March 31, 1995/Co-directors Erich Joiner and Scott Burns have set up shop in Santa Monica as Tool of North America. Burns had been a creative director/partner at ad shop Berlin Wright Cameron, New York; Joiner was associate creative director/art director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco….Big Finish Ltd., London, has acquired post house Complete Video, also in London, for an undisclosed price….Director Pascal Baes, formerly handled stateside by bicoastal Crossroads Films, is now being represented for U.S. spotwork via bicoastal 1/33 Productions. He continues to be repped abroad by Le Village, Paris….
MARCH 30, 1990/Chicago’s first African American-owned production company, Third Wave, opened under the aegis of partner Daryll Merchant, former executive producer at Burrell Advertising, Chicago, and director/partner Al Hawkins, who was most recently freelancing….Production house Highlights Commercials has launched its own edit shop, Highlight Post; both are based in Los Angeles. Spearheading the venture is video editor Hank Polonsky….
Answer the "Question of the Week" and "Flashback Trivia" questions under "Feedback."
Judge Upholds Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Charge Against Alec Baldwin In “Rust” Shooting
A New Mexico judge has upheld her decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
In a ruling Thursday, state District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer stood by her July decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin. She said prosecutors did not raise any factual or legal arguments that would justify reversing her decision.
"Because the state's amended motion raises arguments previously made, and arguments that the state elected not to raise earlier, the court does not find the amended motion well taken," the judge wrote, adding that the request was also untimely.
A spokesperson for Baldwin's lawyers said Friday that they had no immediate reaction to teh decision.
The case was thrown out halfway through trial on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense in the 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
Baldwin's trial was upended by revelations that ammunition was brought into the Santa Fe County sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammo unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers say investigators "buried" the evidence in a separate case file and filed a successful motion to dismiss.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey can now decide whether to appeal to a higher court.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for "Rust," was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer —... Read More