AICE, the international postproduction trade association, has launched a chapter in Atlanta. Months in the making, the chapter has put its first board in place, electing Molly Baroco, executive producer and partner of Hero Post, as its new president.
The companies that make up the newly reformed Atlanta chapter, in addition to Hero Post, include Beast/Method/Company 3/Company 3 Sound, Bare Knuckles, Mad Had Creative, Moonshine Post, Nine Mile Circle and Tunewelders. (Officially this is the second iteration of the chapter; one existed in Atlanta between 2000 and 2008.)
The Atlanta chapter held its first meeting in early February, at which time the following company representatives were elected to serve on the board: Stephanie Martucci of Mad Hat Creative; Soraia Callison and Brian Anderson of Beast/Method/CO3/CO3 Sound; Ben Holst of Tunewelders; Drew Sawyer and Vinisha Rumph of Moonshine Post; Kyle Kramb and Kenneth Lovell of Nine Mile Circle; Baroco and Jeff Jay of Hero Post; and Chris Basta and Chris Nicholson of Bare Knuckles Creative.
Several of the Atlanta chapters members were already at-large members of AICE, including Hero Post, Nine Mile Circle and Beast. Baroco, who has also been named to AICE’s international board, was among the local industry members who’ve been pushing for the formation of a new Atlanta chapter for the past few years.
“From what everyone expressed at our meeting, the most important reason for joining AICE was to be able to engage with and strengthen the post community in Atlanta,” Baroco said. “Networking, fellowship and solidarity are very important to our members.”
“We’re thrilled to have Atlanta back in the fold as a recognized chapter,” says AICE executive director Rachelle Madden. “This move underscores the value of membership in our association. The demands on post production companies have increased while competitive pressures have made it imperative that we run our businesses in smart, innovative and creative ways. There’s no better solution for that then sharing information and resources, which forms a large part of our mission.”
Like Baroco, Nine Mile Circle’s Kramb says he’s had the formation of an AICE Atlanta chapter on his radar for some time. An editor, he started his career at BlueRock in New York, and says the spirit of camaraderie and sharing he experienced amongst AICE members there is something he’s looking forward to extending to the new Atlanta chapter.
“Creating more of a sense of community for editors, VFX artists and audio mixers is a big motivation for me,” said Kramb. “I also think it’s important to be part of a group that champions not only the craft of postproduction but also all those working locally in the industry and the creative community. There is a lot of talent in Atlanta and the more we get that out the more quality work we’ll attract.”
Several board members say they feel being part of an AICE chapter gives them not only a stronger collective voice, but a greater sense of national credibility as well. “It’s great to have national visibility along with the chapters in New York, L.A., Chicago and elsewhere,” said Callison. “And this gives us a platform for the community to work together to collectively promote the capabilities and resources available here. I think it’ll foster much more interest from talent, who used to think that New York or L.A. were their only options. We want them to see that Atlanta is not only viable, but a vibrant and thriving place to pursue their careers.”
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this โ and those many "Babadook" memes โ unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables โ "Bah-Bah-Doooook" โ an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More