We do a lot. But most importantly, we love what we do.

  • Department 4 Productions is a media creation powerhouse, turning out quality productions since 2014.

    You have a vision, we make it happen.

  • Founded in a bar by some freelance friends, Department 4 started as the collaboration of specialists in their fields. A nimble sound mixer, a ace editor, a producer extraordinaire, and a impeccable composer decided that their talents became superpowers when combined.

  • We keep things high quality, collaborative, lean, and fun. And we deliver kickass content that you’ll be proud to share with the world.

    No matter what you need: we got you. The core of Department 4 is a team of producers with roots in every aspect of the production pipeline. We tackle it all, from pre-production to final delivery, and we have a damn good time doing it.

    Whether you’re an agency launching a national campaign, a brand looking to boost your presence, or a company debuting a big product, we work with you to craft a custom production that delivers the best possible content for your goals.

 

Leadership

Chris Willmott — Managing Director

Chris, a Chicago native, had an early start in audio as a 16-year-old engineer working at The Chicago Recording Company on projects for FCB, Leo Burnett, Apple and more. Chris’ sound design and audio engineering work in ads, film, and TV continued after a degree in classical musical composition from the California Institute of the Arts. Having worked with a varied array of clients such as Critical Role, Legendary, Honda, Sotheby’s, Samsung, Taco Bell, KIA, and countless other brands, Chris’ high profile experience lends perfectly to running the day-to-day operations at Department 4, ensuring our clients have the best possible experience making their creative vision a reality.

Toby Jacobs — Managing Partner, East Coast

A photographer and skilled producer, Toby has strong roots in the visual arts. With a BFA in photography, Toby’s career has led him to work with a plethora of different clients, including Amazon, Lacoste, Adidas, Fool’s Gold Records, Samsung and more. As a creative producer, Toby is able to take his real world production experience and apply it to forward thinking and problem solving oriented producing, ensuring that productions for live events, film and TV projects run without a hitch. Toby manages Department 4’s East Coast client relations from NYC.

Blake Hodges-Koch — Managing Partner, West Coast

With an early start editing documentaries and making films for Green Peace, Blake’s passion for storytelling and creating began to flourish. Blake has done everything from directing broadcast commercials to designing game-based immersive experiences, bringing a creative, outside the box perspective to everything Department 4 does. As a director, editor and producer, Blake has worked with M&C Saatchi, Secret Weapon, TCL, Gloveworx, Ford Theatres and more.

 
 

Philip Wareborn — Managing Partner, Europe

Philip's prolific musical background has led him to a vast career in creative media and production. As a native Swede, Philip's performance and composition credits span across continents, performing across Europe and the US as well as writing for internationally renowned artists. He’s written music for shows like Little People Big World, Seeking Sisters & Little Couples (TLC), True Nightmares (Discovery Channel), RedBull Music House in Santa Monica and Tumble Leaf on Amazon Prime. Further flexing his creative muscles, Philip composed music for Crusader Kings III - a mobile game produced by developer Paradox Interactive. As a producer, Philip is the creative liaison for Department 4's European clients, helping craft international productions for agencies and brands alike.

CJ Brion — Partner

CJ is a world-class cinematographer and producer with extensive experience. From producing, directing and editing to color correction and VFX, CJ's expertise in creative production has helped make films, advertising campaigns, and broadcast TV possible for a lexicon of different clients and projects. CJ's work with The Smashing Pumpkins, Lil Peep, Kanye West, Samsung, Honda, Legendary, TLC and NBC are just a few examples of the varied and versatile nature of his cinematography skills.