Cutters Studios opens office in Tokyo
Cutters Studios is set to open its newest full service office in Tokyo, Japan this month. Over the last decade, Cutters Studio has seen explosive growth adding offices in LA and Detroit. Now, with a new international presence added to the mix, they continue to expand their impressive lineup of talent into the Asian market. This new office also has the distinction of being the first non-Japanese post house in Japan.
“For the past few years we’ve had an increased presence in Asia and we decided it was time to lay down roots and bring the Cutters’ brand of creative editorial to this growing market,” said Craig Duncan, Cutters Studios Executive Producer.
The Tokyo team is headed up by Managing Director/ Editor Ryan McGuire, Executive Producer Timo and Colorist Steve Rodriguez. All three come with many years of industry experience producing notable work and look to bring the unique approach that has been so successful. “We are bringing in something new, something better and something until now only available outside of Japan,” said Timo, Cutters Tokyo Executive Producer. “Now we are giving them access right next door.”
Award-winning editor Ryan McGuire will lead the new office. Some of his recent work includes the global rebranding for Volvo and the Mazda Heritage campaign that received a prestigious advertising distinction from TED. Some of his other clients include Playstation, American Express, Nintendo, Nissan, Vevo, IBM and Disney.
McGuire frequently fields requests to work on projects in the Japanese market due to a combination of his strong editing ability, fluency in the language and cultural understanding. “I found myself developing relationships in Tokyo with great directors like Hisashi Eto, Kosai Sekine and Takeshi Nakamura. The Japanese market continues to be very interested in working with us,” McGuire said. “And countries like South Korea and China are emerging markets, so having an Asian presence is key to future growth.”
Timo will manage the day-to-day operations and oversee all of the projects. Most recently he worked at Japan’s largest production company, Tohokushinsha.
Colourist Steve Rodriguez has worked on everything from iconic music videos, feature films like Little Miss Sunshine and campaigns for Nike, Apple and Lexus. He built his reputation at Company 3 and recently led Post Logic’s expansion from a small shop to a full-service facility. “Our combined experience allows us to be creative problem solvers capable of taking on the toughest client demands and delivering the best possible product every time,” Rodriguez said.
McGuire agrees: “We’ve built a solid team and Cutters Tokyo will show the Asian market that we are a world class company,” he said. “We plan to bring what has been successful in the United States to Japan-- the talent, the work ethic and everything that goes with it.”
