Editor Dean Pelton has joined the Republic Editorial roster. Most recently the lead editor at charlieuniformtango’s Austin office, with a strong client base in Dallas as well, Pelton joins Republic’s crew of six creative editors at Republic Editorial alongside directors and creative directors from their Republic Production and Republic Design studios.
His body of work spans brands including Jeep, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, American Airlines, Sub-Zero, Wonderbread, Pennzoil, America’s Best, Chick-fil-A, Interstate Batteries, and Rent-a-Center.
“We’ve had our eyes on Dean for the last several years,” said Republic partner Keith James. “I remember seeing his Alfa Romeo Super Bowl and thinking, ‘Who’s this new guy in town that’s come out of nowhere?’ As more and more of his work hit the market–a lot of it auto, but also a good amount of it comedy–I realized, ‘This guy can do all the things; he’s the complete package.’”
Pelton’s background as a storyteller traces back to his childhood in Los Angeles, where he shot and edited Indiana Jones themed home-movies with his friends. After getting his undergraduate degree in theater studies at UCLA, he went across town to USC for his Masters in Film. Throughout film school and during his first years in the industry, he was always doing something in the background–shooting, editing, writing–working on cult side projects such as “Yacht Rock” and “Ikea Heights.”
He began his career as a runner at Company 3 in Santa Monica in 2007, and after meeting his future wife there, moved to Texas in 2012 to be closer to family. He joined charlieuniformtango in 2013, where he rose from the bullpen into the edit chair in an unprecedented amount of time. In 2017, his first national Super Bowl spot for Alfa Romeo entitled “Dear Predictable,” was a crazy last minute project thrown together on a Monday as the clock ticked down. Hitting that last second field goal endeared him to producers and creatives in town, and his career took off from there.
“I’m really stoked about joining the crew at Republic,” said Pelton. “This shop has a tremendous reputation nationally, and the success they’ve had in recent years in beefing up their production and design studios clearly illustrates a leadership team that’s forward thinking and built to make well thought out strategic decisions. I’m really enjoying getting to know the rest of the team and I’m continually impressed by their capabilities. They’ve got a serious group of creative artists here–I can’t wait for my clients to walk in our doors and get down to business.”
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