finance
Two Talent Agencies Announce Merger to Form Larger Independent Firm
Dattner Dispoto and Associates and Worldwide Production Agency will combine operations in August. The merged firm will maintain offices in Los Angeles and the United Kingdom while rebranding later this year.
The Hollywood ReporterAudio version
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Two agencies that represent below-the-line talent in film, television, and commercials will merge this summer. Dattner Dispoto and Associates, established in 1987, and Worldwide Production Agency, established in 2010, said the combination will give them greater scale while preserving independence. The firms currently employ 9 and 25 people respectively.
Background on the Agencies Dattner Dispoto and Associates operates from the Bradbury building in Los Angeles under president Bill Dispoto and vice president Juanita Tiangco. Worldwide Production Agency maintains offices in Los Angeles and the United Kingdom and is led by co-chief executives Steve Jacob and Frank Balkin.
Both agencies represent cinematographers, production designers, and producers whose credits include feature films and television series.
Discussions between the two firms began last fall at an international film festival. The bulk of Worldwide Production Agency staff will relocate to the Bradbury building in August, at which point a new name and brand for the combined agency will be introduced.
"This is a way we can maintain independence without being bolted on to someplace," Steve Jacob said. Juanita Tiangco added that the merger will provide clients with greater opportunities and a global platform while keeping an individualized approach.
