Proceeds from downloads of full track of "Empire State of Mind (Part II)" benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
To commemorate the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, feature filmmaker Spike Lee directed “Never Forgotten,” a :90 (with a :60 lift) for State Farm in which some 150 school children, ages 8 to 11, from the NYC area visited four firehouses and thanked the firefighters through song–specifically a special version of “Empire State of Mind.”
The download proceeds of “Empire State of Mind (Part II)” benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Lee helmed the project via Pony Show Entertainment for a DDB Chicago ensemble that included chairman Bob Scarpelli, chief creative officer Ewan Paterson, sr. VP/group creative director Barry Burdiak, VPs/creative directors John Hayes and Geoff McCartney, sr. VP/director of integrated production Diane Jackson, executive producer Scott Kemper, music producer and integration exec Eric David Johnson (a.k.a. DJ Bunny Ears), music production manager Linda Bres, and broadcast talent manager Rubye Hardy.
Susan Kirson and Jeffrey Frankel exec produced for Pony Show with Fern Martin serving as producer. Ellen Kuras was the DP.
Editor was Hank Corwin of Lost Planet.
Liquid‘s post contingent included colorist Clark Muller, lead VFX artist James Bohn, and VFX artists Justin Blaustein and Eric Schrecongost.
As for music, writers of “Empire State of Mind (Part II)” were Alicia Augello-Cook, Shawn Carter, Jane’t Sewell, Angela Hunte, Al Shuckburgh, Bert Keyes and Sylvia Robinson. Music director and conductor was James Davis Jr. Vocal producer was Buryl Red. Audio engineer was Jonathan Duckett. Recording facilities were Manhattan Center Studios/The Grand, Jungle City Studios and Avatar Studios.
Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More