Reel FX Animation Studios’ VR/AR division and the creative leadership team from Moonbot Studios have teamed to form a multi-platform content studio aptly named Flight School. The Flight School creative team will be led by Academy Award-winning chief creative officer Brandon Oldenburg (The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore), and Emmy Award-winning (Silent, Scarecrow) executive creative director Limbert Fabian. The studio will be managed by CEO Kyle Clark, Reel FX’s current co-CEO, and executive VP Lampton Enochs, former CEO of Moonbot. The new entity fuses creative leadership with world class production and technical expertise developed across a wide spectrum of projects that have garnered honors including Academy, Emmy, Annie, Cannes Lions, and Lumiere awards. Flight School launches in Dallas with a team of approximately 30, including creative directors, producers, animators, engineers, developers and game designers….
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) is expanding its presence in the Asia Pacific region with the launch of an International Masterclass in Beijing and the availability of the organization’s magazine, American Cinematographer, in Chinese. In collaboration with 107CINE.com, the first Chinese edition of American Cinematographer magazine was posted online April 1, featuring translated articles from the March 2017 print issue. The next edition will contain select articles from both the April and May issues of the magazine. 107CINE reports that the Chinese filmmaking community has responded with great enthusiasm; within the first 10 days, nearly 2,500 website visitors signed up to read the publication. Concurrently with the premiere copy of the Chinese edition of the magazine, the organization is holding its first ASC Masterclasses in Beijing. Running April 10-13 and April 16-19 in partnership with ARRI, the classes are being led by ASC member instructors, including Bill Bennett, Karl-Walter Lindenlaub, Fred Elmes, Theo van de Sande, Steven Fierberg and Sam Nicholson. They will also present two forums with the Beijing Film Academy and the Beijing International Film Festival. The ASC Masterclasses build on the organization’s mission to educate the next generation of filmmakers. Classes include instruction on a variety of topics such as lighting, shooting for live action, animation and visual effects, and color grading. The next Masterclass will be held in Los Angeles at the historic ASC Clubhouse in May….
The Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) announces a final call for submissions to their Production Apprentice (PA) Trainee Program. The program, which opened on February 28, is dedicated to developing a diverse group of new talents, for the profession of production design within moving image. Initially, the invitation went out to colleges, universities and graduates nationwide. This opportunity is intended to provide the most motivated, and talented aspiring designers with an immersive learning experience and eventual Art Directors Guild membership. It is one of the most ambitious apprentice programs administered by a Hollywood labor union. Production apprentices are mentored on the job by working production designers and art directors, and are exposed to a wide range of workplace experiences–feature, episodic television, commercials, reality shows, live events and theme parks. Not limited to Hollywood alone, this is a national initiative. After a review of the applications, interviews will be held in early June with ten finalists. The chosen candidates will then be invited to participate in the 2017- 2018 program. Applications for submission are due by April 28 at 5 pm. Click here for the complete schedule and online application….
