The Mill has tabbed Chris Kiser to serve as executive producer, new business for U.S. regions. This marks a wider U.S. role for Kiser, focusing on growth, new partnerships and client strategies in key American advertising markets. Kiser has already played an integral role in the establishment of The Mill’s recently announced partnership with Boston based production company ELEMENT. In addition to identifying new markets and opportunities, Kiser will build on and service existing remote partnerships The Mill has formed in cities such as Richmond, Miami, Detroit, Kansas City, and Austin. Kiser joined The Mill in 2015 from Psyop, where he was head of production. Previously, he served as executive producer at Click 3X and producer at Charlex, focusing on a broad range of live action, design, CG, and VFX across digital and broadcast projects. In his time at The Mill, Kiser has been an EP on award winning campaigns, innovative 360 film projects, and large scale Super Bowl ads. He is also a member of the Visual Effects Society….
Pulse Films has secured bueno, a Venice, Calif.-based talent management agency launched by Millie Munro and Bryan Shrednick, to represent the studio’s roster on the West Coast. Pulse’s directorial lineup includes Kahlil Joseph, Sam Pilling, Thirtytwo, Mike Piscitelli and Michael Haussman….
Indie talent management agency bueno has also taken on West Coast representation for NY-based production studio Sibling Rivalry….
LightHouse Films has signed Sara Barnthouse and Steven Cook of DeVine Reps for West Coast representation, as well as Tracy Bernard and Brandi Lugo of Tracy Bernard & Associates for Midwest representation….
L.A.-based creative studio Midnight Sherpa has retained veteran business development consultant Janice W. Summers to help lead its company growth and sales initiatives for television, OTT marketing, commercials, main titles, and direct-to-brand work. The partnership caps an exceptional year for Midnight Sherpa, which received “Best New Studios” honors from the Motion Awards, and won a Golden Trailer Award for its work with Dolby. Summers brings a diverse entertainment background to Midnight Sherpa. She previously held in-house head of business development positions for creative design agencies such as Imaginary Forces, loyalkaspar and Charlie Company. Summers launched her career in the film and TV business working in the TV literary department at Creative Artists Agency. She then parlayed her talents into the realm of advertising at commercial production company Biscuit Filmworks, where she worked closely with director Noam Murro while simultaneously directing and producing her own short films, music videos, and spec projects….
Masstech Innovations Inc. has appointed Luc Tomasino to serve as VP of worldwide sales, effective September 11. Based in Masstech’s Markham, Ontario office, Tomasino will assume overall responsibilities for overseeing the company’s revenue, sales growth, profit, and market penetration/share. Masstech provides innovative software solutions and proven expertise that media organizations access to manage their valuable digital media content and related information throughout its lifecycle. Tomasino brings more than 20 years of experience in the technology business. Tomasino most recently worked as a consultant for several high-level companies including Rightsline, TabletTV, and Mercy Neutraceuticals. Prior to that, he spent seven years as the managing director and sr. VP, EMEA, for SDI Media Group and has also held high-level positions at Vyvx Media, Carta Inc., and Central Europe Media Enterprises. His expertise includes growing new companies into market leaders, developing international growth strategies, and building exceptional account servicing organizations….
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 — and those many "Babadook" memes — 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 — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — 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