The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and The American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) have appointed Douglas J. Wood of the law firm Reed Smith, New York, as the lead negotiator for the advertising industry’s talent negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). He succeeds attorney Ira Shepard of Schmeltzer, Aptaker & Shepard, Washington, D.C. The current SAG/AFTRA contract expires in October 2006. Wood continues to serve as the ANA’s general counsel…..Director James Gartner of bicoastal GARTNER is preparing to resume his commercialmaking career after wrapping the feature Glory Road for Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer….Director Bryan Barber has completed production on his feature debut, My Life in Idlewild—the first longform outing for OutKast—and is again available for spots via Boondoggle, Santa Monica, and music videos through its sister shop FM Rocks, Santa Monica….Editors Jason Painter, formerly of Jigsaw, Santa Monica, and Fred Fouquet, who had been at Inside/Out, Santa Monica, have joined Mad River Post. Painter and Fouquet will be based at Mad River’s Santa Monica facility, but are available through all the Mad River shops; the company also maintains bases of operation in New York, Detroit, Dallas and San Francisco….Gray Hirshfield has been promoted to head of production at Quiet Man, New York….Z Animation, Los Angeles, has added 10 directors to its roster: John Ryan, Robert Pope, Howie Hoffman, David Chomowicz, Gabriel Polonsky and David Russo, as well as two design/directing teams—live action helmers/puppeteers Tom Megalis and Jenn Bastien, and 3-D animators/ designers Rob Cazin and Lauri Salladay….Composer David Logan has come aboard New York-headquartered Q Department….Marina del Rey, Calif.-based motion capture studio House of Moves, a division of Vicon Motion Systems, has added Scott Gagain as executive producer. He was previously VP of sales and marketing at motion capture vendor Motion Analysis Studios, Los Angeles….Oak Park, Mich.-based GTN posted in HD a five-minute advertainment-style film for J. Walter Thompson, Detroit, and client Ford Motor Company, which recently aired on NBC. Red Car (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, San Antonio and Buenos Aires) editor Bob Carr cut the project, which was directed by Michael Apted through Santa Monica-based Independent Media….Tewksbury, Mass.-based Avid Technology announced that it plans to ship at the end of the month its Adrenaline HD version 2.0 and Xpress Pro HD software….Toronto-headquartered Alias has started shipping Alias Motionbuilder 3D character performance and animation software, previously a product of Kaydara, which was acquired by Alias last summer…. Marina del Rey-based Iowa released WiredrivePRO, a new version of its online client review and approval tool….
Breakout Films and Major Takeaways From This Year’s Sundance Fest
Film wasn't the only thing on people's minds at this year's Sundance Film Festival, which comes to a close Sunday in Park City, Utah ( and online ).
The effects of the wildfires in Southern California loomed large, as did the bittersweet knowledge that this year will be the second to last Sundance based in Park City. Some films offered an escape from reality; others were a pointed reminder of the domestic and international political landscape, from transgender rights to the war in Ukraine.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the 41st edition of the festival.
The effects of the Southern California fires were deeply felt
The wildfires were still burning in parts of Los Angeles when Sundance began last week and reminders of its devastation were everywhere, even on screen. Max Walker-Silverman's "Rebuilding," starring Josh O'Connor as a cowboy who loses his ranch in a wildfire and forms a community with fellow survivors in a FEMA camp, hit close to home for many.
Filmmakers Meena Menon and Paul Gleason lost their home in Altadena where they filmed some of their zombie apocalypse movie "Didn't Die." Sundance artist labs head Michelle Satter lost her Palisades home as well. Satter had an audience of Sundance Institute donors in tears early in the festival while accepting an honor at a fundraising gala.
"It's a deeply devastating time for us and so many others, a moment that calls for all of us coming together to support our bigger community," Satter said. "As a friend recently noted, and I have to listen to this, 'Take a deep breath ... We lost our village, but at the end of the day we are the village.'"
The festival's move to another city dominated conversations
It was a topic... Read More