Optimus Partner Craig Leffel Takes The Helm of ONE at Optimus, Tyler Roth Welcomed as Colorist

Chicago-based Optimus has appointed Craig Leffel as the new director of production of ONE at Optimus. The company also announced the addition of industry talent Tyler Roth as colorist. Leffel, also a partner at Optimus, moves to ONE after more than 20 years in the color chair. Leffel brings extensive artistic, technical and workflow knowledge to the director of production role. Roth comes to Optimus after more than four years at Filmworkers Club, where he built his reputation as a colorist by crafting signature looks for brands such as Walgreens, McDonalds, Allstate and Wrigley‘s Orbit gum.

“We’re thrilled about such a passionate guy as Craig taking the helm at ONE,” said Optimus president Tom Duff. “Combine his love of the game with his natural love of people and our business, and he is the perfect fit to team up with ONE EP Kipp Christiansen to lead our live-action department. Tyler is an extraordinary talent with an engaging, warm personality who will lead our color department with the same passion, artistic sensibility, and exacting standards as Leffel, but with an entirely new kind of energy. We’re looking forward to great things from both of them.”

Leffel has been with Optimus since the company started. A partner since 1998, he quickly rose to the top of the industry impressing not only the Chicago advertising community, but attracting attention and work from agencies across the world including Wieden+Kennedy, Saatchi & Saatchi and BBDO. “As we move forward at ONE, we are focusing our efforts to consistently provide world-class production services at every end of the spectrum,” said Leffel. “We have what we feel is one of the best overall integrated production models out there. So while I do have such a love for image making and manipulation, we see a tremendous opportunity for me to take my experience working with agency creatives over the last 20 years and lead our exceptional directors and ONE staff in this director of production role. Ultimately, it’s all about delivering great creative for our clients.”

Roth, a double major in film and animation technology from Northwestern University, has been passionate about color correction from an early stage. In addition to working with big name commercial clients during more than four years at Filmworkers Club, Roth recently collaborated on two music videos and a documentary with Chicago-based music artist R. Kelly. “I am so excited to be a part of the Optimus team doing what I love to do,” said Roth. “We have an amazing set of resources here to enable so many different kinds of projects, as well as a supportive structure and a collaborative culture. I’m looking forward to my future here at Optimus, and especially the unique opportunity to collaborate in the early stages of projects with Craig Leffel and the ONE team.”