Camille Geier has joined Curious Pictures as senior VP/head of studio, a newly created position at the multi-platform production and entertainment company. Geier brings extensive experience in short and long-form fare to her new Manhattan roost, having served as executive producer of visual effects for such features as Ghost Town (directed by David Koepp) and the soon-to-be-released Adjustment Bureau (George Nolfi), and as visual effects producer on a slate of films that includes Gangs of New York (Martin Scorsese), Bloodwork (Clint Eastwood), Deconstructing Harry (Woody Allen), and Starship Troopers (Paul Verhoeven).
On the ad front, Geier has had a hand in overseeing production for and producing assorted commercials. She comes over to Curious from Rhino-Gravity where she played an integral role in building its feature film VFX division while running the commercials operation. Her production acumen across different disciplines and genres dovetails nicely with a Curious mix of both original content and work for hire spanning features, TV shows, new media, commercials and gaming.
On the latter front, for example, Curious is active in game development and production, having worked on the noted interactive game Rockband (Beatles, Green Day, etc.), various iPhone apps and is now, according to managing partner Jan Korbelin, about to embark on a major deal to develop a game property for an undisclosed lifestyle brand.
Curious had been courting Geier for some time to take on a lead role in growing the studio’s capacity and creativity, in finding more ways to share resources to serve the different entertainment and advertising platforms, and in helping to further diversify business.
“A lot of our growth has organically developed,” related Korbelin who himself is a veteran feature film producer (an exec producer of the Oscar-winning Crash) and management executive. “For instance, we have a director on the commercial side [Rohitash Rao] who came up with an idea for a TV series, which we are helping to develop for one of the major networks. Our talent base is constantly generating new ideas for content.”
Prior to her tenure at Rhino, Geier spent seven years at Industrial Light+Magic (ILM), serving most notably as a senior producer where her exploits included not only the aforementioned Gangs of New York and Starship Troopers but also visual effects for select spots, including McDonald’s for DDB Chicago, via ILM’s now defunct commercial unit. Earlier she was a senior producer with the former (Colossal) Pictures, turning out commercials such as Coca-Cola’s “Games” via Creative Arts Agency (CAA), Beverly Hills, and a Nintendo campaign out of Leo Burnett Chicago.
Geier noted that (Colossal)–with its involvement in spots, TV series and long-form projects often blending live action, effects and varied forms of animation–parallels the diversity fostered by the Curious creative and business model. The major difference, she observed, is that in recent years, the digital and interactive component has come of age, giving Curious an even more expansive palette from which to shape content.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More