February 1, 2013
Clydesdale star of Super Bowl ad is newborn foal (video)BOONVILLE, Mo. (AP) – For decades, Anheuser-Busch has used its famous Clydesdales in Super Bowl ads for Budweiser. The latest star is barely two weeks old.
A foal born Jan. 16 at Anheuser-Busch’s Warm Springs Ranch near the mid-Missouri town of Boonville is featured in an ad that will appear in Sunday’s game between the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and AFC champion Baltimore Ravens.
The 60-second ad chronicles the bond a Clydesdale foal shares with his trainer. The foal was just a week old when the ad was filmed.
It marks the 23rd Super Bowl ad featuring the Clydesdales.
Budweiser recently launched its first-ever Twitter account, using the occasion to tweet the first photo of the newborn.
Harvard drama troupe honors Marion Cotillard
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) – Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard (koh-tee-YAR’) has taken home the pudding pot after being honored as woman of the year by Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
Cotillard smiled, waved and caught a teddy bear from the crowd during a parade through Cambridge’s Harvard Square on Thursday.
The procession was followed by a roast of the 37-year-old French actress at Hasty Pudding headquarters, during which Cotillard sang a song from “La Vie En Rose.” Cotillard won a best actress Oscar for her portrayal of famed French singer Edith Piaf in that 2007 film.
Cotillard has appeared more recently in “Inception” and “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Claire Danes was the woman of the year in 2012.
The awards are presented annually to performers who have made a lasting and impressive contribution to entertainment.
Colombia judge nixes ban on film on hostage’s baby
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – A Colombian judge has refused to prevent the release of a feature film about the odyssey of a child born to a politician while she was a rebel hostage.
Clara Rojas had argued that the release of the film titled “Operation E” would harm the development of her son, Emmanuel, who is now 9.
The judge found that the film does “not violate the child’s basic rights.” The court says Rojas is appealing the decision. She could not immediately be reached for comment.
Emmanuel’s story has enthralled Colombia, a nation especially traumatized by rebel kidnappings in the 1990s and 2000s.
Rebels took the boy from his mother at age 5 months and the two were not reunited until her release three years later.
CES gadget show host drops CNET as awards picker
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The industry group that hosts the annual gadget show known as International CES is dropping reviews website CNET as the picker of its “Best of CES” awards. It says CNET reviewers’ objectivity was compromised by the site’s corporate parent, CBS Corp.
The Consumer Electronics Association also elevated the CNET writers’ initial pick for the best gadget of the show, Dish Network Corp.’s Hopper with Sling, to co-winner along with a gaming tablet called Razer Edge.
CBS had annulled an earlier vote by CNET staff to award the Hopper because it is in a legal dispute with Dish over the product. The Hopper allows users to automatically skip commercials from prime-time TV shows, undercutting a key source of revenue for CBS, advertising.
After CBS removed the Hopper from contention, CNET staff re-voted and chose Razer Edge as the winner.
The association says it is looking for a new partner for its awards.
The association’s president, Gary Shapiro, blasted CBS in an opinion article in the USA Today newspaper on Wednesday, saying its interference damaged its own editorial integrity. CBS also owns TV shows such as “60 Minutes,” ”CBS Evening News” and “Face the Nation.”
“It not only tainted the CES awards, but it hurt one of the world’s classiest media companies,” Shapiro wrote.
The association, which has hosted the gadget show since 1967, had contracted with CNET to pick the awards since the 2007 show. It normally chooses not to get involved, partly because of its relationship with its many exhibitors.
Mark Larkin, the general manager of CNET, said in a statement the website is “committed to delivering in-depth coverage of consumer electronics” and will continue to cover the show, as it has for more than a decade.
Dish appeared to bask in the controversy, which drew more attention to its device.
“We appreciate the International CES’ decision to stand with the consumer in the acknowledgement of this award,” said Dish CEO Joseph Clayton in a statement. “I regret that the award has come in the face of CBS’ undermining of CNET’s editorial independence.”
Appeals judges: Anti-paparazzi law appears legalLOS ANGELES (AP) — An appeals panel says California’s anti-paparazzi statute appears to be constitutional based on a brief filed by prosecutors.
A preliminary statement by three judges in Los Angeles requires a judge who dismissed charges aimed at a paparazzo who authorities say was driving recklessly to review his order. The judge may stick to his ruling, which would trigger a full appeal, or he could schedule further arguments on the case against freelance photographer Paul Raef.
