Committee

We want our content to be as fresh, relevant and insightful as possible – that’s why we decided to convene a Committee. A group of experienced professionals with various backgrounds based in tabletop and food, well-aware of the problems, the needs and the up-to-date news about the industry.

The Committee represents different parts of the industry to ensure that we look at the world of tabletop and food as holistically as we can. Therefore, They are the ones behind approving the key topics in our insight section, choosing Masters among Directors and voting on monthly staff picks.

Members

  • Antonella Scoliero

    Co-founder, CEO and Executive Producer at 360FX

    ITALY

    Antonella Scoliero experience in advertising began more than 25 years ago. She started her career working in prestigious agencies such as Saatchi&Saatchi and Publicis Milan. In 1991 she entered the world of production, in Nemo Production. She travelled a lot all around the globe for international campaigns. Afterwards she worked in multiple production companies. After that Antonella decided to move to Dubai where she met her actual business partner, with whom she founded 360FX, the Table Top company that she still directs as CEO and Executive Producer.

  • Scott Pugnetti

    Commercial Directors Manager at Aylene Gardiner Agency & Equals Management

    ITALY

    With over a decades worth of experience discovering young talent Scott has helped establish directors internationally, pitching and shooting in over 40 territories. He manages and guides a director’s career, helping them avoid pitfalls, fighting in their corner and pushing their portfolio to the next level. He is also the president of the ADA, The Association of Directors Agents, and is committed to improving working conditions for all creative talent globally, pushing for reform within the industry.

  • Wael Said

    Head of AV production for Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis ME, One Team Stellantis, Studio M and e&

    United Arab Emirates

    Wael’s career with Saatchi started back in 2008. Throughout the last 14 years, he worked on several local and multinational brands that helped him acquire an intensive experience and knowledge in production and postproduction across a wide spectrum of production disciplines. Today, Wael plays an instrumental role in managing and supervising the production workflow and process to ensure delivering high quality production values, meeting the clients’ expectations. 

  • Katarzyna Zyzało-Moczydłowska

    Independent Business Consultant

    POLAND

    Katarzyna is connected with coffee business and production of marketing communication in the area of Food & Beverage from more than a decade.

  • Etienne Proulx

    director and cinematographer

    CANADA

    Etienne is internationally regarded as an acclaimed director and dop in the technical high speed motion control tabletop advertising industry. Over the years, as he travelled around the world to shoot all sorts of commercials first as a beerstylist / liquid stylist and then as a director & cinematographer in different and often difficult environnments, combined with his expertise as master rigger and great artistry of the film industry, he also designed a tabletop studio to R&D at home in Montreal to always evolve between his projects and travel. 

  • Robert Payton

    director and cinematographer

    REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

    Born in the UK, but working between Cape Town and Europe, Robert Payton is an award winning filmmaker and passionate foodie who has been cooking up a storm with his naturalistic and documentary style commercials for 20 years. His passion for food and tabletop goes beyond his work. A food connoisseur, a professional in all senses, one of the first ones to include new technologies in food film and an exceptional conversationalist.  

  • Jakub Laskus

    Founder and CEO of Bites

    Poland

    An experienced leader and manager, developing various projects in the advertisement and production industry throughout the last 20 years. The co-founder and mentor of Director’y. The co-creator and leader of CHPTR – an initiative focusing on creative and professional development of commercial and artistic filmmakers and photographers. A commercial director and one the most experienced specialist in practical effects in tabletop. An active leader and dreamer. An advocate for self-development. 

  • Melissa Beth

    FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AT HOSTAGE FILMS

    UNITED STATES

    Melissa Beth was born in an OTIS elevator in New York City and has been on the go ever since. Melissa worked at MTV Networks for almost a decade, in its heyday. Since then, she has produced three feature films, a multitude of award-winning commercial work, and an ongoing collection of poems, to be published upon her demise. Currently, she is the Executive Producer at Hostage Films, a company she founded with director Ruben Latre. Together they have partnered with agencies and clients around the globe, producing music videos, short films, and commercials in the financial, technology, pharmaceutical, and tabletop sectors. Hostage Films is committed to setting free the creative spirit (hostage) in the commercial world.