Studio71 Expands U.K. Operation With New Creator Studio, 2 Exec Appointments

Studio71 announced this morning a flurry of expansions for its U.K. operation, including a brand new production studio, as well as two executive appointments.

The studio will be available to Studio71’s U.K.-based creators, and will offer filming and editing tools, creative support, and merchandising and licensing resources. At the same time, Studio71 — which is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices in Berlin, New York, Toronto, and London — has named James Stafford managing director of U.K. operations and Jeremy Stein SVP of scripted content.

In his new role, Stafford will oversee all operations in the region, including original content and branded programming, with a focus on the millennial, lifestyle, parenting, and kids verticals. Stein, for his part, will source and produce new digital film and TV projects.

“We

recognize creators, as well as brands, have much more sophisticated needs than they once did,” Stafford said in a statement. “I see Studio71’s role as partnering with content creators to provide value-add services, allowing them to make more and better content, distributed across more platforms, and monetized in smarter ways.” Those platforms could include Netflix, YouTube Red, and the BBC, according to Studio71, which reps 1,300 creators worldwide that deliver more than 7 billion monthly views.

Stafford most recently served as SVP of Europe at StyleHaul and, before that, head of branded content for EMEA at YouTube. Stein was formerly employed by Broken Road Productions, where he served as executive producer for the 2014 tornado thriller Into The Storm, as well as the upcoming Isn’t It Romantic starring Rebel Wilson.