By Adam Remson
City Lights Media Group, a New York-based production and postproduction house, has built its directorial roster in recent months, keeping an intentionally low profile until a prime addition, feature filmmaker Larry Clark (e.g., Kids), became available to take on spots. Clark, whose schedule is now open to accommodate ad assignments, is one of six directors to come aboard the shop. Three other helmers have also linked with City Lights, albeit on a non-exclusive basis.
The director signings represent a move by the company to return to its origins. City Lights’ president/co-creative director Danny Fisher acknowledged that the house had lost sight of its production foundation over the last few years.
"We’ve been in business for twenty years as a production company but over the last seven years we built our own in-house postproduction facility, which expanded from three to twenty-four editing rooms and several graphics rooms," explained Fisher. "I looked around recently and saw I was managing a postproduction facility, but my roots are as a film producer. So we are now pursuing production on several fronts—feature films, television and commercials/music videos."
City Lights has assembled a roster of spot helmers that includes: Clark, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Jim Gucciardo, June Manton, Brian Frank, and Ilkka Jarvilaturi. The company also has entered into non-exclusive spotmaking relationships with directors Bernard Salzman, Chuck Clemens and feature filmmaker John Waters (Hairspray, Crybaby). Waters is also handled by bicoastal The Industry, a sister shop to bicoastal Moxie Pictures. Salzman continues to additionally work through his own production company, Chicago-based Inner Circle Films. Clemens’ other spot roost is 11/11 Productions, New York.
The lone holdover in the City Lights’ directorial lineup is co-creative director Jack Fisher (Danny’s brother). Thus far, City Lights has produced one commercial as of late—a Manton-directed Nivea spot for TBWA/ Chiat/Day, New York.
"The commercial/music video [department] is still a new division," said Danny Fisher. "We are targeting it to become about twenty-five percent of our overall production business. Currently, about 20 percent of our overall work, including postproduction and design, is in commercials and music videos. But we expect that to grow as we do our own commercial production."
Fisher feels that although business and the economy are slow, it is a perfect time for his company to make adjustments in a changing market. "It really is a terrible economy but what we see is an opportunity for us to pick up directors and compete," said Fisher, who added that the company is also looking into building a sound mixing facility and increasing its graphics capabilities. "We are trying to do everything from the creation of original content to duplication and format conversions and editing—basically everything from the smallest item of service to original film and TV ideas."
Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More