Raef was the first person charged under the new law after a high-speed chase involving Justin Bieber last year.
Superior Court Judge Thomas Rubinson dismissed two charges in November, ruling the law is too broad and is unconstitutional.
Raef’s attorney David S. Kestenbaum says he is asking Rubinson to stand by his ruling and allow a full appeal.
“The Sapphires” sparkles at Australian film awards
SYDNEY (AP) — Feel-good musical drama “The Sapphires” sparkled at Australia’s premier film awards.
The tale of an Aboriginal family singing group entertaining American troops in the Vietnam War won best film and five other awards at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts ceremony Wednesday night.
Best Lead Actress Deborah Mailman and Best Supporting Actress Jessica Mauboy won for playing sisters in the group. The award for lead actor went to Chris O’Dowd, who played “The Sapphires” talent manager and is perhaps best known for his role as a police officer in the smash comedy “Bridesmaids.”
The academy also recognized “The Sapphires” director Wayne Blair and writers, Keith Thompson and Tony Briggs, who adapted the screenplay from Briggs’ stage production inspired by his mother’s experiences.
“The Sapphires” won 11 awards in all, including technical categories announced earlier. Backstage, Blair said he never thought such a result would be possible, “not in my wildest dreams.
“It just came out of the blue. Out of the 12 nominations I thought we might win you know, one or two, that’d be lovely, that’d be vindication of something,” he told Australian Associated Press. “But winning a few more is good, very positive.”
Mauboy accepted her award from presenter Nicole Kidman and claimed she felt undeserving of the prize because she had been in the industry for “like a second.”
Backstage, she said, “Oh my goodness, accepting the award from Nicole Kidman, it’s unexplainable.”
Other film winners were Best Supporting Actor Antony Starr and original screenplay writers Kieran Darcy-Smith and Felicity Price for “Wish You Were Here,” a thriller set partially in Cambodia.
The awards ceremony host was Russell Crowe and attendees included Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett, and Jeremy Renner.
Fundraising campaign underway to bring young star to Oscars
LOS ANGELES–Efforts to raise money to bring the young star of the Oscar๏ฟฝ-nominated live action short Buzkashi Boys from the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan to Hollywood for the Big Event are well on their way to a goal of $10,000.
After just two days, $6,845, one or two dollars at a time, has been donated through an Internet campaign on the website www.rally.org/buzkashiboys. Fourteen-year-old Fawad Mohammadi hopes to make it to the Academy Awards๏ฟฝ ceremony on February 24. He is excited at the chance to meet Hollywood’s stars and filmmakers.
Fawad was discovered while selling maps and chewing gum on Chicken Street, Kabul’s main shopping district. His father died when he was young and to help his mother he gave up on school and started working at the age of seven.
The filmmakers also hope to bring Fawad’s 14-year-old co-star Jawanmard Paiz to Los Angeles through these donations. Any donations in excess will go into a college fund for Fawad.
Tony Scott’s agents seek $1m in unpaid feesLOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Scott earned millions directing films such as “Man on Fire” and “Unstoppable” and the agents who helped negotiate those deals are now seeking more than a $1 million in unpaid commissions from his estate.
Creative Artists Agency filed a creditor’s claim Monday for its 10 percent share of several of Scott’s projects since 2004, court records show.
The director of action and thriller films such as “Top Gun,” ”Days of Thunder” and “Crimson Tide” died in August after leaping from a towering bridge over Los Angeles’ harbor. His estate was valued at $1.25 million in a September court filing, and the lawyer handling the case declined through a secretary to discuss the agents’ claims on Wednesday.
CAA’s filing reveals some of the pay days that Scott was able to command in recent years, including $10 million for 2006’s “Deja Vu” and $9.5 million for directing “The Taking of Pelham 123.” The filings also state that 2004’s “Man on Fire” earned Scott a $7 million fee for directing and an additional $1 million for producing, although CAA is only seeking $70,000 from recent residual payments.
The 2010 film “Unstoppable” earned $4.5 million, according to the documents.
Scott’s death was ruled a suicide, but notes he left behind offered no motive for why he killed himself.
CAA’s filing states that it may be owed additional payments
Scott’s estate is meant to provide for his widow, Donna, and their twin sons.
“Entourage” crew to make leap to big-screenLOS ANGELES (AP) — Vincent Chase and his entourage are jumping from the small screen to the big-screen.
