’m wired to work,” said Saarinen. “I have to get off creatively, a psychological need to be creative.”
    
“The work of all the directors here really impressed me, in particular, Suthon Petchsuwan,” adds Saarinen. “I got calls from numerous production companies when Plum closed, so I spent lots of time looking at everyone’s websites. Each company had a few good directors, but the reels here at TWC were all rock solid. Steve Ross really understood and appreciated my work. Mark Thomas presented a brilliant, extremely intelligent plan to keep me doing great projects. Both men validated my reasons for joining the company.”

Saarinen already wrapped his first job under the TWC banner, an ambitious, aforementioned spot for John Deere out of agency GSD&M/Austin. The job meant a lot to him personally, his father, Eero Saarinen (one of America’s foremost architects) having designed John Deere’s World Headquarters, a complex of three buildings located on 1,400 acres of land in Moline, Illinois. The headquarters is famous for its use of external steel, opened in 1964, his dad had died before its construction was complete. “It was very important to me to get the colors right in the spot,” said Saarinen. “They’ve kept the building true to what my dad envisioned, the natural oxidation of the steel is the effect he wanted.”

TWC is located at 1655 Euclid street, Santa Monica, Ca 90404. TWC is represented by Mary Ford & Associates on the East Coast, Doug Stieber & Nichole Tinaglia in the Midwest and Kelley Class on the West Coast. For more information contact Mark Thomas at 310-392-7333 or visit www.twcfilms.com.

Contact: Steve Fisher
(310) 392-7333
sfisher@twcfilms.com