Arts & Sciences Arrives in London
Undeterred by the unfolding events of 2020, Arts & Sciences (A&S), the internationally respected production company, is expanding in scope by opening an office in London.
Formed in 2010, A&S partners Marc Marrie, Matt Aselton, and Mal Ward built a formidable brand with an indelible legacy of work. Drawing from this strong heritage, A&S is now growing its leadership team to include James Bland, who will lead A&S’s British counterpart. With a career encompassing all aspects of film production, Bland most recently served as Executive Producer and Partner at UK industry giant Blink Productions.
Arts & Sciences London launches with nine directors/directing teams: Adam & Dave, Mike Warzin, Sean Meehan, Fiona McGee, Anthony Mandler, Shaniqwa & Raj, Alex Prager, Matt Lenski, and co-founder Matt Aselton. With both established directors and up-and-coming talent, spanning razor-sharp comedy, conceptual, and narrative filmmakers across the roster, they are positioned to provide their high-level process and intrepid character to UK and European agencies and creatives.
Mal Ward says: “We’ve had our eye on London for a while and we wanted to do this in a very specific and thoughtful way. Fortunately for us, James Bland was willing to partner with some ambitious and somewhat idealistic Americans. Being open ten years, it’s a benchmark moment and we couldn’t be more excited to mark it by establishing our brand and directors in what is arguably one of the best markets in the world.”
Counterintuitive though it may seem to open a new London office in the midst of a global crisis of epic proportions, the resulting economic uncertainty, and in the shadow of Brexit, broadening their scope comes from a position of authority. The current circumstances present a unique opportunity and one that informs the way they are structuring the company to be in sync with what they have always stood for in the US. Evolving beyond a traditional, big and bulky operation paradigm to a style that’s more nimble and laser-focused. For the team at A&S, it remains about the creativity and craft. They continue to work at the sharp end of the market, proving themselves to be exceptional production partners that deliver.
James Bland adds, “We are opening with a very refined and focused proposition; extremely talented directors that are committed to the market and want to collaborate with agencies on the best creative work. I’m thrilled to be leading the company in the UK and Europe, and we look forward to supporting great ideas with our elite production team.”
Arts & Sciences was started a decade ago as a boutique production company that specialises in producing award-winning advertising content, music videos, fine art projects, original documentaries, and feature films. Located in West Hollywood, CA. and Brooklyn, NY., Arts & Sciences represents a diverse group of top directors and creators and has been named a Creativity A-List Production Company five times. Every major advertising award show has recognised their work, including Cannes Lions, Clio, AICP, D&AD, The One Show, and the Andys. Their original content work has been featured in the New Frontiers showcase at the Sundance Film Festival, The New York Film Festival, LACMA, The New Yorker, Nowness, and Purple Magazine. Arts & Sciences has produced work for every major global brand, such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Nike, AT&T, Samsung, Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, American Express, MLB, the NFL, and more.
