By Carolyn Giardina
PROVIDENCE, R.I. --Postproduction industry veteran Larry Chernoff is the new CEO of Mathematical Technologies Inc. (MTI), a Providence-headquartered manufacturer of tools to assist the Digital Intermediate (DI) and film restoration processes.
Chernoff, who will be based in the company’s Hollywood office, has been a member of the MTI board of directors for the past three years and contributed his ideas heavily in the development of its unique Control Dailies workflow technology. During this time he also worked closely with MTI to introduce and demonstrate the technology to potential customers.
Arguably one of the most influential leaders in commercial post for more than three decades, Chernoff–along with commercial vets Steve Lewis and Charlie Chubak–co-founded commercial editorial shop Filmcore in ’74, following by post house Encore Hollywood in ’85 and Encore Santa Monica (now R!OT) in ’96. In the late ’90s, the companies were acquired by what is today Santa Monica-headquartered Ascent Media Group. Chernoff served as president of Ascent Media Creative Services after the merging of the post entities into one group, until 2002.
Then, he retained the title of chairman of Ascent Creative Services, while pursuing other interests including his work at MTI and co-founding Beverly Hills-based consulting firm
Chernoff Touber Associates with former Ascent Media Creative Services COO Joshua Touber.
MTI was founded in ’81 and has long carried a strong reputation for its high level engineering expertise–a key draw for Chernoff, who plans to further evolve the company by combining this talent with his practical perspective from the postproduction industry.
“My intent is to turn MTI into a world class DI company, offering tools for DI and the film restoration process,” he explained, adding that the direction would be toward 4k data-supported technologies. “One of the most significantly hard parts of DI is the coordination of applications in terms of metadata and media– Our objective is a suite of applications that harmonizes the DI process from beginning to end, [as well as] tools for restoration.”
Chernoff reported that most recently, version 5 of MTI’s Correct restoration tool went into beta, and he expects to show a final release by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention next spring. He also aims to show 2k data support in Control Dailies for NAB, while working on the longer term objectives.
With regard to his Ascent affiliation, Chernoff emphasized that he will be devoting 100 percent of his time to MTI, although he currently remains under contract at Ascent with the chairman title; that is slated for review in the near future, he related.
Steve Lewis is the Current president of bicoastal The Directors network.
Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. Explore Generations, Old School vs. New School, In “Poppa’s House”
Boundaries between work and family don't just blur in the new CBS sitcom "Poppa's House" starring father-and-son comedy duo Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. They shatter.
"It's wonderful to come to work every day and see him and some of his kids and my sister and my brother and nieces and nephews. They all work on this show. They all contribute," says the senior Wayans. "I don't think there are words to express how joyful I am."
Wayans plays the titular Poppa, a curmudgeonly radio DJ who's more than comfortable doing it his way, while Wayans Jr. plays his son, Damon, a budding filmmaker who's stuck in a job he hates.
"My character, Pop, is just an old school guy who's kind of stuck in his ways," says Wayans, who starred in "In Living Color" and "My Wife and Kids."
Pop yearns for the days when a handshake was a binding contract and Michael Jordan didn't complain if he got fouled on the court. Pop laughs at the younger generation's participation trophies.
"It's old school versus new school and them teaching each other lessons from both sides," says Wayans Jr., who played Coach in the Fox sitcom "New Girl."
"They (the characters) bring the best out in each other and they're resistant initially. But then throughout the episode they have revelations and these revelations help them become better people," he adds.
The two have worked together before — dad made an appearance on son's "Happy Endings" and "Happy Together," while son was a writer and guest star on dad's "My Wife and Kids." But this is the first time they have headlined a series together.
The half-hour comedy — premiering Monday and co-starring Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson — smartly leaves places in the script where father and son can let... Read More