Beast has added editor Jason Painter to its Atlanta roster. Painter’s career spans 20 years in top markets throughout the U.S., working with top clients from Toyota to Nike, and earning awards from Cannes Lions, AICE Awards, and CLIO, along with an Emmy nomination. Painter was formerly handled by edit house Butcher. At Beast’s Atlanta studio, he will work with co-located outposts of Company 3 and Method Studios to service clients nationwide. He will also be available in the six other markets where Beast has offices (Santa Monica, NY, Austin, Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco).
Billy Gabor, managing director of Deluxe Creative Services Atlanta, which encompasses local outposts of Beast, Company 3 and Method Studios, has known Painter for more than 15 years. “With Jason joining the Beast roster, the strength of Company 3 and Method under the same roof, plus the nationwide resources of Deluxe at our disposal, we’ve built an exceptional team here in Atlanta to support our clients in a way that no other local shop can,” said Gabor.
Painter shared, “The expertise and connection across Beast, Company 3, and Method is unbelievable. It’s great to be able to take a project from start to finish with no compromises. I love how this facility has a boutique feel but the national resources to scale up for projects of any size. Plus with the seven Beast studios located in key cities across the country, it means that I can work seamlessly with my longtime clients who are spread out from coast to coast.”
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