Woodblock Welcomes Luiza Cruz-Flade and Crystal Campbell as Executive Producers

Jan. 11, 2022

Berlin-based animation and content studio Woodblock has today announced the appointment of Luiza Cruz-Flade and Crystal Campbell as Executive Producers. Luiza will be based in London, whilst Crystal will work from Woodblock’s headquarters in Berlin.

Ilija Brunck, MD and Executive Producer at Woodblock, comments:

“We couldn't be more excited to have Luiza and Crystal join our Woodblock family as Executive Producers. Both are A-list production talents, highly skilled and experienced in the work they do, having helped some of the best studios in our industry to grow their business and run tentpole projects.

 

• Luiza Cruz-Flade

With over two decades of experience in the industry, Luiza Cruz-Flade has previously worked as Head of Post Production at AMV BBDO, Producer at The Mill, and most recently Head of New Business at Passion Animation Studios. 

Having led pitches at Passion, Luiza was responsible for securing some of the studio’s most award-winning work, including Erste's viral ‘First Christmas’ and JD.com’s ‘Joy & Heron’. In addition to this role, she worked as Executive Producer from production to delivery on Wagamama’s anime-inspired ‘Bowl to Soul’ and SK-II’s striking ‘Simone Biles VS Trolls’ animated film.

As Executive Producer at Woodblock, Luiza will be focused on new business, and has already developed a new strategy for the forthcoming year. Based in London, Luiza will be working on building the studio’s reputation in the UK and across Europe, notably in regards to their direct-to-brand offering. In line with Woodblock’s ethos of attracting and retaining creatives without the restrictions of contracts, she will also be developing relationships with key freelance talent.

Luiza Cruz-Flade comments:

“I was attracted to Woodblock by their reputation not only for amazing work, but lovely people. You can tell this is a company that puts people first, not pigeon-holing anyone, and allowing their team to work in a fulfilling way. All opinions count at Woodblock, and that flat hierarchy is a breath of fresh air. I also love that they’ve maintained a hungry start-up attitude towards projects and have remained independent, despite having been going for so many years. There’s clearly huge potential for growth in all sorts of content creation.”

 

She adds:

“I’m particularly excited to build the Woodblock brand in the UK - we have so many clients over here who I would love us to work with. Our client base is now 60% direct-to-brand and this is another area we are focusing efforts on. With our current experience of working directly with brands having been an incredibly enjoyable and collaborative process, we now wish to expand on that further.”

 

Ilija Brunck, MD and Executive Producer at Woodblock, adds:

“I’m so excited to have Luiza working with our team from a new business perspective, helping us win clients and develop our direct-to-brand footprint. Being based in London, she is perfectly positioned to strengthen our presence in the UK market and share Woodblock’s ethos with new, exciting collaborators.”

 

• Crystal Campbell

Having been inspired by her work with photogrammetry and 3D modelling whilst at film school, Crystal Campbell initially moved between live action and 3D before merging these two passions and pursuing a career in VFX and animation. Since then, she has worked at such major studios as 1st Ave Machine, Psyop and Roof Studio, collaborating on several award-winning projects. Crystal has also worked with major brands including Coca Cola, IBM, Burger King, as well as with Google - notably on its 2010 Superbowl spot ‘Parisian Love’. 

Now at Woodblock, Crystal will be based at the studio’s Berlin headquarters, having relocated from New York. As head Executive Producer, she will lead the production team on pitching, bidding and winning new projects. Working closely with Head of Production Christian Zehetmeier and Woodblock’s management team, she will look to optimise processes and set up the studio for its next phase of growth and an exciting 2022.

Crystal Campbell comments:

“I'm really looking forward to the future here at Woodblock. Besides having a stellar body of work, the team are just a fantastic group of people. They really care about people’s work-life balance and are truly passionate about the work that they do. We have a lot of exciting projects coming up in the new year and I'm excited to help build the Woodblock brand across the globe. Most importantly, I’m ready to head into the Metaverse with them!”

 

Ilija Brunck, MD and Executive Producer at Woodblock, adds:

“Besides their professional qualities, Luiza and Crystal are beautiful human beings who perfectly fit our team spirit of support and empowerment. Their positive and open minded energy is already having a big impact on achieving our goals of creating the best animated work in the industry.”