IN RHYTHM WITH DURAN DUBOI : DIRECTOR PITOF JOINS RH

The alliance Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios, Los Angeles, entered into with Paris-based animation/post house Duran Duboi Studio earlier this year (SHOOT, 6/15) has yielded a directorial dividend.

The mono-monikered Pitof (a.k.a. Jean-Christophe Comar), whose helming credits span commercials and long-form fare, has come aboard Rhythm + Hues for U.S. spots. Duran Duboi, which handles Pitof in Europe, helped to connect him with Rhythm + Hues.

Pitof was previously sold in Europe and the U.S. by Grand Large, Paris (which also now maintains a full-service New York office). Among his recent spotmaking endeavors are ads for Snickers and Orange, the latter through BETC Euro RSCG, Paris.

Pitof started his career in 1979 as an assistant director and editor of films and commercials. He then branched out into software design, graphic design and musical scoring, creating entire visual graphics packages with titles and logos for a variety of French television stations, music videos and commercials.

Recognized as a pioneer of digital imaging in France, it was Pitof's early visual effects work in commercials, videos and films with luminary international directors such as Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Lars Von Trier, Wim Wenders and Luc Besson that helped pave the way for his involvement in creating the first French software for digital visual effects for feature films.

Pitof's directorial career took off from there as he gained acclaim for commercials and short films, which led to 2nd unit director work on Alien: Resurrection and his 2001 feature film helming debut, Vidocq, which was shot and produced in HD. Next came Hollywood and Halle Berry when Pitof directed Catwoman for Warner Brothers in 2003.

Recently Pitof took up residence in Southern California and is committed to stepping up his spotmaking in the American market.

Rhythm + Hues executive producer Paul Babb said he has been a fan of Pitof's work "ever since I viewed his science fiction thriller Vidocq and then learned about the breadth of his work. And his European sense of design brings something very special to the table for commercial projects at R+H.

Pitof and his work have been lauded by such diverse entities as the Cannes International Film Festival and the French government, which honored the director with a Medal of Arts and Letters. He has also scored impressively on the short film front with A Tribute to Jessie Owens and CarlLewis, for which he won the Gold Podium medal at MIFED and the Gold Teapot medal at Imagina.

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