Cutters L.A. Changes Venue, Adds Talent

Cutters L.A. Changes Venue, Adds Talent

Editors Jaime Valdueza (left) and Adam Parker have joined Cutters, L.A.

Cutters, the creative editorial and post production company with studios in Chicago and Detroit, has kicked off the new year with a move to a new location in Los Angeles and the addition of new talent.   "A little while ago, we brought on a great editor in Barnett Kiel, as a test to see how the market would react to our style of post production," states Cutters' CEO/President and Founder Tim McGuire. "The response has been overwhelmingly positive, making our next step the obvious choice." At the close of 2011, Cutters made the next step - in fact, it was three steps.
 
The first move was the signing of two new editors: Adam Parker and Jaime Valdueza.  Parker joins from Chrome Editorial, and brings great comedic experience to the company's L.A. roster. He's also worked on notable documentary and reality-based projects, cutting three different Sundance-screened films this year, including the opening night documentary, "The Queen Of Versailles," directed by Lauren Greenfield, who's represented by Chelsea.
 
In addition, the studio has relocated to a new, more client-friendly suite of offices in Santa Monica, located at 1657 Euclid Street.
 
"I'm really excited to be at Cutters," states Parker. "They share the same appreciation for so many things I love about this business and are incredibly smart about making the whole post process a great experience from every perspective. The culture within the company is amazing. Everyone I've met has not just been creatively great, but also very open and collaborative."
 
Valdueza joins Cutters from Lost Planet.  His reel reflects an emphasis on storytelling and dialogue, with a dash of comedy.  A Spanish native, he's bilingual and has been editing both commercials and films in the L.A. market for the past few years, most recently completing work on actor John Leguizamo's comedy "FUGLY!" last year.

"Cutters has achieved impressive national success and now it's ready to tackle other markets and cultures like the Hispanic American market and the growing markets of Asia," says Valdueza. "This openness to new and culturally diverse clients as well as their strong presence in the emerging Hispanic markets like Chicago and Detroit, made my choice even easier."
 
Parker and Valdueza join Cutters' L.A. Executive Producer Nicole Visram, the driving force behind the growth of the Cutters brand on the West Coast; the rising editorial star Aki Mizutani (editor on the Oscar-nominated documentary short "The Tsunami and The Cherry Blossom," directed by Supply & Demand Integrated's Lucy Walker); and Kiel, who came to Cutters from Beast in January 2010.

The new Cutters location in Santa Monica puts them in good company.

The new location where Valdueza and Parker will be working puts them in a very happening neighborhood.  "We not only loved the space, but we also loved the surrounding creativity of our neighbors," says Visram. "Next door we have Dreamworks, around the corner is @radical.media, and across the way is J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot – a group we've already gotten to know." The new 5,000 square foot space boasts FCP/Avid HD edit suites, a Smoke room and a conference room, and will also house the West Coast operations of Cutters' sister brand, Picnic,  a transmedia production company.
 
In addition to the new editors joining in L.A., Cutters' Director of Business Development, Will Kneip, will also be shifting his focus to the West Coast. "Will has done an amazing job of building the Cutters brand in Chicago," says Craig Duncan, Executive Producer of Cutters Inc. "He knows our company and the way we work. I feel very fortunate to have Will and Nicole leading our renewed investment in the L.A. market."
 
Kneip, a former agency producer, will officially become Sales Director for the West Coast. "I'll definitely miss working closely with our Chicago clients," he says, "but I'm very excited to embrace the new challenges and opportunities this shift will offer."

Published 24 January, 2011