John Ptak is leaving CAA after 15 years and teaming up with film industry executive Philip Elway to form the strategic consultancyArsenal.
Arsenal will adviseproducers, equity funds and distributors on business growth and financing and distribution arrangements onprojects.
The initial client rosterincludes Exception-Wild Bunch, Endgame Entertainment, Spitfire Pictures,Kadokawa Pictures USA, and Davis Films. Arsenal will commence full operations in Juneafter Cannes.
At CAA Ptak expandedthe role of agent by representing the financing and distribution on more than 1OO independent features,including films by Woody Allen, DavidLynch, Wolfgang Petersen, and Peter Weir.
His corporate clientsincluded Intermedia, Davis Films,Kadokawa Pictures USA, Mirage, CIBY2OOO and The Yari Film Group.
Elway served as executive vice president of Douglas-Reuther Productions, chief operating officer ofBel Air Entertainment, and most recently as president of VIPMedia USA.
He has been involved withthe production of morethan 60 films and at VIP he was associated within the placement ofapproximately $800m ofequity into feature productions.
In a statement CAA's Richard Lovett said: "We wish John the best of luck in this new venture. We will continue to accesshis expertise andrelationships, and look forward to sharing clients with Arsenal."
"CAA has been my home for manyyears," Ptak said. "The agency thoroughly encouraged the growth of this new,independent businessfrom the beginning - Philip and I look forward to working closely with CAA onshared client companies and films."
'John is probably the mosttravelled and respected agent in theinternational film community,"Elway said. "Aswell as representing numerous clients, he has been responsible for completingthe financial and/orcreative packaging of a long list of exceptional films and I'm very excited tobe entering this partnership with him."