Ntropic, a visual effects house led by founder/creative director Nathan Robinson, has hired executive producer Jim Riche. Based in Ntropic’s Santa Monica studio, Riche comes over from Digital Domain’s commercial division where he served as an exec producer.
Meanwhile on another expansive front, Ntropic has opened an office in New York to complement its shops in Santa Monica and San Francisco. Ntropic producer Kara Holstrom has moved from San Francisco to handle day-to-day management of the New York operation. All three Ntropic offices are digitally connected, with New York offering Flame, color grading on Lustre, as well as resources in 3D and design. Ntropic will be naming a new creative director/VFX supervisor for the New York office soon. Exec producer Sharon Lew has joined the company to handle business development/sales on the East Coast.
“New York City has an incredibly vibrant artistic community,” noted Robinson. “For us as artists, having an office there really opens us up to new influences and a diversity of projects.” Ntropic is currently in the midst of its inaugural commercial project for ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi/NY. Ntropic is also working on national commercials for Bank of New York and Dodge Ram.
“The fact that we can run a job concurrently through San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York makes this studio a very appealing option and an exciting place to work,” added Riche who added that he was drawn to the opportunity to collaborate with Ntropic’s ensemble of talent, including such artisans as Robinson, Andrew Sinagra, Simon Mowbray, MB Emigh and Marshall Plante.
Riche began his career as a DP and moved into motion control, then producing and directing. He was one of the first Harry operators in the U.S., and has managed staffs of up to 200 people for the production of “PeeWee’s Playhouse,” as well as in his most recent position as EP at Digital Domain. Riche brings more than 25 years experience in commercials, TV and feature films to Ntropic.
Ntropics’ body of work spans commercials, TV and features. TV endeavors include American Idol and Ford, as well as Hawaii Five-O. Ntropic has also made major creative contributions to a global advertising campaign for Franklin Templeton, as well as commercials for HP and Cricket. The company is currently working on VFX for the 2012 release of Total Recall.
Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More