Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky has partnered with a pair of spot industry veterans, executive producers Ted Robbins and Sandy Haddad, to open commercial production house CHROMISTA. The company has already embarked on projects with Ogilvy and DDB.
Aronofsky earned a Best Director Oscar nomination and was a DGA Award nominee on the strength of Black Swan, for which he won the top directing honor at the Independent Spirit Awards. His other critically acclaimed films include The Wrestler, The Fountain, Requiem For A Dream, and Pi, as well as notable commercials for The Meth Project, Yves St. Laurent and Revlon.
Rounding out the CHROMISTA directorial roster are Kasra Farahani, Daniel Portrait of Kamp Grizzly, Xavier Mairesse (shortlisted for the AICP Show this year), and Walter May. Aronofsky’s longtime features producer Scott Franklin will serve as an executive producer.
The new company’s moniker is inspired by Aronofsky’s love for science, and a play on the name of his feature production company Protozoa. Explained Haddad, “When it came time to name our company, CHROMISTA made sense as it’s in the same supergroup as a Protozoa. So I guess you could call us one big Super Group.”
With offices in Los Angeles and New York, CHROMISTA is also represented by ENID London in the UK and Amsterdam, meaning its directorial talent is globally available for traditional advertising and longer-form projects. Beyond doing high-level advertising, CHROMISTA will serve as a launching pad for up-and-coming directorial talent in the feature world.
EP Robbins’ resume includes line-producing for major industry players. Haddad served as executive producer for production house Wild Plum for five years, working with multiple directors on brands ranging from Ford to Miller Lite to Dial Soap. The two worked closely with Aronofsky on the director’s last two campaigns, solidifying a creative bond that has evolved into CHROMISTA. EP Franklin has worked with Aronofsky since 1998’s Pi, and is currently producing the epic Noah. Franklin’s decade-plus relationship with the director has served the two well, consistently producing well-received films and commercials.
CHROMISTA is represented by Shortlist on the West Coast, Monaghan Talent Rangers in the Midwest, and FM Artists on the East Coast.
The End of The “Rust” Criminal Case Against Alec Baldwin May Unlock A Civil Lawsuit
The conclusion of a criminal case against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer clears the way for a related civil lawsuit by relatives of the deceased woman and efforts to depose the actor under oath, attorneys for plaintiffs in the civil suit said Tuesday.
At a news conference in Los Angeles, victims' rights attorney Gloria Allred said that the parents and younger sister of deceased cinematographer Halyna Hutchins were disappointed that prosecutors won't appeal the dismissal of an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin. The criminal charge against Baldwin was dismissed halfway through trial in July on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.
Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during a rehearsal in the movie "Rust" in October 2021 at a film-set ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Baldwin, the lead actor and coproducer, was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when it discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
Allred said Hutchins' relatives are determined to pursue damages and compensation from Baldwin and "Rust" producers in New Mexico civil court, and want Baldwin to answer questions under oath in the proceedings. Hutchins' widower and son previously reached a separate legal settlement.
"With the withdrawal that was made public yesterday, we are now able to proceed with our civil case," Allred said. "Clearly, the rights of Alec Baldwin were protected, but the due process rights of the victims — Halyna Hutchins and her parents and her sister — were violated."
Allred said she's ready to prove that Hutchins had a close relationship... Read More