Big Light Productions, the indie behind high-end dramas The Man In The High Castle, Medici and the forthcoming Leonardo, has appointed Chris Sutherland as Chief Operating Officer.
The London/Paris based prod co was established in 2013, founded and led by CEO, executive producer and writer Frank Spotnitz.
Sutherland will take up the role from 1st September and report directly into Spotnitz. Based in the London office, he will oversee the company’s operations, strategic partnerships and project financing.
Sutherland succeeds Oliver Lang, who is stepping down from the position at the end of the month to focus on his creative industries’ advisory business, Sharp Edge Media. He will continue to work with Big Light Productions in this new capacity.
Prior to Big Light Productions, Sutherland was Commercial Investment Director at The Ingenious Group (Media), where he led the TV division, which produced and financed recent hits White House Farm (ITV), Britannia (Sky), Black Summer (Netflix) and Marcella (ITV/Netflix). During his time at Motion Content Group as Head of Programmes and Production UK, he oversaw the UK’s content investment strategy and production management across a portfolio of content including Love Island (ITV), The Circle (C4/Netflix) and Wild Things (Sky). Previously Sutherland held roles at Zodiak Media Group, BBC, Fremantle and Argonon.
Sutherland said; “It is an honour to be joining Frank and his talented team at Big Light. Frank is an exceptional writer and producer, and the quality of drama from Big Light is outstanding; distinctive, thought-provoking, and beautifully crafted. It is an exciting time for the company, and I am looking forward to contributing towards its future success.”
Spotnitz added; “Chris is a fantastic addition to our team. He has a proven track record in growing businesses and creating innovative strategies, solid relationships in the industry and an incredible wealth of production experience. His expertise and experience will be invaluable to Big Light as we continue to grow, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Big Light’s productions include the Emmy award-winning Amazon drama series The Man In The High Castle, Medici (Rai/ Netflix), Ransom (CBS), Hunted (BBC/ HBO), The Indian Detective (Netflix) and the forthcoming drama Leonardo starring Aidan Turner, for RAI, France Télévisions, RTVE and Sony.
Jon Creamer
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