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.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More