Gabriel Mena Joins Dark Light Pictures as Director of Development

Dark Light Pictures has appointed Gabriel Mena to the newly-created post of Director of Development. Mena, who has a background in film and TV development, will lead a new effort to grow Dark Light’s roster of directors, with an emphasis on building a cadre of young filmmakers. Mena will also direct a marketing effort in support of the new talent.
According to Dark Light Pictures executive producer Vince Arcaro, the company is seeking to diversify and leverage the strong reputation it enjoys for identifying quality talent. “We are very proud of the directors we have, but like any successful company we want to continue to grow and reinvent ourselves, especially in this ever evolving media landscape,” he observed.
With a roster that includes Caleb Deschanel, David Steinberg, Gil Cope, Andy Garcia, Michael Lehmann, Suzanne Luna, Vince DiPersio, Craig Henderson, Vincent Paterson and Chris Anthony, Dark Light Pictures has recently produced work for Boeing, Honda, Whirlpool and Rush University Medical Center.
Mena said that he is setting out to discover directors with a keen sense of storytelling, and plans to use Dark Light Pictures’ experience and relationships to help them build strong careers in advertising. “As the traditional model continues to shift and adjust, one constant remains the ability to tell an engaging, empathetic narrative… resourcefully,” he noted. “The steadily diminishing consumer attention span makes it vital to convey a message with an insightful and innovative voice that will not only grab, but will also hold the ever- wandering ‘eyes’. “
Prior to joining Dark Light, Mena was Head of Development at Miami-based independent outfit Hispafilms Corporation, where he produced the Tribeca feature-length documentary, Celia the Queen, about salsa legend Celia Cruz, which featured appearances by David Byrne, Gloria Estefan, Andy Garcia and others. They also produced the Sundance feature Mancora directed by Ricardo de Montreuil.
Mena is currently meeting with potential directors. “We are being very selective in our approach and are looking forward to rolling out this collective that will fit in line with the Dark Light initiative – to not only service the agency but to creatively collaborate to enhance the client’s message through efficient, thoughtful productions,” he said.
About Dark Light Pictures
Over the past 17 years Dark Light Pictures has established itself as a creative problem solving resource for television advertisers, motion picture marketing teams, and producers of feature films and television specials
As a leading producer of television commercials Dark Light has created effective, imaginative advertising for some of the most influential advertisers in the country including The Coca Cola Company, Budweiser, Tylenol, Reebok, AT&T, UPS, Perrier, Boeing, Unilever, US Coast Guard, Honda, and The University of Southern California.
In the world of motion picture advertising, Dark Light has produced and filmed live action material for countless teaser trailer and motion poster campaigns including War of the Worlds, Mission Impossible III, The Other Guys, and Salt.
For more information, call (323) 460-2077 or visit www.darklightpictures.com