Warner Bros. confirmed Wednesday that a film version of HBO’s hit series “Entourage” is in the works.
Series creator Doug Ellin is writing and directing the film, which does not yet have a production start date or release date. The studio also has not finalized the cast.
“Entourage” ran for eight seasons and followed the Hollywood exploits of hot young actor Vince (Adrian Grenier) and his inner circle, including Kevin Connolly as his manager, Kevin Dillon as his half brother, Jerry Ferrara as an old neighborhood friend and Jeremy Piven as his slick super-agent.
Disney closing “Epic Mickey” video game developerBy Derrik J. Lang, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Now it’s time to say goodbye to “Epic Mickey.”
The interactive division of the Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that it is closing Junction Point Studios, its Austin, Texas-based developer that created 2010’s “Disney Epic Mickey” and its 2012 sequel “Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two.”
Disney said the closure is part of its “effort to address the fast-evolving gaming platforms and marketplace” and to align its resources with its key priorities.
“We’re extremely grateful to Warren Spector and the Junction Point team for their creative contributions to Disney with ‘Disney Epic Mickey’ and ‘Disney Epic Mickey 2,'” the studio said in a statement.
Disney acquired Junction Point in 2007. The studio was led by “Deus Ex” and “Thief” creator Warren Spector.
Both “Epic Mickey” games were set in a twisted version of Disneyland called Wasteland and featured Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as protagonists.
“I said to myself as Junction Point embarked on the ‘Epic Mickey’ journey that, worst case, we’d be ‘a footnote in Disney history,'” Spector posted Monday on Facebook. “Looking back on it, I think we did far better than that. With Mickey Mouse as our hero, we introduced a mainstream audience to some cool ‘core game’ concepts — and, most especially, we restored Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to a place of prominence.”
The first “Epic Mickey,” which was released only for the Nintendo Wii, was the sixth best-selling game the month it was released in 2010. “Epic Mickey 2,” which was available for the Wii, as well as the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, didn’t crack the top 10 when it was released last November, according to gaming industry tracker NPD Group.
Disney unveiled plans earlier this month for a new franchise combining a toy line and a game called “Disney Infinity,” similar to “Skylanders” from Activision-Blizzard Inc. “Infinity” is being developed by Disney’s Salt Lake City, Utah-based developer Avalanche Software and is set to debut in June alongside “Monsters University,” the 3-D prequel to the 2001 Disney-Pixar film “Monsters Inc.”
Oscar hits the road to visit more than 10 citiesLOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscar is going on a road trip.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says one of the golden statuettes that are handed out at the Academy Awards will visit at least 10 cities as part of Oscar’s first national tour.
Beginning Monday in New York City, the golden guy’s journey will be chronicled online. Fans can follow the Oscar statue’s progress and even make suggestions for stops along the way.
The statuette will make appearances in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Mo., Houston, Dallas and Phoenix before arriving in Hollywood for the Academy Awards on Feb. 24. Fans in those cities will have a chance to pose for photos with the Oscar trophy.
Visual Effects Society re-elects Okun as board chairLOS ANGELES–The Visual Effects Society (VES) announced today the 2013 board of director officers, who were elected at the January board meeting. The list of officials includes Jeffrey A. Okun, sr. VP of visual effects for Prana Studios, who was re-elected for a fifth one-year term as board chair.
“To be elected the chair of the VES is not only an honor but a responsibility to our artists to insure they are recognized for what they do,” said Okun. “The VES represents members in twenty-nine countries. These members are the artists that drive the industry to new heights, increase the ability to tell compelling stories, imagine new horizons and deliver the unimaginable. I will continue to shine the light and to look for new and better ways to have them recognized.”
Okun has contributed visual effects design and execution to a wide-range of films including the award-winning sci-fi hit Stargate (1994), Deep Blue Sea (1999), The Last Starfighter (1984), Sphere (1998), The Last Samurai (2003), Blood Diamond (2006) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008).
