Harbor has made a strategic move to strengthen its position in London by acquiring CHEAT, a premium color and finishing studio.
This acquisition enhances Harbor’s offerings for post-production projects across the entertainment and advertising industries. Dan Bennett has been appointed as the Managing Director, Advertising, UK, to lead this division.
The acquisition represents a significant step for Harbor, as it bolsters its advertising capabilities in London, a crucial aspect of its business. Additionally, it expands Harbor’s expertise in visual effects (VFX) and color grading in the UK. This strategic move will enable Harbor to invest further in emerging talent within the advertising sector, fostering cross-over talent looking to transition into the entertainment industry.
With its newly acquired CHEAT studio now part of Harbor’s Turnmills studio, the company aims to provide scalable solutions for premium content while maintaining a boutique approach. This positions Harbor uniquely to serve global studios and agency clients across advertising and entertainment, based in the UK.
Zak Tucker, Founder and CEO of Harbor, expressed his enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating, “Bringing Cheat and its team into the fold extends our ability to locally serve our global Entertainment and Advertising clients from Los Angeles to Chicago and Atlanta, to New York, and now the United Kingdom. Moreover, it adds very special, sought-after artists and producers to our crew, affording multi-geographical opportunities and creative collaborations, both centerpieces of Harbor’s promise to clients and ourselves.”
Toby Tomkins, Founder and Senior Colorist of CHEAT, shared his excitement about joining Harbor, saying, “I’m delighted to join the Harbor team and be part of such a creative and forward-thinking company. The combined strength of our artistry will continue to propel our teams and creativity forward. I can’t wait to see what we will achieve together.”
James Corless, Harbor’s UK Commercial Director, added, “I’ve long admired CHEAT and what Toby has built with the team there. It’s an artist-lead facility that has been at the forefront of identifying and supporting new talent both on the client side and in-house with its colorist roster. I look forward to working with the team there as both Harbor and CHEAT continue to expand in the UK.”
Massimo D’Avolio, EVP of Strategy and Operations at Harbor, commented on the acquisition, stating, “When our business leaders in the UK approached us with the option to acquire Cheat, we quickly agreed that it was aligned with the ethos of Harbor as we are committed to fostering entrepreneurs and giving them the opportunity to expand creatively and facilitate their ability to increase capabilities by leveraging Harbor’s global presence.”
As Managing Director, Advertising, United Kingdom, Bennett will oversee the creative operations of Harbor’s advertising business in the UK and the EMEA region. He will work in tandem with Tony Robins, Managing Director, Advertising, North America, to further enhance the artistry offerings for Harbor’s clients on a global scale.
Bennett’s illustrious career in the VFX industry includes work as a VFX Producer on high-profile projects such as Ridley & Luke Scott’s TED 2023 (Prometheus), the Netflix series Maniac, A24 feature American Animals, and Baz Luhrmann’s H&M collaboration ‘The Secret life of Flowers.’
His dedication and exceptional work led to his promotion to Managing Director of Absolute Post, a leading VFX and animation studio, in 2015.
This acquisition represents Harbor’s commitment to expanding its global footprint and providing innovative post-production solutions to its clients in the advertising and entertainment industries.
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