Ascent Media Group has acquired substantially all the assets of Beast, an editorial house with shops in Santa Monica, New York, and Austin, Tex., as well as international outposts/affiliations. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“There is no doubt that the world, and more specifically our business, is undergoing changes of seismic proportions,” said Valerie Petrusson, managing partner at Beast. “This alliance allows us to take advantage of Ascent’s global reach and scale and better positions us to lead our clients through the technology and business model challenges ahead.”
Since opening its doors in 2006, Beast has amassed a diverse body of work spanning commercials, features, TV drama, music videos and web virals. On the long-form front, Beast cut For One More Day for Harpo Films. Commercials include he Cannes International Ad Fest-recognized “Butcher” for AT&T, as well as jobs for Reebok, Southwest Airlines, Toyota, BMW, and Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Igor Kovalik, co-founder and editor at Beast, said one of the factors that attracted him to Ascent was the reputation of its postproduction and visual effects facilities, which include Company 3 and Method. “Beast has always operated as an intimate creative environment….The people at Ascent share our commitment and passion. The company’s entrepreneurial spirit and culture was a key factor in us forming this relationship.”
Complementing Beast’s lineup of editorial talent is Ascent’s existing roster at Filmcore, which includes Doug Walker, as well as Lucas Eskin and Michael Elliot. Both Eskin and Elliot came over from the recently shuttered Mad River Post (SHOOT, 4/25).
“The addition of Beast underscores our intent to enhance the best editorial offering in the industry. Beast brings a wealth of expertise and experience, which will help us better respond to the shifting dynamics in the market and accelerate our strategic efforts to extend our services into broad, multi-platform, post-production solutions,” said Jose Royo, CEO of Ascent Media.
Santa Monica-headquartered Ascent Media Group, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ascent Media Corporation (Nasdaq: ASCMA), which provides creative and technical services to the media and entertainment industries. Through more than 40 facilities in regions of Southern California, New York, Atlanta, London and Singapore, Ascent Media provides solutions for the creation, management and distribution of content to major motion picture studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies and other companies that produce, own and/or distribute entertainment, news, sports, corporate, educational, industrial and advertising content.
A “Wicked” Welcome From The National Board of Review
Days after "Wicked" went home from the Golden Globes with a single award for box office achievement, the National Board of Review Awards held space for the smash hit musical, celebrating its cast and director in the New York group's annual gala Tuesday. The untelevised but starry NBR Awards were a chance for many of the nominees who didn't win Sunday to trot out their would-be acceptance speeches, including Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman. Accepting the award for best actress for her performance in the erotic thriller "Babygirl," Kidman celebrated by chugging a glass of milk, a nod to some of the film's kinky sex games. After finishing, Kidman triumphantly announced "Good girl!" and left the stage. It also was an opportunity for some jabs at the Globes. "Isn't this room just a little bit classier than the Beverly Hilton?" quipped presenter Christine Baranski, looking around the elegant marble-columned midtown venue, Cipriani's. Others were less impressed by the old-school New York vibe. "The bathroom attendant, that shouldn't exist anymore," Kieran Culkin said during a typically free-form acceptance speech for best supporting actor for his role in "A Real Pain." The night belonged to Jon M. Chu's "Wicked." The musical was the board's pick for best film, best director for Chu and a special award for the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The two, in back-and-forth remarks, continued their mutual praise of each other. "Also you're welcome," added Grande. "I truly think you would have murdered anyone else." "Probably true," responded Erivo. Chu, who was introduced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, used the moment to reflect on his yearslong journey with "Wicked," which will be followed by an already-shot part two due out this... Read More