By Carolyn Giardina
LONDON --London and New York-based commercial post house Smoke & Mirrors, with the backing of its London-headquartered parent company Tag, has acquired privately held London-based Red Post Production. This move marks Smoke & Mirrors and Tag’s latest investment in postproduction, and with the addition of Red’s Spirit Datacine brings telecine services to its London facility.
“It’s great news for our business and marks the further growth of Smoke & Mirrors,” said Smoke & Mirrors managing director/CEO Penny Verbe. “We have been expanding our range of services for some time now and with the addition of Red’s Spirit, Smoke & Mirrors will become a full service facility with a much higher capacity not only for creative work, but also for versioning and delivery. Whilst the enlarged offering will be fantastic for our clients, I also know that — I have people who are passionate and dedicated to moving the company forward”
Red partner Gary Szabo will be staying with the company as a colorist and creative services director. Szabo has been a colorist for 14 years. Prior to being at Red he was head of telecine at Framestore’s London office and senior colorist at London’s Rushes. His recent work includes an Orange campaign for London-based Mother, directed by Bryan Buckley of bicoastal/international Hungry Man.
“Red is a great company and although we have loved being independent for the last two years, in order to do the best for our clients in the long term, we needed to offer a broader range of services, larger infrastructure and more financial muscle,” Szabo explained. “We explored many options, but Smoke & Mirrors and Tag clearly offered the best fit both culturally and commercially.”
Red talent also transitioning to Smoke & Mirrors includes Flame operator Ally Burnett, DS artist/designer Henry Cummings, and producer Debby Darby.
Franklin Leonard and The Black List To Receive 2024 Gotham Awards Anniversary Tribute
Franklin Leonard and his company, the Black List, the platform dedicated to nurturing written storytelling and empowering writers to maximize their professional potential, will receive The Gotham Anniversary Tribute at the 34th annual Gotham Awards ceremony, taking place on Monday, December 2, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
The Anniversary Tribute was created by The Gotham Film & Media Institute in order to recognize the major milestones and storied commitments of entertainment’s most influential individuals. With the Anniversary Tribute, The Gotham will honor the 20th anniversary of the Black List, which has been dedicated to identifying and celebrating exceptional storytelling since it was first established by Leonard in 2005. Most recently, Mariska Hargitay received the Anniversary Tribute at the inaugural Gotham TV awards for her outstanding run on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
“With the Black List, Franklin Leonard has undeniably reshaped Hollywood by elevating talented writers and remarkable projects. His commitment to nurturing emerging screenwriters and lowering barriers to entry for talent is one that resonates deeply with The Gotham and our values,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. “So many of Hollywood’s most beloved films, such as Juno, Slumdog Millionaire, and The King’s Speech, were all given a singular platform by the annual Black List that helped them get made. We are honored to present Franklin and the Black List with the Anniversary Tribute.”
First established as an annual survey of Hollywood’s most-liked unproduced screenplays, the Black List has since grown into a comprehensive resource for the film, TV,... Read More