Nineteen employees at Weiser Creative are savoring the success of Tom Nance, a former employee who wrote and co-produced “Sherman’s Way,” a film that’s getting national press and picking up awards at film festivals.

However, the savoring is bittersweet. Nance, the longtime creative director at Weiser, died in a motorcycle accident last September, just as his first feature film was headed for the big screen.

“He was like a big brother. We had fun but we kept each other in check,” said Paula Weiser, owner and president of the Westlake Village-based advertising firm.

During the 14 years they worked together, she had come to respect his artistic judgment and his ability to juggle full-time work with a second career as an actor-writer-director. “He worked around the clock,” she said, remembering Nance’s go-for-it attitude and unfailing good humor. “We loved to laugh together and make money together.”

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