NEW YORK - Richard Cormier, former VP post house Nice Shoes and managing director of the creative boutiques Guava and Freestyle Collective, has formed a consulting service as Richard Cormier Consultants (917-751-3764). Cormier will provide strategic and long-term planning guidance to companies involved in digital media production, post production and distribution. He has wide expertise in such areas as workflow, digital asset management and electronic distribution, as well as in studio management, restructuring and growth.

The growing complexity of digital production and the emergence of new media distribution channels pose unprecedented challenges for producers, but also unprecedented opportunities, according to Cormier. "In order to succeed in today's media marketplace, companies need to develop new revenue streams, streamline operations and maximize workflows," he says. "It can be quite helpful for a company that is wrestling with those issues to have someone review their business and practices with fresh eyes."

Cormier joined Nice Shoes and the affiliated Guava and Freestyle Collective in 2004 and helped the companies to expand and integrate their operations. Previously, he served as senior VP of commercial digital services at Santa Monica's Ascent Media Group, following four years as managing director of Ascent-owned Riot, Santa Monica.

A native of Montreal, Cormier was also the founder of Buzz Image Group, a visual effects studio, and Jazz Media Network, which pioneered the concept of remote collaboration in media production.