A productions rebrands to Ava.
Spain is hot, and newly rebranded creative content shop Ava.(formerly Aproductions) is poised to take advantage of the trends that have seen the country increasingly becoming the destination for international service production, while the creative work from the region draws ever greater attention from the industry’s top awards shows.
Rejecting a more cautious approach to the production business post-pandemic, Ava.’s strategy of pressing the advantages of their experienced service side, in combination with a reimagined roster, reflects the company’s optimism about the future of production in Spain.
“Ava. was originally conceived over discussions with EP Carl Wyant, ex HALAL Amsterdam/Berlin, ex Great Guns US/Asia, about the business in Amsterdam,” says Ava. Founder, Agustin Gonzalez.
“Carl and I had met at Cannes and then again at Ciclope, back when that was possible, and stayed in touch. After our success in the local market with top Spanish brands like fashion retailers Zara, El Corte Inglese, and Mango, local sports giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, our decade-long award-winning campaigns for Spain Tourism, and the taste of working regularly with global brands Nivea, Gillette, Tommy Hilfiger, and across a host of products for Unilever, we were looking to extend our reach internationally, and creatively. Amsterdam, with its global agencies and in-house brand shops looked like the perfect place to start, but my discussions with Carl convinced me to take an even broader view. Ultimately, we opted for an all-in global approach, including the US, UK, and the rest of Europe as targets for our service production, drawing top talent and their production companies, agencies, to come and shoot with us in Spain, while continuing to build our creative roster for work with Spanish and international brands. Carl’s leadership in our transformation to Ava. has been invaluable, and his experience with top international production has guided us through the process of this strategic pivot. Without him, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
¨If this dark period we’re all just coming out of has any lessons to teach us, it’s the value of new creative beginnings, optimism, and boldness ¨
“As work in Europe, the UK, and the US started to heat up again this past Spring, Agustin and I started to talk about Spain, all that the region has to offer as a location for filmmaking, the wealth of creative talent there, and the international directors who I knew would jump at the chance to come and join us. Importantly as well was the opportunity to be a part of building something new, with an enthusiastic team at Ava. who are keen to make their creative mark.”
Why Ava.? Carl tells the story.
“We were looking for a brand name that reflected our creative ambitions, our global outlook, and our Spanish base, and came across the history of film legend Ava Gardiner having lived in Spain, specifically in Madrid, for a decade or more in the 1950s and ‘60s. At that time, she was instrumental in helping put Spain on the map of cool destinations, with her larger than life image, Hollywood credentials, her vivacity, and a bit of outrageousness mixed in. What better muse could a creative company have?”
Spain boasts diverse on-screen talent with globally competitive buyouts, surprisingly low production costs, a deep and highly experienced pool of production talent behind the camera, state of the art facilities that have hosted top feature films and episodic television like TGOT, a variety of stunning locations, dazzling cities, infinite roads and landscapes that can also double for any look in the world.
“Add the very film friendly environment, the weather, and the government’s support for production, not to mention the closer proximity for travel than most of the global competitors, and it’s easy to understand why we see an exciting future for Ava.,” Wyant concludes. “In the end, it’s Spain, one of the world’s top tourist locations, doubling as a film set.”