July 17, 2006 - Los Angeles: Award-winning director Robert Caruso has signed with Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios. Caruso is distinguished by a background in animation and visual effects, a comedic touch and collaborations with celebrities.

Caruso has directed campaigns for Verizon, Nestle, Sav-On, Pacific Bell, Hefty and others. His work has been honored by the Clios, the London International Advertising Awards, AniCom, the MTV Awards, Billboard Magazine and with a Grammy nomination. Caruso has worked with celebrities as varied as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Will Smith, James Earl Jones and Jamie Foxx as well as sports figures including skateboard legend Tony Hawk, basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal and hockey great Wayne Gretzky.

"Having come from a diverse commercial background, Industrial Light & Magic and HKM, R+H feels like the right place to ride the challenges of the evolving advertising beast, a creature that now expects powerful effects resources, seasoned production support and of course great filmmaking," says Caruso. "Having the presence of a company like R+H behind you in this new world is a very good feeling. And I'm going to have a great time with the folks here to give agencies and clients the best work possible."

"I am delighted to have Robert join our team," says Executive Producer Paul Babb. "He is a tremendous talent and his comedic sense and effects knowledge make him a wonderful addition to R+H. Robert has always impressed me with his ability to plus a project and bring the best out of talent both in front of and behind the camera."

Early in his career, Robert partnered in the launch of San Francisco based Commotion Pictures. There he directed nearly forty music videos and began his commercial career. His music industry clients included: Warner Brothers' artist Green Day, A&M's Soundgarden, Virgin Records' John Lee Hooker, Columbia Records' Public Enemy, Warner's Mavis Staples and The Staple Singers and Island's PJ Harvey. Commercial work included spots for Sega, Time Warner, Taco Bell and Levi Strauss.

Following Commotion, Robert was part of Industrial Light & Magic Commercial Productions during its heyday. There he had the opportunity to direct spots for Disney, Sprint, DirecTV, Coors, Kraft and Motorola including several character animation projects, collaborating with Academy Award winning animators and effects artists. After leaving ILMCP when it dissolved, he joined HKM where he continued to create innovative work. Now he brings his expertise to Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios where he will enjoy having the creative tools of an industry powerhouse at his fingertips.

ABOUT RHYTHM + HUES COMMERCIAL STUDIOS

A complete digital studio, with live action, CG animation and vfx, design and post production services, Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios draws upon the talent and technical firepower of one of the world's premier effects and animation facilities, Rhythm & Hues Studios. Adjacent to the 70,000 sq. ft. facility which houses hundreds of digital artists and staff, the 7,000 sq. foot boutique facility of Rhythm + Hues Commercial Studios is dedicated to the highest quality of commercial production and outstanding client support.

Recent commercial projects include Crayola, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Volkswagen, Glade, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Chevrolet, McDonald's, Wal-Mart, SeaWorld, Activision, LeapFrog and Cox Communications. Recent Film Division credits include Superman Returns, The Fast and The Furious 3: Tokyo Drift, Garfield 2 and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Films currently in production include Charlotte's Web, Night at the Museum, Happy Feet and Evan Almighty.