DDA Talent, Worldwide Production Agency Merge To Create Leader In Below-The-Line Representation

EXCLUSIVE: Two players representing below-the-line creative talent, Dattner Dispoto and Associates (DDA Talent) and Worldwide Production Agency (WPA), are merging operations to create a heftier company with decades of experience and global reach.

The partners aren’t disclosing financial details.

The combined company’s name will be unveiled later this summer. The deal creates a top three agency for BTL creatives with offices in LA and London supported by strategic partnerships throughout Europe, Canada, South America and Australasia. It will represent film, television, commercial and digital media directors, producers, department heads and artisans including cinematographers, production and costume designers, editors, visual effects artists, and more, under a single banner.

The roster includes Oscar-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, ASC (Mank); two-time Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, ASC (The Social Network); Malik Sayeed (Clockers, Belly, After the Hunt); producer Ralph Winter (X-Men franchise); editor Ian S. Tan, ACE (Avatar: The Last Airbender); production designer Danny Vermette, ADG (Backrooms); John Mathieson, BSC (Gladiator); cinematographer Larry Fong, ASC (Watchmen); cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare Jr. (The Master, Jojo Rabbit); and cinematographer Maryse Alberti (Creed).

“This announcement follows months of strategic planning between our agencies as we prepared a unified expansion strategy focusing on serving creative talent globally,” said Bill Dispoto, President of DDA Talent, and Steve Jacob, Co-CEO of WPA, in a joint statement.

“Bringing our teams together allows us to offer our clients greater opportunities, deeper resources and a truly global platform while preserving the individualized approach that defines both agencies,” added DDA Talent VP Juanita Tiangco.

Frank Balkin, co-CEO of WPA, said “the demand for world-class creative talent has never been greater” and the merger “positions us to better serve our clients across film, television, streaming, advertising and emerging media while continuing to advocate for the artists who bring stories to life.”

DDA Talent, founded in 1987 by Fay Dattner, was among the first agencies dedicated to representing below-the-line creative talent. Dispoto was named a partner in 2001 and Tiangco in 2016. It has about 9 employees.

Jacob co-founded WPA in 2010. Balkin joined in 2014 and was named as co-CEO in 2021. It has about 25 employees.