Acne Partners with Doug Stephen & Partners for Midwest Representation

Commercial and integrated production company Acne has partnered with Doug Stephen of independent repping firm Doug Stephen & Partners. Having built a solid track record for pairing A-list filmmakers with the perfect projects to showcase their talent, Doug Stephen takes on sales and promotion for Acne’s lauded directorial roster and its digital division for the Midwest territory.

Doug Stephen has long been a trusted go-to resource for the industry. His first job in advertising was at eCreativeSearch, now SourceEcreative, as a research assistant. The position required Doug to develop a near-encyclopedic knowledge of directors, DPs, production companies, editors, music houses, and vfx houses and then relay this information to agency producers and creatives.

Cultivating this unique skillset came naturally, leading Doug to manage the research department for the next five years. He established a name for himself as a quick-thinking partner and friend to agency clients, who would approach Doug directly and ask his recommendation for the ideal creative partners to bring their boards to life.

In May 2015, Doug launched his own Chicago-based repping firm, Doug Stephen & Partners. As a curator of directorial talent, Doug has represented such companies as Supply & Demand, Pulse Films, Asche & Spencer, and Merman X Pulse.

He adds the prestigious Scandinavian-born production company Acne to the current lineup, saying, “I love that Acne is a well-oiled machine with the strongest processes and procedures in place that ensure nothing ever falls through the cracks, and no client is ever left hanging.”

“The Acne roster of directors is beyond fantastic, but it's also a personality gel,” remarks Doug on joining forces with Acne USA CEO/Executive Producer Line Postmyr and USA EP Rania Hattar. “After one phone call, I could tell instantly that not only do we get along, but we share the same commitment and goals. Line, Rania and I think the same way about strategy and effectiveness. As a partnership, we reflect each other.”

Acne continues to be repped by Kevin Batten of Pop-Arts for the West Coast and Jolie Miller of Simpatico for the East Coast markets.