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EXCLUSIVE: I’m hearing that CAA’s top video game agent has just informed the tenpercentery that he’s heading for rival UTA. Ophir Lupu is one of the video game industry’s top agents and co-head of the video game department at Creative Artists Agency. He’ll head UTA’s Video Games practice. Lupu represents leading developers in console gaming as well as in the fast-growing social, casual and mobile gaming sectors. Lupu was named co-head of CAA’s video game department in May of this year. He has spent his entire career at CAA, which he joined in 2000 after graduating from George Washington University. At CAA, Lupu represented such industry leaders as Ken Levine (“BioShock”), Patrice Desilets (“Assassin’s Creed”), Warren Spector (Disney’s “Epic Mickey”), Cliff Bleszinski (“Gears of War”), That Game Company (“Flower”), Crytek (“Homefront 2”), Klei Entertainment (“Shank”), Trapdoor, Inc. (“Warp”) and Tomonobu Itagaki’s Valhalla Studios (“Devil’s Third”), among others. Lupu earlier this year orchestrated the acquisition of client Area/Code by Zynga.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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and just like that, CAA’s entire video game practice disappears. huge steal for UTA.
It disappeared when Seamus Blackley left. Ophir just got the memo.
First Larry, then Seamus, now Ophir. Who is left of the original crew? It never fails how the agencies keep clutching on to a declining TV and Movie biz and shooting themselves in the foot with the not-so-”New” media of the Net and VGame biz…..
I’m betting it’s because of the new facility that UTA is about to move into next year.
So I guess everyone really wants to work in that new UTA office
Say what you want but UTA keeps rolling and doing great for a so called dysfunctional agency. Two CAA agents jump ship right before bonus time? Or right after?
CAA has got Seamus Blackley, they’ll be fine. Good on UTA though, they’ve signed deasl to rep a major video game publisher as well as the CEA, they are making moves.
Uh no, they don’t.
Good Luck Ophir! Warm Regards!
Right after bonus time! That’s the story to dig, Nikki! Who is happy and who is not. “Follow the money…”
Hello SAG/AFTRA CAA and UTA have video game divisions. Maybe it’s time you negotiate a contract for talent that pays talent a decent wage. Or is it typical forward thinking like the genius Internet, Cable and DVD lame deals you negotiated in the past? Gamers ate making billions, voice and motion capture actors are making peanuts. WAKE UP!!! The major agencies have!
Uh, JB…
SAG and AFTRA would love to negotiate talent contracts with the video game business. They have tried to for years. Google it. The reason you don’t have SAG or AFTRA contracts (I’m assuming you’re a member?) is because the video game publishers have long since resisted. Which makes sense, because they have no financial incentive to give unions anything. Nor should they.
Massively incorrect. Most every game recorded in the US has a SAG or AFTRA deal. It’s not a great deal, and typically these companies outsource the recording to an independent contractor so as to immunize themselves against becoming SAG signatories, but they DO pay union scale and benefits.
As for “nor should they,” well, we can disagree all day long on whether or not unions are good or bad, but the idea that they’re not necessary is laughable. It won’t be long now before the games industry itself is organized… people are getting sick of 18-hour days and no back end or guaranteed credits.
Seamus left CAA this past summer…
Sorry, but Seamus Blackley left CAA almost a year ago. Time to catch up.
CAA doesn’t have Seamus anymore
cliffy b is a power house client same with the bioshock creator…. Now if he could just get Bethesda’s Todd Howard he’d become a videogame super agent.
have known Ophir since we sat next to each other as assistants. was then and will always be one of the smartest dudes in hwood. good hire UTA
is nice!
Awesome! Congrats, Ophir! Good luck pushing all your fake work somewhere else. CAA is a better company without you and the industry would be a better place without you too.
And Nikki, if “top video game agent” is the title you’re given by default for riding others coattails your whole career, than I shall be applying for the now open position.
BWHAHA! Having worked with the putz and watching his “don’t you know who i am!? don’t you know who I work for!?” rants and threats to hotels and publishers alike. Couldn’t agree more with Video Game Developer comments.
Bitter, TV tray on shitty couch for 1 your table is ready
Congrats Ophir! Coup UTA!
Also, didn’t Greg Essig quit CAA to work for Apple Games?
Fall out from TPG starting……now.
Huge hire by UTA!! Ophir is a class act and great agent
Okay, I’m about to vomit.
Soooooo- in a year CAA lost Seamus, Ophir, Greg, and Jenna..?
who the hell is left.