VES executive director Eric Roth will work with and support the board that is headed by Okun and includes the following just elected officers to the board of directors:
o 1st vice chair Michael Fink, an artisan who “cut his eye teeth” on films such as Star Trek the Motion Picture and Blade Runner, and became a VFX supervisor on War Games (BAFTA nomination) in 1982. He has since worked on over 50 films, including Buckaroo Banzai, Batman Returns (BAFTA and Academy nominations), Braveheart, Mars Attacks!, X-Men, X-Men 2, Constantine, The Golden Compass (BAFTA Award, Academy Award), Tropic Thunder, Avatar, Tron: Legacy, Sucker Punch, Tree of Life, and Life of Pi. Fink is a founding member of the VES, and a member of the executive committee of the Visual Effects Branch of the Academy.
o 2nd vice chair Mike Chambers, an independent VFX producer and freelance consultant, specializing in large-scale feature film productions. He most recently completed work on The Dark Knight Rises for Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros Studios; it is his second collaboration with the esteemed director, the first being Inception. While Chambers has contributed to the visual effects efforts on several Academy and BAFTA award-winning films, he has personally won two VES Awards for Best Visual Effects, for The Day After Tomorrow and Inception, and was nominated for his work on I Am Legend.
o Treasurer Gene Rizzardi, an Emmy Award-winning model supervisor with 33 years of successful experience in the motion picture, theme park and architectural industries, providing miniatures, special effects and props and sets.
o Secretary Kim Lavery, a VFX producer who’s been instrumental in building out specialized visual effects boutique studios, working on films such as Frida, Minority Report, Cats and Dogs, Charlie’s Angels, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Terminator 3, and Last Samurai. Aligning herself with the global marketplace, she worked at Weta Digital in various producing roles on King Kong, X-Men 3, Bridge to Terabithia, 30 Days of Night, Enchanted, and The Water Horse. Currently, Kim is continuing to bridge the gap between New Zealand and the U.S. film and postproduction markets.
Lucasfilm pushes pause on 3-D “Star Wars” prequels
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The force isn’t with the 3-D versions of the “Star Wars” prequels.
Lucasfilm said in a statement Monday that it’s postponing the scheduled 3-D releases of “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack Of The Clones” and “Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” this fall to instead focus its efforts on “Star Wars: Episode VII.”
The Walt Disney Co. confirmed Friday that J.J. Abrams, creator of the TV series “Lost” and director of 2009’s “Star Trek” movie, will direct the seventh installment of the franchise, set for a 2014 release.
Disney bought “Star Wars” maker Lucasfilm last month for $4.06 billion.
“Episode I — The Phantom Menace” was released in 3-D last February and earned $22.4 million domestically its opening weekend.
The original prequels were released from 1999 to 2005.
Ad Council hires Beth Collins Ellard as exec VP of mediaNEW YORK–Beth Collins Ellard has joined the Ad Council to lead the media team as executive VP. Previously, Ellard was the EVP and general manager of DailyCandy, a women’s lifestyle digital property owned by NBCUniversal. Ellard has worked at several top media companies including Hearst, Disney and Time Inc.
In her new role at the Ad Council, Ellard will work to secure donated media support for the organization’s national PSA campaigns, creating innovative partnerships with traditional, digital, and emerging media as well as corporate partners. The Ad Council’s 50 national campaigns currently receive $1.4 billion in donated media time and space annually, which would rank the organization among the top advertisers in the U.S.
Abrams on “Star Wars”: “surreal” and “exciting”By Michael Cidoni Lenox
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — J.J. Abrams calls getting assigned to direct the seventh live-action “Star Wars” film “as surreal as it is exciting.”
The director-producer-writer spoke with a handful of media outlets on the red carpet before darting into the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday night. Abrams was there to accept the Norman Lear Achievement Award for such television works as “Felicity” (1998-2002), “Alias” (2001-2006), “Lost” (2004-2010), “Fringe” (2008-2013) as well as the current series “Person of Interest” and “Revolution.”
Abrams also is proving to be a go-to director of successful new films for long-established franchises, such as “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible.”
Last week, Lucasfilm officially announced Abrams’ hiring for “Star Wars: Episode VII,” which has a tentative release date of 2015. “Star Wars” creator George Lucas personally endorsed Abrams in a statement: “I’ve consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller. He’s an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn’t be in better hands.”
As for Abrams’ plans for “Episode VII”?
“You know, obviously, it’s so early,” he replied. “I can just say what I want to do: I want to do the fans proud. I want to make sure the story is something that touches people. And we’re just getting started. I’m very excited.”
Motion Picture Academy creates branch for costume designersBEVERLY HILLS, Calif – The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the creation of the Costume Designers Branch. Costume designers had previously been a part of the Designers Branch, which also includes production designers, art directors and set decorators. Academy Governor Jeffrey Kurland will transfer to the newly created branch and eventually be joined by two additional governors.
