“The best,
most progressive,
culturally relevant
reps that I have ever
had the pleasure of
working with.”
Roy Skillicorn, Backyard Productions
Backyard Productions welcomes Nathan Skillicorn of Heart, Brains and Nerve for Midwest representation, and Perry Schaffer and Corey Rogers of Schaffer/Rogers for East Coast representation.
Backyard’s founder, Roy Skillicorn, who recently rejoined the company as Managing Director & CMO, was immediately tasked to evaluate and secure representation in both key markets. He sought to complement Backyard’s existing West Coast representation helmed by Doug Sherin and Kimberly Griswold of Options Inc.
Critical to the search was finding representation that matched Option’s work ethic, enthusiasm, honesty, and willingness to embrace new models of production execution in the rapidly evolving advertising arena.
Prior to recruiting Roy Skillicorn, Kevin Allodi, President & CEO of Backyard’s parent company Philo Media, had already set his sights on Nathan Skillicorn to fill the Midwest slot, having been clued in to Nathan’s drive and business acumen by others in the Chicago production community.
“I was blown away, very impressed by the number of quality creative opportunities Nathan immediately began presenting to us — even while we were actively interviewing other firms,” recalls Allodi. “It was indicative of what we’d hoped Nathan would bring to the table, and he hasn’t disappointed.”
Similarly, Schaffer/Rogers was also fast out of the gate in the East Coast.
“Having successfully worked with me previously, at Seed, all three were able to hit the ground running for us at Backyard,” says Skillicorn. “All our reps are down with the most current business trends; they market creatively and out of the box, securing projects originating from both agencies and directly from clients.”
Allodi agrees, adding, “Both markets have enjoyed significantly increased lead activity since Nathan, Perry and Corey have come onboard, many of which have already led to bids and awards.”
Heart, Brains & Nerve and Schaffer/Rogers were quick to add Backyard to their roster of companies. Having retained many of the support systems, practices and the philosophy deployed during Skillicorn’s original tenure at Backyard, the reps found the environment there to be very familiar to their current working relationship with Roy at Seed.
Notable Quotes
Roy Skillicorn “I get to work with the best, most progressive, culturally relevant reps that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Schaffer and Rogers have been loyal, diligent partners since Seed’s time as a startup, recently helping land a seven-figure project that won a Lion at Cannes. They were quick to understand each of the Backyard directors’ distinctivenesses and strengths and began making appropriate director reels and sales pitches. I’ve also had the good fortune to work side by side with my son since he began in the industry, and I know him to be one of the most astute, caring, honest and well-liked reps in the business. Being able to bring on people I know well, and have worked with previously, has allowed me to quickly focus on generating sales opportunities.”
Nathan Skillicorn “I grew up with Backyard being prominent in our home and around the kitchen table. From discussions of marketing and branding to events and shoots, I observed firsthand the fun my father had working in this business. Having Backyard back in our lives is an unexpected and amazing opportunity, especially so for Roy, and I look forward to bringing my skills and energy to help guide Backyard to even greater heights.”
Schaffer and Rogers “We are proud to continue working with Roy and expanding our relationship to include Backyard’s unique and innovative global talent. We love this group and are committed to marketing them with the fierce energy they deserve.”
About Backyard Productions
Backyard produces creative content for the best ad agencies and top brands in the world. From our headquarters in Culver City, CA, our team of talented directors and seasoned producers deliver a collaborative creative process that builds strong, happy client relationships. Backyard has always been considered the “Shangri-La of production”, delivering a thoroughly enjoyable experience, infused with engaging and dependable people with generous attitudes, while offering innovation and craftsmanship at the very highest levels. Managing Director Roy Skillicorn, veteran Executive Producers Kris Mathur and Emily Malito, together with the Backyard roster of talented, finely curated directors, welcome you to join us on your most important projects.
About Heart, Brains & Nerve
Founded in 2010 by Nathan Skillicorn, Heart, Brains & Nerve represents unique and innovative global talent for the commercial advertising and entertainment industries.
About Schaffer/Rogers
Representing Content Creators, Schaffer/Rogers connects ad agencies and advertisers to companies who create, produce, design, and edit innovative content for screens of all sizes.
