New York-based Imaginary Forces has hired executive producer Sarah Roebuck to head up live action. Roebuck comes to Imaginary Forces from East Pleasant, a NY-based production company, where she oversaw live action, interactive and digital projects for several global brands and agencies. While at East Pleasant, she also oversaw their postproduction and motion graphics companies, Pleasant Post and EP*Vision. Prior to that, she served as director of integrated production recruitment and senior producer at JWT, in addition to producing for @radical.media. At Imaginary Forces, Roebuck will leverage her background in production and postproduction to build teams for projects and develop roster directors’ live action work.
“For years Chip Houghton and I have believed that we needed a strong leader to help our directors grow and move up the food chain using live action as one of their key tools,” Imaginary Forces co-founder/creative director/EP Peter Frankfurt said. “After meeting Sarah, we knew instantly that we had found our EP.”
“Our directors have all grown up primarily in the design world, but all often integrate live-action elements,” co-founder/managing director Houghton said. “With Sarah’s agency experience and work in various types of media, she’s someone who speaks our language and understands the type of work we do.”
Roebuck started her professional career in production at JWT, where she spent more than 10 years working with a wide range of clients such as Smirnoff, HSBC, Estee Lauder, Domino’s Pizza, Stride, Merrill Lynch and Microsoft. She shifted to a role as an integrated production recruiter, assembling tailored teams for projects, building an extensive network of both staff and freelance talent across numerous disciplines. From there she moved to East Pleasant where she served as executive producer of the company’s postproduction shop, Pleasant Post, and motion graphics studio, EP*Vision, working on projects for top brands including Nike, Chevrolet, Ultimat Vodka, MTV, Kenmore, Adidas and VH1 for such notable clients as the Washington Nationals, JWT, Grey, Time, Sid Lee and Arnold Worldwide.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Imaginary Forces,” said Roebuck. “Their caliber of talent is outstanding and the breadth of projects they’re a part of is enormously diverse. I’m in the unique position of coming on board with this incredible established company, while also having the opportunity to help build up a division that’s never been fully tapped into.”
