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CYLNDR Studios announces new hires
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The company announces a new live action practice while also investing in AI capabilities.
CYLNDR Studios is integrating makers, designers, producers, creatives and business leaders at the genesis of an idea, setting up production to be a driving force throughout the creative process, shaping campaigns based on what's actually possible to build.
CYLNDR Studios is betting that its production-first approach will win out, and has brought on four key hires to bring the vision to life.
“The old model of concept first, production later, is breaking under the pressure of speed and scale,” says Sylvain Tron, managing director of CYLNDR Studios. “That model was built for a simpler time: one big commercial, a few formats, done. Today, brands need to show up everywhere with efficiency and consistency. That requires a production partner who understands both high-end craft and modern technology.”
The 'Handoff Tax,' as identified by CYLNDR Studios, is the accumulated friction when thinking and making are separated: countless rounds of rework, slower timelines, eroded vision and ultimately a watered-down end product in a world already drowning in mediocre content and AI slop.
“We dubbed this bottleneck ‘The Handoff Tax,’” says Tron. “The problem is that most production companies get called in at the end of the creative process, once the idea is locked, the budget is set, and the timeline is already tight; the idea is continuously handed off across different teams, diminishing the creative concept by the time it gets to production. Our new structure is built to kill this ‘Handoff Tax.’”
Marrying Thinking And Making Through Four Key Hires:
- Michael Bucchino, director of film craft
- Jake Coughlin, director of motion & visual Innovation
- Marcus Jones, director of applied AI
- Chris Rose, executive director, growth
CYLNDR Studios is made up of creative industry veterans Suz Keen, Can Misirlioglu and Kara O’Halloran, with Tron at the helm. These four leaders marry creative, design and production at a high level, and now with the addition of Michael Bucchino, Jake Coughlin and Marcus Jones they have a senior team in place who can make incredible ideas a reality.
Previously, Bucchino was the director of live action at PXP Studios, Publicis Groupe’s global content studio, where he oversaw business and creative operations for the live action practice across the United States. Bucchino was also the head of production & innovation at Tool of North America. At Tool, he built a treasure hunt for Game of Thrones and brought a fan favorite NYC deli back in partnership with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Bucchino was also creative director & executive producer at Westbrook Inc., Will Smith’s media production company.
“I came to CYLNDR Studios to build a world-class production practice with a relentless focus on craft,” says Bucchino. “Whether the work happens on a set or through a prompt, the goal is elevating film craft beyond just live action. When thinking and making are closer together, as they will be here, the end product is always better; everyone involved feels more ownership because the final result is in line with the original vision.”
Coughlin joins the team after a three-year stint as a senior creative technologist at Monks. He’s worked on everything from trailers for Get Out to a Capital One brand activation at the Las Vegas Sphere during AWS re:Invent. “The lack of silos at CYLNDR Studios is extremely appealing,” says Coughlin. “It’s exactly what the industry needs in this moment where the expectations for content are higher than ever. CYLNDR Studios is set up so people can lean into their skillset, agnostic of title and department. It’s also a place where self-taught makers and experimenters can thrive.”
Jones formerly worked as the Global director of branded content at WIRED Magazine.
“These creative constraints that production shops have been facing for decades can be streamlined in CYLNDR Studios’ new framework. We are using AI to make production smarter and faster without compromising any of the creative genius,” explains Jones.
“When makers are in the room from day one, craft doesn’t get compromised for speed, it gets built into the plan,” says Bucchino.
Rose also joins CYLNDR Studios from Movers + Shakers as executive director of growth. He will be responsible for bringing this new model to market.
“CYLNDR Studios is built for brands and agencies that need a making partner that moves at their pace, not behind it,” says Rose. “The new framework pushes back on the status quo. CYLNDR Studios is betting on a structural shift in the industry, evolving its business model to fit the needs of brand partners through an emphasis on production; we’re replacing handoffs with a loop where thinkers and makers collaborate throughout the entire creative process.”
