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Getting to Know… Coup de Grâce

29/10/2025
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The founders of the Toronto-based production company, Ashley Barth and Jessica Ortiz on bringing Coup de Grâce to life, and what its next chapter looks like

Coup de Grâce is a full-service production house rooted in Toronto, offering a roster of diverse, innovative directors. As a producer-led collective, they provide answers to all creative questions, transforming visions into reality.

At Coup de Grâce, they cultivate strong partnerships that lead to ground-breaking, influential work. From initial concept to final delivery, they bring projects to life in ways that resonate long after completion.

Ashley and Jessica spoke with LBB about founding the company, and the creative spirit and strong working relationships with their directors that have always defined them.


LBB> Tell us a bit about Coup de Grâce – when did you form and why?

Ashley> Coup de Grâce launched in 2024 as the natural next step for us. We’d been running Coup&Co. for over a decade, repping photographers and producing shoots in-house and started asking ourselves, ‘What's next?’.

We already had an incredible roster and strong client relationships, but we wanted to grow. To take on bigger commercial and brand-driven work while keeping the same creative spirit that has always defined us.

That’s where Coup de Grâce came in. Rather than changing course it was about growing from our foundation, deepening our creative partnerships and continuing to collaborate with the incredible DP’s and production teams we’ve worked with over the years. We spent a lot of time talking it through, doing our homework, and mapping out what this could be.

Then, in a bit of a fortuitous moment, Alkemy X reached out, and were looking for Canadian representation for some of their directors. And then suddenly, this idea that we had been talking about turned from a ‘what if’ to reality very quickly.


LBB> What’s the story behind your name?

Jessica> The idea for our name was really a play on our sister company, Coup&Co. ‘Coup’ meaning a successful stroke or move; at the time there were only a handful of repping agencies in Toronto and it was a cheeky nod to our start.

Coup de Grâce is the finishing touch: we’ve had great success with Coup&Co. and our production company is the last piece, the finishing touch, the final blow, if you will.


LBB> Tell us a bit about your directors!

Ash> We work with a curated group of directors, some local, some in the US. They’re all incredible storytellers with different strengths, like comedy, sports, automotive and tabletop.

We take the time to get to know our directors beyond their work, understanding what they’re passionate about and who they are as people, so we can match them with the right clients and projects. For us, it’s just as much about the relationship as the work.


LBB> What do you love the most about this industry?

Jessica> This industry is always evolving and there is so much talent out there. It’s incredible to meet and work with so many passionate individuals who bring ideas to life. For us, it’s all about building relationships with directors, producers, creatives and being part of the process that turns an idea into reality.

The work itself is amazing, but it’s the people and the connections we make along the way that makes it all worthwhile.


LBB> What’s next for Coup de Grâce, and what kind of projects are you most excited to pursue in the coming months?

Ash> Right now, we’re really focused on building momentum. We’ve spent the past few months deepening relationships with agencies and brands who value strong storytelling and want to push their creative further.

This next chapter is about collaboration and connecting with partners who share that same ambition to make something distinct and meaningful.


LBB> Where can we check out Coup de Grâce online?

Jessica> You can check out our latest work on our website here.

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