Amber Music has added composers Leo Sidran and Phil Mossman. Sidran produced the Oscar-winning song “Al Otro Lado Del Rio” from The Motorcycle Diaries. Mossman is a member of the group LCD Soundsystem. Both will be based in the New York office of Amber, which also maintains operations in London and Los Angeles….Audio post mixer Sonia Castro has joined Juice, the Santa Monica shop headed by owner/chief audio architect Alex Alba. Castro comes over from Santa Monica-based 48 Windows and prior to that was with AudioBanks, Santa Monica. She has mixed for assorted clients, including regional work for BMW, and campaigns for Jack in the Box and Carl’s Jr. Castro has mixed for the two latter advertisers over the past decade-plus….Bob Giammarco of audioEngine, New York and Phoenix, provided sound design and audio post mixing for a black-and-white PSA for the Men’s Anti-violence Network (an initiative of the Arizona Foundation for Women), directed and shot by Sergio Arguello of Suns Productions, Phoenix, via agency Cramer-Krasselt, Phoenix. In the spot, Phoenix Suns’ forward Brian Grant discusses the difference between the roughness encountered in a basketball game and that in a domestic violence situation. “A lot happens in a game,” says Grant as he practices shooting hoops, his movements echoing in an empty court. “It’s intense.” He walks right up to the camera and smacks it with the palm of his hand. The camera shakes and blurs, as we hear the thunderous sound of impending danger. When a player does it during a game, he gets a technical foul. “But when an abuser does it, they’re just getting started,” relates Grant. The PSA concludes with contact info for the Men’s Anti-violence network, a group of more than 100 business and community leaders dedicated to stopping–and increasing public awareness of–domestic violence…..Creative director/partner Dave Hodge of Finger Music, Venice, Calif.–who’s active in spots (i.e., Coca-Cola, Dodge)–is slated to play several tour dates in California, Texas, Washington and Oregon with indie rock band Broken Social Scene. This marks the second Broken Social Scene outing for Hodge, who hit the road with the band this past summer, appearing at European summer festivals, as well as in New York. Hodge, who plays trombone, will also be performing with Broken Social Scene’s supporting act, recording artist Feist, whose new album, Let It Die, is in stores now.
Stars Among Those Who Lost Their Homes In L.A. Area Fires; Jamie Lee Curtis Pledges $1M To Relief Effort
Fires burning in and around Los Angeles have claimed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Jeff Bridges, and R&B star Jhené Aiko, and led to sweeping disruptions of entertainment events. Three awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed. Next week's Oscar nominations have been delayed. And tens of thousands of Angelenos are displaced and awaiting word Thursday on whether their homes survived the flames — some of them the city's most famous denizens. Thousands of structures have been destroyed but damage assessments are just beginning. More than 180,000 people are also under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt. Late Wednesday, a fire in the Hollywood Hills was scorching the hills near the famed Hollywood Bowl and Dolby Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards. That fire had been largely contained without damage to Hollywood landmarks. Here are how the fires are impacting celebrities and the Los Angeles entertainment industry: Stars whose homes have burned in the fires Celebrities like Crystal and his wife, Janice, were sharing memories of the homes they lost. The Crystals lost the home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that they lived in for 45 years. "Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can't be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this," the Crystals wrote in the statement. After her learning her Pacific Palisades home was lost in the fires, Melissa Rivers says she was... Read More