PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Bicoastal Anonymous Content signed director John Osborne.

Blink Productions, London signed Argentinean director Nicolas Kasakoff for UK spot rep.

Curious Pictures hired John Cline as head of production.

Epoch Films, London signed music video collective Collision for UK commercial rep. Epoch also signed Wilfrid Brimo for US rep.

Elaine Strom Behnken was promoted from head of production to EP at LA-based prodcos Gartner, tight, and Outsider USA.

Bicoastal/London/Rio-based Hungry Man signed filmmaker Nanette Burstein (American Teen) for global spot rep.

Mustard, London signed director Johnny Maginn for commercial rep.

Steam Films, Toronto signed TV/feature director Peter Wellington for Canadian spot rep.

Los Angeles-based Paranoid U.S. signed Paris-based director/animator Romain Segaud for US spot rep.

Saville Productions, New York signed New Zealand filmmaker Christine Jeffs for North American spot rep.

Spy Films, Toronto signed Radical Friend and Alexes for worldwide spot rep.

Bicoastal/London-based Station Film signed Dutch director Jelle.

Stink, London signed directing duo DarkFibre (Mark Hawker and Ishbel Whitaker) for worldwide spot rep.

LA's Tight Films signed directors Danny T and Jeremy Russell for US spot rep.

POST/AUDIO/ANIMATION
Sherman Oaks-based Avatarlabs hired Alan Chapman as production designer.

Blue Room, New York hired EP Mark Mutschler.

Digital Kitchen, LA hired John Couch as VP of entertainment & creative media strategy.

Elias Arts, New York announced that CEO Martin Pazzani stepped down to focus on company developmental ventures.

Eyeball NYC hired CD Jory Hull and promoted Mike Sullo to head of production.

FilmCore, Santa Monica added editor Angelo Valencia to its roster.

Final Cut, Los Angeles added Oscar-winning editor Joe Hutshing to its roster and promoted Graham Turner to editor.

Chicago-based Lift Motion Design added motion graphics designer and animator Kyle Shoup to its roster.

LA's Method Studios hired Lisa Houck as EP and Leighton Greer as head of production.

MPC, London hired flame artists/VFX supervisors Yourick Van Impe and Rob Walker.

Riot, New York hired animation supervisor Matt Hackett.

Smoke & Mirrors, London hired flame artist/VFX super Nico Cotta and producer James Niklasson.

New York-based Sound Lounge hired Marcus Smith as EP.

Teak Motion Visuals, San Francisco hired editor DJ Joo.

New York-based creative studio Thornberg & Forester hired producer Kimberly Abels.

AD AGENCIES
AMV.BBDO, London, hired former TBWA\London creatives Matt Saunby and Adam Chiappe.

LA-based davidandgoliath appointed John Kieselhorst as design director.

Deutsch, Los Angeles hired Valencia Gayles as SVP, group account director to lead on the newly acquired Dr. Pepper account. The New York office promoted Eve Kornblum, previously SVP/EP, to EVP/director of content production.

Energy BBDO, Chicago hired Andrew Kasprzycki as SVP, managing director, to lead the agency's digital arm, which will be branded Proximity, in line with the global agency's Proximity Worldwide Network.

Euro RSCG Worldwide named former Wieden + Kennedy, Portland CD Jose Cabaco as North American CCO.

Grey, New York hired Noel Cottrell as ECD and Don McKinney, formerly a partner at Seattle's Cole & Weber United, as ECD/director of digital development.

JWT, New York hired Sarah Barclay, formerly of Saatchi & Saatchi, as ECD.

Modernista!, Amsterdam hired Boyd Coyner as ECD and managing partner.

R/GA, New York hired Ian Spalter as CD in the Mobile and Emerging Platforms group. The London office hired Jim Moffatt as managing director.

TBWA\Chiat\Day, New York confirmed that former Y&R, Chicago CCO and managing partner Mark Figliulo joined the agency as chairman and chief creative officer.

Wieden+Kennedy, Portland hired copywriter Eric Kallman and art director Craig Allen (ex-TBWA\Chiat\Day, NY).

HOOKUPS> MERGERS, PARTNERSHIPS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE INDUSTRY
Helsinki-based agency 358 opened with a creative department of international names: Antero Jokinen, formerly of 180, LA; Erkki Izarra, formerly of KesselsKramer, Amsterdam and Ale Lauraéus, ex-CP+B. Strategist Peter Barmer joins from Hasan & Partners. Juha Aalto, former Habbo marketer, also joins the staff.

London-based post house Absolute opened a new motion graphics department headed up by Ric Comline, previously of MPC.

Barcelona's Agosto inked a deal with Buenos Aires' Pioneer Productions to rep its roster in the Argentinean market.

AKQA, London launched broadcast division AKQA Film, which will produce feature films, branded content and entertainment programming.

Bluerock, New York acquired Roe Bressan's management consulting firm Navigating and tapped Bressan as Bluerock's new president and COO.

Prodcos HKM and Rock Fight merged to form hello & CO. HKM/Rock Fight EPs Ned Brown, Melissa White Culligan and Carl Swan will head the LA-based operation, co-owned by Michael Karbelnikoff.

Mother's London office co-produced a mini-feature that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Directed by BAFTA winner Shane Meadows (This Is England), Somers Town tells the story of two teenage boys who forge a friendship in the "alienating urban environments" of central London. Initially pitched by Mother to Eurostar International as a short film that would document the relocation of its terminus to St Pancras Station, the project evolved to feature length when Meadows decided to direct.

Former AKQA execs P.J. Pereira and Andrew O'Dell opened San Francisco-based agency Pereira & O'Dell with Lego Systems, Inc. and Pony as its first clients.

Editor Keith Olwell and EP Elizabeth Kiehner founded New York-based editorial house Proton Studio.

New York-based editorial and VFX/motion design shop Version2 formed a partnership with CG animation and VFX shop, Special Branch, to form Special Branch@V2 (SB@V2).