Vice Media creates production unit led by Jamie Hall & Danny Gabai

LR: Jamie Hall & Danny Gabai (Source: Vice)

Vice Media Group has reorganised its production divisions with Pulse Films’ Jamie Hall in London and content chief Danny Gabai in LA taking on expanded roles.

The embattled company, whose distribution chief Bea Hegedus exited last week, has created Vice Studios Group to house Pulse Films, a rebranded Vice Studios now named UnTypical, Vice Studios LatAm, Vice Studios Canada and a news documentary unit.

The companies currently have a slate of 20 shows across scripted, non-fiction, news, branded and music.

Hall, most recently Pulse Films COO of scripted, and Gabai, who was chief content officer at Vice Studios, have been named co-presidents of the unit, with a remit to develop, finance and produce multi-genre shows for all platforms.

The production unit will be home to shows ranging from Gangs Of London, produced by Pulse for Sky and AMC+, to Bama Rush for Max, which was produced by UnTypical (fka Vice Studios). Its focus continues to be on global documentaries and formats, with the rebranded unit home to recent shows including The Gospel According To Tammy Faye and DEVO both debuting at Sundance.

Vice Studios Canada remains focused on factual shows for broadcasters such as Vice TV and Bell Media’s Crave, while Vice Studios LatAm aims to build on shows such as Netflix’s 1994 and La Divina Gula (Heavenly Bites). It is also behind Vix’s upcoming show Lucha De Antojos (Street Chefs).

The long-form news docs will aim to provide a “fast turnaround and a contemporary lens on events that define our lives”.

Bruce Dixon, CEO at Vice, said: “Leveraging the strengths across our production companies under the Vice brand creates a powerful offering for producers and talent who create content that pushes the boundaries of traditional film and television. Jamie and Danny are the right leaders to drive the Studios’ business forward and lead our incredibly talented teams.”

Gabai and Hall added that the new production division “positions us for growth, offering unique opportunities to talent and sparking collaborations whilst still remaining true to each company’s strengths and content legacies.”