Sr. producer Phil Brewster has joined postproduction studio Absolute following six years at Saddington Baynes. His new role will see him produce VFX-heavy projects for his new roost’s varied client base.
With an initial spell at graphic design studio Design Shard, Brewster realized his calling was specifically in visual effects and garnered a position at Saddington Baynes. During this time, he was afforded the luxury of producing CG-heavy outcomes direct-to-client for brands including Estée Lauder and Gaggenau, as well as working alongside agencies such as Havas, McCann and Saatchi & Saatchi.
Brewster commented, “The great thing about VFX is that each project hopes to be something new and innovative. It’s an industry that’s constantly evolving, and I’m looking forward to witnessing that progression from my new Soho home amongst talented artists and great clients.”
Absolute production director Belinda Grew added, “The past eighteen months have been a bit of a ride and we’ve been lucky enough to work with some fantastic creative and directorial talent on some incredibly niche, award-winning VFX briefs. As our client base expands, our in-house talent, too, has continued to grow and I couldn’t think of anyone better to help elevate our production team as we scope out new opportunities.”
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