The AICE will be honoring one of the most accomplished leaders in its history when it inducts the late John Palestrini into its Hall of Fame at the AICE Awards on May 15 in New York. Palestrini, who passed away last June at the age of 66, was widely recognized as a creative editor, a visionary entrepreneur and businessman, an inspirational mentor, a passionate advocate for his industry and an early and active participant in the growth of AICE.
Palestrini began his career as a one-man shop, The Palestrini Film Editing Co. (PFE). After Ethel Rubinstein (former head of production at Geer Dubois and executive producer at RSA USA) joined him in 1992, they set out to transform PFE into the Lively Group, an integrated post company which is home to the creative editorial shop BlueRock, the design and VFX studio Spontaneous, the fashion, beauty and luxury boutique Scarlett and other postproduction support brands.
During this time Palestrini also maintained a deep association with AICE, one that spanned over two decades. He served as a board member of the New York chapter and then as its president before being elected national president of the association. He later served on its international board.
“There was little discussion as to whom we’d be inducting into our Hall of Fame this year,” said Dee Tagert, managing director and partner at jumP Editorial and president of the AICE New York chapter, which is hosting the 2014 AICE Awards ceremony. “Given the enormous impact John had on our industry and our organization, honoring his legacy was the obvious thing for us to do.”
“Here was the thing about John; he was success-driven and not ego-driven,” said Rubinstein, now Lively Group owner/CEO and Palestrini’s close friend and colleague since her earliest days in the industry. “He spoke the same way to the employee in the mail room as he did to the most senior editor or agency creative. He was equally available to everyone, and it was because of this that so many sought his counsel and counted themselves not only as his colleagues but as his friends.”
A Brooklyn native, Palestrini was raised under the shadow of the Cyclone in Coney Island. He got into the post industry almost by chance; while working as a messenger he delivered a package to a film editing company and was instantly captivated by the environment. Friends and colleagues recall that he knew then that he wanted to be an editor.
Working his way up the ranks as an assistant to a full-time editor, he launched his first company, the Palestrini Film Company, in 1977, cutting TV spots on film using Steenbecks and Movieolas. Over the years he would become known for his editorial work in the highly competitive fashion and beauty category, cutting the now-legendary “Who Wears Short Shorts” spot for Nair back in the 1980s.
Another famous Palestrini spot was for Purina Cat Chow, in which he employed his deft editorial skills to get cats to appear to dance a cha-cha in the days before VFX tools made talking and dancing animals a staple of commercials.
Clients and co-workers are unanimous in their descriptions of Palestrini as a big picture thinker with an equally big heart, someone whose warmth touched them personally while his vision, creative skills and business acumen impacted them professionally.
Andy Ball, executive VP and account director at Grey Worldwide, said Palestrini possessed a “combination of humor and decency along with an effortless mix of tranquility and cool.” He saluted his vision for creating new postproduction business models to serve agency and client needs and was impressed by the perspective, insight and life experience he brought to his work, all of which helped shape his personality and outlook. “Of all the people I’ve met in this business,” he concluded, “John is at the very top of my list, if not number one.”
Andy Milkis, director of visual effects at Spontaneous and sister company Ballistic, said one of Palestrini’s talents was making people see beyond themselves. “Early on he led me to pursue something that was bigger and more fulfilling with my career, and that really encapsulates my relationship with John. He was instrumental in helping me mature as a creative talent and a professional. His gift was not to solve your problem for you, but to help you see that you could do it for yourself.”
Palestrini’s son Kris, who followed him into the advertising production and post industry and is now a founder of Krispy Pictures, believes his father’s personal touch helped make him an inspiration to many, both in terms of his success and his legacy. “He had an aura of confidence and humility,” Palestrini said, “and people just responded to that.”
