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Wow Films is merging into Eclipse Productions in an attempt to

offset shrinking agency budgets and the increasing fragmentation of the

production industry.

Wow’s five directors, including Lazlo Kadar and Guy Grundy, will join

Eclipse, which also represents the award-winning director, Colin

Gregg.

Gregg has won scores of awards for the ’St George’ Blackcurrant Tango

ad, and directed work for the NSPCC, John West Tuna and Blockbuster

Video. Kadar was a Cannes winner for the Audi TT ads.

Eclipse was founded in 1992 by Harry Rankin, a former head of Limelight,

who now directs through the company.

It will continue to be run by Storr Redman, the managing director, who

joined last year. Wow’s owner, Tiggy Gatfield, becomes deputy managing

director. Gatfield was previously at TBWA HKR.

’There are so many production companies now that it is becoming more

important than ever to have a strong brand name and a bigger stable of

directors.

’The predicted consolidation of the industry, in which only ten or so

companies will get the lion’s share of the work, is also a key factor,’

Gatfield said.

Separately, Sara Cummins, a producer at Wow, is moving to Joy Films to

produce for Pete Salmi.