Shop Also Promotes Young To Full Fledged Cutter
By Robert Goldrich
SANTA MONICA --Bicoastal Cosmo Street has added to its West Coast-based roster of editors, bringing Tessa Davis and Jason Macdonald on board, as well as promoting assistant Lawrence Young to full-fledged cutter.
At press time Macdonald was about to embark on his first job under the Cosmo Street banner, a package for Radio Shack via Arnold Worldwide, Boston. He comes over from Mad River Post, New York, where he initially was an assistant editor before being upped to editor.
Davis, formerly of Cutters, Venice, Calif., already has some Cosmo Street credits under her belt, having cut several Miller spots for Crispin Porter+Bogusky (CP+B), Miami. She is scheduled to edit some UPS long-form fare for The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va., as well as some commercials for Frieda hair care products out of Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, New York.
And Young has cut assorted jobs at Cosmo Street, some prior to officially being named to its editors’ roster. Among his editing credits are Burger King directed by Paul Hunter of bicoastal HSI Productions for CP+B, another project for the same client and agency helmed by Martin Granger of bicoastal Moxie Pictures, and an American Legacy Foundation “Truth” assignment directed by Baker Smith of Santa Monica-based harvest for Arnold Worldwide, Boston, and CP+B.
A native of London, Young moved to Los Angeles a decade ago to pursue a career in production and editing. He initially worked as a second assistant director on spots and music videos. Young then moved to New York to work as an assistant editor at Mad River Post. While there, he developed a professional relationship with editor Tom Scherma. Young eventually worked full time as Scherma’s assistant editor. Then when Scherma joined Cosmo Street in 2003, Young went along with him. Now Young is cutting his own projects.
SOUTH AFRICAN, CANADIAN ROOTS
Davis’ career began in her native South Africa. From ’99 to ’03, she was an editor for Orchestra Blue Post Production, Johannesburg, turning out spots for such agencies as Ogilvy & Mather and Myriad.
In ’03, she relocated stateside, assisting and editing on commercials and music videos for Aviddiva. She cut Justin Timberlake’s clip “Senorita” and Carl’s Jr’s “Mechanical Bull,” which came out of Mendelsohn/Zien Advertising, Los Angeles.
Davis then went to Cutters. Her recent credits include commercials (Clorets, Nissan), a documentary titled Pirates of the Caribbean II, and a feature documentary, Girl 27.
Macdonald’s industry roots are in Canada where he began editing in ’95. For four years he freelance cut music videos for Toronto houses like Raje, Hoodoo and Avion. By ’99, Macdonald edited 80-plus music clips for artists including Sean Combs, Little Ax and Jesse Terrero.
Macdonald left Toronto to live in Costa Rica. A year later he returned to Canada, garnering experience producing, directing and gripping before deciding to pursue commercial editing. He worked briefly at a Toronto boutique before moving to New York where he landed an assistant editor’s gig at Mad River. A year and a half later he was promoted to editor. Among his editing credits are spots for Avis, Axe, Cheese Nips, Target, the NFL and Amber Rock.Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. Explore Generations, Old School vs. New School, In “Poppa’s House”
Boundaries between work and family don't just blur in the new CBS sitcom "Poppa's House" starring father-and-son comedy duo Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. They shatter.
"It's wonderful to come to work every day and see him and some of his kids and my sister and my brother and nieces and nephews. They all work on this show. They all contribute," says the senior Wayans. "I don't think there are words to express how joyful I am."
Wayans plays the titular Poppa, a curmudgeonly radio DJ who's more than comfortable doing it his way, while Wayans Jr. plays his son, Damon, a budding filmmaker who's stuck in a job he hates.
"My character, Pop, is just an old school guy who's kind of stuck in his ways," says Wayans, who starred in "In Living Color" and "My Wife and Kids."
Pop yearns for the days when a handshake was a binding contract and Michael Jordan didn't complain if he got fouled on the court. Pop laughs at the younger generation's participation trophies.
"It's old school versus new school and them teaching each other lessons from both sides," says Wayans Jr., who played Coach in the Fox sitcom "New Girl."
"They (the characters) bring the best out in each other and they're resistant initially. But then throughout the episode they have revelations and these revelations help them become better people," he adds.
The two have worked together before — dad made an appearance on son's "Happy Endings" and "Happy Together," while son was a writer and guest star on dad's "My Wife and Kids." But this is the first time they have headlined a series together.
The half-hour comedy — premiering Monday and co-starring Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson — smartly leaves places in the script where father and son can let... Read More