Dattner Dispoto and Associates (DDA) has added DPs Eric Robbins, Ryan McMaster, CSC, and Corey Robson to its roster for representation. Robbins is handled for commercials, features and TV while McMaster and Robson are repped for features and TV. DDA’s Lisa Holguin signed Robbins while DDA’s Dan Burnside signed McMaster and Robson. In terms of feature film bookings, DDA has secured the John Curran-directed Chappaquiddick for DP Maryse Alberti, director Grega Gerwig’s Lady Bird for DP Sam Levy, director Janicza Bravo’s Lemon for DP Jason McCormick, the Ryan Koo-directed Amateur for production designer Todd Jeffery, and director David Ayer’s Bright for costume designer Mary Claire Hannan. On the TV front, DDA has scored Netflix’s Mindhunter for DP Eric Messerschmidt, Netflix’s Altered Carbon for DP Neville Kidd, Fox’s Sleepy Hollow for DP Niels Alpert, Fox’s Star for DP Rodney Taylor, ASC, CBS’ Training Day for DP Robert Gantz, ASC, CW’s The Originals for costume designer Nancea Ceo, and Netflix’s Glow for production designer Todd Fjelsted….
Cinematographer Corey Walter has completed principal photography on House of Tomorrow directed by Peter Livolsi, and starring Ellen Burstyn and Nick Offerman. Walter is available for commercials, music videos, and feature films exclusively through ICM Partners….
Austin Katz has been named chief development officer to lead strategic growth and development at branding and marketing innovations agency Troika. He is tasked with further developing and expanding Troika’s services to help clients better understand the shared cultural and human values that drive engagement today. He joins Troika from The Company (The Ebersol Lanigan Company) as COO, where he implemented a growth and operations strategy that resulted in sizable increases in revenue and profitability…..
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More