Uppercut Scales Team to Include Lisa Sadek and Jared Thomas

Next-gen, premier editorial, finishing, and VFX studio Uppercut has promoted Lisa Sadek to head of production in its New York office and has hired Jared Thomas as head of production for its brand new Los Angeles outpost.

Uppercut has seen considerable expansion since 2020, beginning with the addition of Lisa Houck as managing director and the company’s new office in Atlanta, building upon their New York flagship location. Now they increase their presence with a rapidly growing Los Angeles-based west coast team, with an official office launch set for 2022.

Lisa is a New Jersey native whose career began as a senior coordinator at Cablevision, before moving to associate producer at Prodigious (now Harbor), and then producer at Jump Editorial. She joined the Uppercut team as a Producer in 2018, drawn to the diversity of projects that its production team oversees, each requiring a fresh perspective with different creative, people, timelines, and deliverables. This variety has allowed her to hone her exceptional skills alongside a team she greatly admires. She has worked on projects for international brands including Ford, Johnson & Johnson, Lexus, Nike, and Volvo, among many others. 

“My ambition for this new role is to continue to grow and contribute as much value as possible to the team and the company as a whole,” says Lisa. “My team is my favourite thing about my job, along with the unlimited possibilities that Uppercut is known for. I’m thrilled to be part of this incredible moment in time that Micah (Micah Scarpelli, Founder/Editor) and Lisa (Houck) have created and continue to realise.”

Jared was born in San Diego and moved to San Francisco out of high school. For the 13 years he spent there, he worked at studios including Filmcore and Beast. His career continued in Los Angeles at Rock Paper Scissors as a freelance producer and on staff at Cut + Run, before making this move to Uppercut. For Thomas, the ability to collaborate with so many creative people is paramount, and a fundamental part of what he loves about his role. He has worked with A-list brands like Apple, Amazon, Nike, Audi, Budweiser, and Pepsi, among many more. 

“The work at Uppercut speaks for itself, but it’s also the vibe that I was drawn to,” says Jared. “After speaking with Lisa and Micah, I knew this was a place where I would fit in perfectly. The individuals here make Uppercut one of the best places to work in LA. To come in on the ground floor while the office is still being built out, how could I not want to be a part of that? I’m excited to grow both individually and contribute to the growth of the company, by ensuring that every client walks away feeling like there was no other place that could have done for them what we do.” 

“Jared and Lisa are exceptional creative producers,” says Uppercut managing director Lisa Houck. “Not only are they both incredibly strong in running a process that creates a seamless experience for our client, but they are also just lovely people. Personable, organised, and completely unflappable. It’s been a pleasure watching Lisa grow at Uppercut and help shape the future of the company. And the experience Jared brings to his role is unbelievable; he has worked alongside the best in the business, and it shows.”