“History was made at the Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday night with the formation of a Costume Designers Branch,” said Kurland. “Costume designers have waited a long time for recognition with branch status. As a governor representing these designers, I’m thrilled and grateful for the Academy’s support.”
At the same meeting, the governors voted to increase the representation of the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch from one to three governors. Two new governors will be chosen by election later this year to join current governor Leonard Engelman. The Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch, the most recent branch to be created, was formed in 2006.
“I’m looking forward to sharing the task of representing the Academy’s makeup artists and hairstylists with two of my colleagues,” Engelman said. “New governors will bring new ideas, which will help to keep the Academy’s leadership strong and sharp.”
“Congratulations to our members from these essential craft areas. Movies are a visual medium and costume designers, makeup artists, and hairstylists help to create images that tell stories,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “This recognition is richly deserved.”
These decisions were voted at the regularly scheduled Board meeting on Wednesday, January 23, and will take effect in July after Board elections are held. The new Costume Designers Branch governors and the two new Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch governors will bring the size of the Academy’s Board to 48 members, with three governors representing each of the 16 branches.
Javier Campopiano named CCO at Draftfcb NY
NEW YORK–Javier Campopiano is set to become chief creative officer at Draftfcb New York effective Feb. 4. He will partner with Debra Coughlin, global CMO of Draftfcb, who has been appointed to lead the NY office on an interim basis as acting managing director while a search to fill that post is conducted.
Campopiano has been a driving force behind the agency’s success in Latin America, helping to make Draftfcb Argentina that country’s most awarded shop at last year’s Cannes Lions Festival.
He was named executive creative director of Draftfcb Argentina in 2010. The next year he was appointed regional creative director for Draftfcb Latin America. His campaigns for brands including Oreo, Citric, Banco Macro, +vision, Club Social, JVC, ZonaJobs, KY Gel, Compumundo and Piero won both business and advertising awards this past year. He now moves stateside to put his creative imprint on Draftfcb NY.
Camera Operator of the Year Nominees AnnouncedHOLLYWOOD–The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) announced the nominees for the 2013 Camera Operator of the Year for Film and the Camera Operator of the Year for Television Awards. These awards are two of the highlights of the 21st Lifetime Achievement Awards presented by the SOC.
The 2013 nominees for Camera Operator of the Year in Film are:
o Mitch Dubin, SOC for LINCOLN (Dreamworks)
o Peter Robertson, ACO, SOC for ANNA KARENINA (Focus Features)
o Colin Anderson, SOC for THE MASTER (The Weinstein Company)
o Lukasz Bielan, SOC for LIFE OF PI (20th Century Fox)
o Duane C. Manwiller for THE HUNGER GAMES (Lionsgate)
The 2013 nominees for Camera Operator of the Year in Television are:
o Nick Davidoff, SOC for HOMELAND (Showtime)
o Tony Gaudioz for HOUSE (FOX)
o Jeff Muhlstock, SOC for SMASH (NBC)
o Chris Murphy for NEWSROOM (HBO)
o Andrew Voegeli for BREAKING BAD (AMC)
For feature films, Colin Anderson, SOC, the nominee from “The Master,” was a previous SOC Camera Operator of the Year “CAMMY” award winner for the year 2011 for the Ben Affleck directed film “The Town.” Mitch Dubin, SOC is a previous nominee for his work on Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse” in 2012.
On the TV side, Tony Gaudioz was a previous nominee for his work on Fox’s “House” at the 2010 awards. All of the other nominees for both film and television are first time honorees.
“The films and television projects that our Society members have nominated for these two awards are distinguished in the fact that they are pictures and programs that have the camera operation authored by a talented camera operator,” noted David Frederick, SOC as he prepares his sixth SOC Lifetime Awards production. “Our specific craft is elegantly delineated as a valuable contribution to these projects, carried out through the knowing eye and intuitive hands of a professional camera operator. This is something that we proudly salute.”
Previously, the Society of Camera Operators (SOC) announced the recipients of its 2013 Lifetime Achievement Awards. These awards recognize individuals and works that have exemplified a lifetime of the finest standards of camera operating and the role of the camera operator and allied fields in the motion picture and television industry. These Life Achievement Awards will be presented the same night in front of the black tie audience of film and television industry luminaries.
The SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards will take place March 9th at The Leonard Goldenson Theatre at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood, California.
